ONE Championship: Silva and Naito face off in open workout

ONE Championship (ONE) recently held an open workout for athletes competing at ONE: GRIT AND GLORY. Held at the Jakarta Muay Thai & MMA Gym on 9 May, the ONE: GRIT AND GLORY Open Workout featured main event competitors, reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil and opponent Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Japan. Also in attendance were martial arts stars Stefer Rahardian, Himanshu Kaushik, Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol, and Rome Trinidad who will all be appearing on the supporting card.

Alex Silva, ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated: “I am always looking for a spectacular finish, no matter where the bout ends up — whether on the feet or on the ground. I really feel like I can beat Naito again, no doubt. If it takes one round or five, I’m ready. I am prepared to go the duration of the contest again. My goal is to improve on the performance of the last bout. There should be no problems with me going to the end since I have prepared well, but I am definitely looking to finish this time around.”

Yoshitaka Naito, ONE Athlete, stated: “This is a really important bout for me, and I am working very hard to win this time. I think the opportunity that I have for this rematch this soon is very rare, so I’m not taking it lightly. He is the champion now, and I am the challenger. Silva is very good at everything. I underestimated his striking previously, but he is very well-rounded. I could not do what I wanted to do in the cage. This time, things will be different.”

Stefer Rahardian, ONE Athlete, stated: “I definitely learned a lot from my last match, and I know that I need to be prepared for everything. It was hard, but I earned a tough decision and that’s great. But now I want to win with a finish. I want to excite the crowd and give my best performance. There is something to be learned with every match, win or lose. I want to show that I have improved a lot since my last appearance.”

Himanshu Kaushik, ONE Athlete, stated: “With my family and friends supporting me, I want to make them proud of my performance. I am very lucky to have the team I have behind me. Stefer Rahardian is a great athlete, undefeated and experienced. He has great wrestling skills and his grappling is top notch. I am preparing to handle his strengths and by the time we both step into the cage, I’ll be ready. I know what to do and we have a great game plan in place.”

Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol, ONE Athlete, stated: “The more I compete, the more experience I get. It does not matter so much whether I win or lose, as long as there is always something to learn. I am working on all areas of my skills, both in my striking and in my ground game. I really feel like I have improved a lot, and I want to showcase this in this next match. I want to be the best. I want to get more matches and wins, and hopefully get the belt.”

Rome Trinidad, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am out to prove that every woman can do anything they put their mind to. I want to inspire the youth, young girls who look up to us martial artists and want to follow in our footsteps. I want them to be strong against any challenge in life, not only physically, but also mentally and spiritually. This is a tough game we play, but I am prepared to do what it takes to bring my best performance to the cage.”

Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a third-degree black belt and Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion feared for his relentless pursuit of submission finishes. He is a technical grappling specialist with a penchant for securing highlight-reel submissions. With steadily increasing confidence, five of Silva’s last six victories have all ended in spectacular fashion. In his most recent contest, Silva turned in the best performance of his career, defeating former champion Yoshitaka Naito via unanimous decision to claim the ONE Strawweight World Championship. Now, Silva is ready to return to action to defend the belt against the same man he took it from.

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Matsudo, Japan, owns a stellar professional record of 12-1. He owns six victories by submission and one by knockout. Naito made a name for himself at Japan’s world famous Korakuen Hall competing for Shooto as its Flyweight Champion, and captured the ONE Strawweight World Championship by submitting Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in his ONE promotional debut in 2016. In his most recent bout, Naito succumbed to now reigning division king, Alex Silva. He returns to action looking to reclaim championship glory against Silva in a rematch.

Top Indonesian martial arts talent Stefer Rahardian impressed in his ONE Championship debut by winning the ONE: TITLES & TITANS Flyweight Tournament in August of 2016. Rahardian finished both Yotha Hutagalung and Hendrick Wijaya by first round rear-naked choke to become the tournament winner. Since then, Rahardian has blazed a trail in the ONE Championship cage in an amazing run as a professional. In his last outing, Rahardian outperformed Pakistan’s Muhammad Imran to win by unanimous decision. Still unbeaten at a perfect 8-0, Rahardian puts his unblemished record on the line against Himanshu Kaushik in a strawweight contest.

Indian bantamweight contender Himanshu Kaushik is set to make his ONE Championship debut at ONE: GRIT AND GLORY. Kaushik has competed mostly in his native India, showcasing a solid set of striking and grappling skills. A striking specialist, Kaushik also owns a wushu record of 71-7. Kaushik’s promotional debut will be anything but easy however, as he faces surging Indonesian martial arts talent Stefer Rahardian in a three-round strawweight bout.

Female martial artist Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol of Jakarta, Indonesia, is an Indonesian national wushu champion who has trained in various striking disciplines such as kickboxing and wushu. The 29-year-old made her ONE Championship debut against Singapore’s Tiffany Teo at ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS in February 2017, joining a growing list of elite female martial artists in Asia. Lumban Gaol, a striking specialist with a wushu record of 15-5, will look to extend her two-bout winning streak to three in her next appearance inside the ONE Championship cage, when she takes on Rome Trinidad.

20-year-old Rome “The Rebel” Trinidad of Manila, Philippines is set to return to action in her second appearance inside the ONE Championship cage. The atomweight competitor is a practitioner of Sikaran, an ancient martial arts discipline which originated from Rizal province in the Philippines. With no written history, Sikaran was passed on from generation to generation by succession. A former National Sikaran Champion training out of Elorde Gym, Trinidad is ready to showcase her skills to the world. She takes on rising Indonesian martial arts star Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol.