Danny Kingad Weighs-in on Reece McLaren Versus Yuya Wakamatsu

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Second-ranked ONE Championship flyweight contender Danny “The King” Kingad is patiently awaiting the next time he can step into the Circle. But before he can don the 4oz. gloves once again, the Team Lakay stalwart and former World Title challenger will be keeping a close eye on two former foes.


#5-ranked contender Reece “Lightning” McLaren will face #4-ranked contender Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu in the co-main event of “ONE on TNT III,” a previously recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore which airs this Wed., April 21 (Thu., April 22 in Asia).

Kingad recently weighed in on his thoughts on the matchup, having faced and defeated both men in the past.

“I think the Reece McLaren versus Yuya Wakamatsu fight is going to steal the show at ‘ONE on TNT III.’ It’s an interesting fight between a very dangerous grappler and a powerful striker. I think fans are excited to see this one,” said Kingad.

“Having fought both guys in the Circle, I know how talented each one is, and kind of have an idea how this fight is going to play out.”



Kingad took care of business against Wakamatsu in 2018, dominating the Japanese fighter to win by three-round unanimous decision. He faced McLaren almost a year later, scraping by via split decision in a more competitive bout.


“The King” has a good feel for both guys and has an idea who will emerge victorious in this highly rated flyweight affair.


“Reece is such a talented grappler and I know how tricky he is in certain situations. Once he gets you on the ground, it’s his world, and if you don’t have the experience, he’s going to put you in a rough spot,” said Kingad.

“Yuya, on the other hand, is a very different fighter. He has the advantage in striking, obviously. He has that one punch knockout power and is very fast. I think this fight will really just come down to who executes on their strengths more.”

“ONE on TNT III” is the third of a four-part event series broadcast from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. In the main event, #1-ranked bantamweight contender John “Hands of Stone” Lineker faces Troy “Pretty Boy” Worthen.

The “ONE on TNT” series airs every Wednesday in the United States for four weeks.

Each week will include a lead card digitally streamed exclusively on Bleacher Report, B/R App, B/R MMA Twitter, B/R Live YouTube, and B/R Live, followed by main card fights televised exclusively on Bleacher Report and the B/R app. More information on how to watch can be found at https://www.onefc.com/news/how-to-watch-one-on-tnt-iii/

One Step Back, Two Steps Forward: Louie Sangalang survives Episode 5 despite passive team role

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Louie Sangalang's voice was hardly heard in Episode 5 of The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition

But his supposed passiveness for Team Valor in the business challenge shouldn't be looked at as a shortcoming on his part.

After all, Sangalang did his best in the role given to him -- one which kept him in the thick of the fight in this high-stakes game of business competitions and physical challenges -- all for the prize of a US$250,000 job offer to work as ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong's protégé at the ONE Championship Global Headquarters in Singapore for a year.

Because you're not seen, you're at the backend, there's a tendency for people to disregard your contributions," Sangalang testified inside the Boardroom.

It may not be that evident right from the start, but Sangalang's presence was truly underrated for Team Valor's success.

From the dragon boat challenge, the 43-year-old procurement consultant gave it his all despite the apparent fatigue that led teammate Eugene Chung to stop paddling, leaving it to Sangalang, Monica Millington, and Irina Chadsey to compete with the heftier Team Conquest.

Given those circumstances, it's understandable that Team Valor, which had ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon "The Truth" Vera on its side, lost the challenge and was pressured to redeem themselves in the business task.

Like any good follower, Sangalang was a handy tool for Team Valor in the ensuing task while also allowing the leaders to excel in their jobs.

He and Chung did a good job gathering crucial information and inspirations for their pitch and conveyed those ideas to the tea leaders.

The collaborative work allowed Team Valor to shine as they tried to create a fusion product out of The Shirt Bar and Bengawan Solo, retailer brands from Changi Airport.

The result was Esensi, a line of scented candles inspired by the five distinct flavors from Begawan Solo restaurant and customer-made designs from The Shirt Bar. Sityodtong called the product "outstanding" and lauded Team Valor for "an outstanding job." The packaging, Sityodtong added, was a “complete disaster” though.

Valor project manager Millington took responsibility for the oversight, and when asked by Chatri who she would take with her to the Boardroom if, theoretically, they lost the challenge, she mentioned Chung and Sangalang.

Lucky for Team Valor, they won the product challenge task and avoided the chopping block.

"I will no longer tolerate mediocrity. I will no longer tolerate floaters. I will no longer tolerate anything less than excellence," Sityodtong declared ahead of the business challenge. "This competition has nothing to do with me. It has everything to do with you and your commitment, your passion, your desire to unleash your greatness in life. I'm willing to invest all my knowledge, all my ideas, all my experiences, my failures, my successes, into you so that you can become great. I want to see how badly you want it."

It’s now up to Sangalang to prove how hungry he is to win it all and get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to become Sityodtong’s chief of staff.

The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition is showing across Asia on AXN, the show’s official Asian broadcast partner, with markets to include Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

The first season of “The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition” consists of 13 episodes and will be seen in the Philippines on Thursdays, 8:50 pm on AXN cable network and on Mondays at 9 p.m. on One Sport.

PLDT Enterprise inspires businesses to Defy Limits with fortified wireless solutions

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of the largest integrated telecommunications company in the Philippines, enjoins businesses to defy the limits of remote and hybrid work setup with its more flexible and strengthened wireless solutions.

The Wireless business pillar of PLDT Enterprise – powered by its wireless arm Smart - gives businesses a wide array of digital solutions that can improve operational efficiency and optimize work capabilities.

Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups, says that Smart wireless solutions “support PLDT Enterprise’s commitment to make a positive impact on every single business. With remote work now at the forefront because of the pandemic, we ensure that businesses can defy limits via mobility solutions. You not just work from home, but hopefully soon, work from anywhere."

Smart has recently rolled out Smart 5G, setting the groundwork for new technologies and innovations in the workplace --- with blinding speeds and ultra-low latency. To add to this, corporate customers can work with PLDT Enterprise in building use cases on 5G that will definitely help bridge companies in their goals of transforming operations and productivity in order to engage more seamlessly with their own customers in this new normal. With Smart 5G, the opportunities are virtually endless.

"We at PLDT Enterprise are definitely defying limits with our next-generation wireless technologies,” says Chet Alviz, VP & Head of Wireless Marketing for PLDT Enterprise. “The value potential of 5G enterprise solutions and also the Internet of Things in this ever evolving digital landscape forms part of our strategy to build a complete 5G ecosystem,” he adds. "It is with this aspiration that we have started our IoT journey in building the Smart IoT Platform. Of course, apart from our already existing products and solutions."

The Smart IoT Platform is now being developed, thanks to the collaboration between Smart and Nokia which was forged in October 2020. Meant to provide next generation Internet of Things (IoT) for its customers, the first of its kind platform for enterprises in the Philippines aims to power connected devices that will help businesses from key industries to easily deploy and explore IoT use cases such as having full control, 360-degree visibility, secured connectivity, and enhanced throughout based services for their operations.

Another offering is Smart Enterprise Postpaid, which allows businesses to access voice, SMS, and data services, powering their mobile with choice plans that fit one’s business needs and budget. With Smart’s fastest LTE network based on third party recognition, including Ookla, P3 and OpenSignal, one can stay connected with employees and customers with a superior data surfing experience. Stay in contact too with partners and staff with the Unlimited all-net calls, texts, and landline concessions. All this while enjoying a hands-on enterprise support.

Smart Bro is another of PLDT Enterprise’s Smart solution, which is powered by the largest broadband connection. Wifi for sharing lets you surf together with family and friends with one internet connection; multi-gadget connection lets your Smart Bro Pocket wifi to connect all your gadgets at the same time. All Smart Bro plans today under PLDT Enterprise are now 5G ready and are bundled with 5G Rocket Wifi—the best performing 5G device available in the Philippine market today—that will allow subscribers to enjoy personal portable broadband access on the go.

Biz LTE, on the other hand, is Smart Bro's Fixed Wireless Broadband service which is perfect for small offices or establishments and in vehicles. A great alternative for Fixed Broadband in areas where there are no Fiber facilities such as provincial and regional areas.

Meanwhile, PLDT Enterprise Smart Tracker is a GPS tracking system that enables users to monitor company-owned vehicles and field employees in near real time to optimize operational efficiency and security. Powered by Smart LTE, one may track and monitor deliveries’ location from anytime and anywhere in the world, which is applicable to any various vehicle types.

Another popular wireless solution brought about by the new normal in education, Bizload is a secure, convenient and web-based portal that allows companies and the academe connectivity for employees, faculty and students. The platform enables faculty to continue teaching online and for students to continue uninterrupted learning.

Lastly, Smart Messaging Suite is an Application-to-Peer (A2P) messaging platform that enables sending high-volume SMS through an easy-to-use online account or via API or SFTP integration. Users may send scheduled or ad-hoc advisories, marketing campaigns, one-time passwords, reminders and transactional notifications. Built to support high-volume, time-sensitive broadcasts with 99.5% service availability, it also supports features like sender ID, two-way messaging, mail merge, and reports.

The PLDT Enterprise Wireless solutions mentioned are certainly the smartest way for businesses to focus and invest on as they continue to strengthen their digital landscape thereby keeping customers and employees fully equipped with new technology and innovations.

Recently, PLDT Enterprise launched its brand campaign titled ‘Unbreakable’ to celebrate the resilience of the Filipino that enabled them to come out stronger from the challenges of the past year. As an extension of this campaign, PLDT Enterprise now pushes forward ‘Defy Limits’ to inspire businesses to defy the limits of today’s business landscape with the group’s Wireless solutions. Watch PLDT Enterprise’s “Defy Limits” video here: https://youtu.be/DaR8bNOG9gg

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com