ONE Championship won big at the 2018 Global Martial Arts Awards held in Singapore, Thursday night.
The gala and dinner ceremony at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach saw the most prolific martial arts personalities all come together under one roof.
A handful of ONE Championship athletes were bestowed prestigious recognition among many deserving awardees in the global martial arts industry.
Filipino superstar Eduard Folayang took home the Martial Arts Hero of the Year award.
Folayang is the former ONE Lightweight World Champion and has long been considered the face of Philippine mixed martial arts.
He bagged a pair of victories in 2018 against previously unbeaten Russian adversaries Kharun Atlangeriev and Aziz Pahrudinov.
The 34-year-old native of Baguio City, Philippines is scheduled to face Singaporean sensation Amir Khan in the main event of ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS on 23 November for the vacant ONE Lightweight World Championship.
ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang copped Male Athlete of the Year honors.
Aung La N Sang is a superstar in Myanmar, and has a massive following unlike any other in his home country of Myanmar.
Aung La N Sang scored three exhilarating knockouts in 2018, including a sensational one-punch finish of Ken Hasegawa last June.
Reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee won Female Athlete of the Year.
The 22-year-old is one of the youngest mixed martial arts world champions in history, and has a huge fan following all across the globe.
Her lone outing in 2018 is a successful defense of her atomweight title against Mei Yamaguchi this past May.
Five-division Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao of Evolve MMA in Singapore took home the Muay Thai Athlete of the Year citation.
The epic clash between Aung La N Sang and Ken Hasegawa at ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR last June was hailed as Bout of the Year.
Reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio bagged Submission of the Year honors with his modified keylock victory over Pongsiri Mitsatit in July. Pacio then fondly dubbed his submission maneuver “The Passion Lock”, a product of Team Lakay’s Baguio Jiu-Jitsu.
Lee Ji Na of Andong, South Korea won the Ring Girl of the Year award. Lee is a popular model based in the capital city of Seoul.
ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, which took place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on 6 October was named Event of the Year.
The stacked card featured world-class boxing in ONE Championship for the very first time, as WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai successfully defended his title against Iran Diaz of Mexico.
The event garnered a record over 25 million viewers worldwide.
Gym of the Year award was bestowed to the Baguio City, Philippines-based Team Lakay.
Team Lakay started off 2018 with zero world champions, but now has three in ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje Eustaquio, ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio, and ONE Interim Bantamweight World Champion Kevin Belingon.
ONE Championship veteran referee Olivier Coste was honored with the Referee of the Year award.
Coste has been with the promotion from the very beginning, and has since led the officiating for ONE Championship.
Breakthrough Athlete of the Year honors went to Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex, a talent who emerged from Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series and recently joined ONE Super Series.
Below are the full list of winners at the 2018 Global Martial Arts Awards:
Martial Arts Hero of the Year: Eduard Folayang
Male Athlete of the Year: Aung La N Sang
Female Athlete of the Year: Angela Lee
Muay Thai Athlete of the Year: Nong-O Gaiyanghadao
Kickboxing Athlete of the Year: Tenshin Nasukawa
Bout of the Year: Aung La N Sang vs Ken Hasegawa
Knockout of the Year: Brian Ortega (KO of Frankie Edgar)
Submission of the Year: Joshua Pacio via “The Passion Lock”
Martial Arts Journalist of the Year: Manabu Takashima of MMA Planet
Ring Girl of the Year: Lee Ji Na
Event of the Year: ONE: Kingdom of Heroes
Walkout of the Year: Andy Nguyen
Gym of the Year: Team Lakay
Referee of the Year: Olivier Coste
Coach of the Year: Mark Sangiao
Breakthrough Athlete of the Year: Stamp Fairtex
Astro Awani
Fri Nov 09 2018
Reigning ONE Womens Atomweight World Champion -Unstoppable- Angela Lee won Female Athlete of the Year. - ONE photo
Iran's supreme leader says Hamas leader's death will not halt 'Axis of Resistance'
The "Axis of Resistance", built up with years of Iranian support, includes Hamas, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and various Shi'ite groups in Iraq and Syria.
Putin says Russia willing to seek compromises between Iran and Israel
Russia is ready to help seek compromises between arch-foes Israel and Iran, President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, saying these would be difficult but possible.
What proposals will Russia push at the BRICS summit?
The proposal is also to establish a BRICS reinsurance company to allow uninterrupted shipment of goods and key commodities between members.
Indonesia's free meals plan in the spotlight as Prabowo readies for office
Prabowo calls the programme one of the main drivers of economic growth, eventually set to add an estimated 2.5 million jobs.
Astro AWANI's revamped English news website, AWANI International, launches on Oct 21
Astro AWANI's revamped English platform delivers in-depth global news and expert analysis to keep you informed on key developments.
Israeli strikes kill 33 people in Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, medics say
Residents of Jabalia said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
Liam Payne's ex-partner calls for media restraint after 'painful' death
Cheryl Tweedy used her statement to urge the media to remember they had a seven-year-old son, Bear, who could read the reports.
Analysts: Indonesia's strong MoF leadership team to boost investor confidence
Sri Mulyani Indrawati as head of Indonesia's Ministry of Finance is expected to instil confidence among investors.
Biden offers both a carrot and a stick to Israel as his term nears an end
Israel has frequently resisted US advice and has caused political difficulties for the Biden administration.
Putin says BRICS will generate most of global economic growth
Russian President Vladimir Putin will host a summit of the group in the city of Kazan on Oct. 22-24.
ISIS Malaysia's perspective of Budget 2025
An excellent rakyat-centric budget under the overarching principle of a caring and humane economy.
Budget 2025: Record increase in STR, SARA aid initiatives
The government will provide a significant boost to the Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) initiatives next year.
Budget 2025: EPF contributions to be made mandatory for foreign workers – PM Anwar
The government plans to make it compulsory for all non-citizen workers to contribute to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
What policies to expect from Indonesia's new President Prabowo
Prabowo will be open to foreign investment, his aide has said, such as by offering investors management of airports and sea ports.
Budget 2025: Govt allocates RM470 mil to empower women's participation in PMKS
The Women's Leadership Apprenticeship Program will be intensified as an effort to produce more female corporate personalities.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire.
Indonesia ramps up security ahead of Prabowo's inauguration
Prabowo Subianto will be sworn in as Indonesia's president on Sunday with Vice President-elect, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, also taking office.
Immediate allocation of RM150 mil for local authorities, DID to tackle flash floods
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this allocation is intended to address the recent flash floods that hit the capital and several major towns.
Budget 2025: Sabah, Sarawak to continue receiving among highest allocations - PM
Sabah and Sarawak continues to be prioritised under Budget 2025, with allocations of RM6.7 billion and RM5.9 billion respectively.
NFOF will be operational in November 2024 with funding of RM1 bil
PM Anwar Ibrahim said NFOF will support venture capital fund managers to invest in startup companies with RM300 million set aside for 2025.