Wednesday, October 26, 2016

ONE Bantamweight World Championship Bout Added to ONE: Age of Domination


The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced two additional bouts for ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION, which takes place 2 December at the state-of-the-art Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes will defend his title against Reece McLaren, while Leandro Ataides of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil takes on Mohamed Ali of Alexandria, Egypt. The fight card is now complete with 11 bouts.

Tickets for ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION are available at https://smtickets.com/events/view/5040

Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION is shaping up to be one of the most exciting fight cards we have ever put on in Manila. With the addition of another title bout, fans in the Philippines and all around the world can look forward to an amazing night of world-class mixed martial arts action. Bibiano Fernandes of Brazil is one of the most humble and honorable champions in the world and he is set to take on rising star Reece McLaren.”

36-year-old Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil is the reigning ONE Bantamweight World Champion and widely considered one of the best bantamweights in the world. He made his promotional debut back in 2012 and captured the title in 2013, and has since then remained unbeaten inside the ONE Championship cage. A winner of his last 11 bouts, including three submission wins and two knockouts, Fernandes is set to defend his title against rising star, Reece McLaren.

25-year-old Reece “Lightning” McLaren is a Filipino-Australian professional mixed martial artist from Toowoomba, Australia. He made his ONE debut in 2015 with a spectacular submission victory over top bantamweight contender Mark Striegl, and then followed up that win with a unanimous decision over highly-regarded prospect Muin Gafurov. McLaren has showcased a tremendous striking arsenal paired with a robust grappling skill set in his career to date. In his next bout, he takes on the toughest test of his career against Bibiano Fernandes.

Leandro Ataides of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is set to return to the ONE Championship cage this December. The 30-year-old professional mixed martial artist owns a professional record of eight wins and three losses, with only two of Ataides’ victories reaching the final bell. The hard-charging Ataides remains a force to be reckoned with at middleweight and will look to excite the crowd by defeating his next opponent, Mohamed Ali.

34-year-old fight veteran Mohamed “Flex” Ali is a professional mixed martial arts fighter who hails from Egypt. He owns a diverse 10-10 professional MMA record, which includes seven victories by stunning knockout. The well-travelled striker has competed in various countries in his MMA career. Initially a Muay Thai practitioner, he has finished most of his opponents by stoppage, a clear indication of his powerful striking ability. In his next bout, Ali takes on Leandro Ataides.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, the world’s most exciting mixed martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia featuring the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Championship is broadcast to over 1 billion viewers across 118+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including FOX Sports, Setanta, MNC, Astro, Thairath TV, ABS-CBN, TV5, MYTV, HTV, Esporte Interativo and more.

*This is Press Release

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

NBA Rorsters Feature Record 113 International Players from 41 Countries and Territories



The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that a record 113 international players from a record 41 countries and territories are on opening night rosters for the 2016-17 season.  This marks the third consecutive season that opening night rosters feature at least 100 international players and that all 30 teams have at least one international player.

Opening night rosters feature a record number of European (61), African (14) and Spanish (8) players.  Canada has the most of any country for the third straight year with 11 NBA players.  France comes in second for the third consecutive year with 10 NBA players.  Brazil features a record-tying nine players, Australia features a record-tying eight players, while Croatia has a record-tying five NBA players.

The Utah Jazz leadsthe league with seven international players, while the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors each feature six.  The Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks field five each.

The NBA’s 71st season begins tonightwith a doubleheader on TNT as part of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2016.  In the opening game, the NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers will host the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET.  In the second game, the San Antonio Spurs visit the Golden State Warriors at 10:30 p.m. for a matchup of the teams with the league’s best records last season.  In addition, the Portland Trail Blazers will host the Utah Jazz at 10 p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS.

A number of high-profile international players are scheduled to make their NBA debut during opening week, including:

·         Dragan Bender (Croatia), the No. 4 overall selection, and the Phoenix Suns are home vs. the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 10 p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS
·         Buddy Hield (Bahamas), the No. 6 overall selection, and Jamal Murray (Canada), the No. 7 overall selection, will go head-to-head when the New Orleans Pelicans host the Nuggets on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS
·         Jakob Poeltl, the No. 9 overall selection and the first Austrian player in NBA history, and the Raptors are home vs. the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS
·         Thon Maker (South Sudan), the No. 10 overall selection, and the Milwaukee Bucks will host the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS
·         2014 lottery selections Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and Dario Saric (Croatia) and the 76ers are home vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

The previous records for international players (101) and countries and territories represented (39) were set at the start of the 2014-15 and 2013-14 seasons, respectively.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2015-16 season featured 100 international players from 37 countries and territories. 

Full list of international players on 2016-17 opening night rosters (active and inactive):
Country
Full Name
NBA Team
Argentina
Brooklyn Nets
Argentina
Dallas Mavericks
Argentina
San Antonio Spurs
Argentina
San Antonio Spurs
Australia
Cleveland Cavaliers
Australia
Dallas Mavericks
Australia
Detroit Pistons
Australia
Milwaukee Bucks
Australia
Philadelphia 76ers
Australia
San Antonio Spurs
Australia
Utah Jazz
Australia
Utah Jazz
Austria
Toronto Raptors
Bahamas
New Orleans Pelicans
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Denver Nuggets
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Los Angeles Lakers
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Milwaukee Bucks
Brazil
Atlanta Hawks
Brazil
Chicago Bulls
Brazil
Golden State Warriors
Brazil
Houston Rockets
Brazil
Los Angeles Lakers
Brazil
Phoenix Suns
Brazil
Toronto Raptors
Brazil
Toronto Raptors
Brazil
Utah Jazz
Cameroon
LA Clippers
Cameroon
Philadelphia 76ers
Cameroon
Toronto Raptors
Canada
Boston Celtics
Canada
Brooklyn Nets
Canada
Cleveland Cavaliers
Canada
Dallas Mavericks
Canada
Denver Nuggets
Canada
Houston Rockets
Canada
Minnesota Timberwolves
Canada
Philadelphia 76ers
Canada
Toronto Raptors
Canada
Utah Jazz
Canada
Washington Wizards
Cape Verde
Atlanta Hawks
Congo
Orlando Magic
Croatia
Brooklyn Nets
Croatia
Orlando Magic
Croatia
Orlando Magic
Croatia
Philadelphia 76ers
Croatia
Phoenix Suns
Czech Republic
Washington Wizards
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denver Nuggets
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Orlando Magic
Dominican Republic
Boston Celtics
France
Charlotte Hornets
France
Indiana Pacers
France
New Orleans Pelicans
France
Oklahoma City Thunder
France
Orlando Magic
France
Philadelphia 76ers
France
San Antonio Spurs
France
Utah Jazz