MARK your calendars for the UFC Fight Night Singapore: Cowboy Vs Edwards presented by AirAsia at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 23, 2018. (Tickets now on sale at https://www.sportshub.com.sg/UFC2018)
Not only will exciting veteran fighter Donald Cerrone battle Leon Edwards you will also get to see Pinoy MMA fighter Jenel Lausa. The 29-year-old native of Iloilo City competes in the Flyweight division of the UFC.
Lausa made his professional debut in Asia’s first professional MMA promotion, URCC, in 2011 as a flyweight. In 2013, he signed with Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) where he compiled a record of 5 wins and 1 loss and a flyweight championship. He was riding the crest of four consecutive victories when he signed with the UFC.
Lausa said he has been preparing hard for his bout against the formidable Ashkan Mokhtarian.
“Ready na po ako sa coming fight ko na ito. Palagay ko po malaking tsansa ko dahil pinaghahandaan ko ang laban na ito. Pero hindi lang tayo magtiwala dahil magaling din po ang makakalaban natin (I am ready for the coming fight. I believe I have a very good chance of winning because of all my preparation. But I will not be overconfident because my opponent is also a good fighter),” Lausa said.
Lausa confessed he will need all the help he can get and appealed to fellow Filipinos to support him for this coming fight.
“Hinihingi ko po ang inyong support sa laban na ito. Pray ninyo po ako na manatiling safe at manalo po tayo. Laban po natin lahat ito. Thank you po and God bless you all (I am asking everyone to support me in this coming bout. I am appealing for everyone to pray for my safety and for victory. This is our fight. Thank you and God bless us all),” said Lausa.
Other bouts in the card include veteran knockout artist Ovince St Preux (22-11, fighting out of Knoxville, Tennessee, USA) who will take on surging Australian submission specialist Tyson Pedro (7-1, fighting out of Sydney, Australia).
Powerful Japanese striker Shinsho Anzai (10-2, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan) will face “The Celtic Kid” Jake Matthews (13-3, fighting out of Epping, Victoria, Australia) who is looking to build on his two-fight winning streak in the welterweight division.
Number 9-ranked women’s flyweight Jessica Rose Clark (8-4, fighting out of Innisfail, Australia) is looking to start her UFC career with three wins in a row as she faces no. 10-ranked Jessica Eye (12-6, fighting out of Cleveland, Ohio, USA).
Submission specialist Matt Schnell (11-4, fighting out of Shreveport, Louisiana, USA) takes on 20-year-old undefeated prospect Naoki Inoue (11-0, fighting out of Toyohashi, Japan) in a flyweight match-up
Chinese striker Yan Xiaonan (8-1, fighting out of Beijing, China) is looking to score her second consecutive win in the Octagon® against strawweight contender Nadia Kassem (5-0, fighting out of Wentworthville, Sydney, Australia).
China’s biggest MMA star and welterweight prospect Li “Leech” Jingliang (14-5, fighting out of Beijing, China) will return to Singapore to face Japan’s Judo specialist, Daichi Abe (6-1, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan).
Up and coming Chinese prospect Song Yadong (10-3-0, 2NC fighting out of Heilongjiang, China) will make his bantamweight debut in a showdown against Felipe ‘Sertanejo’ Arantes (18-9-1, 2NC, fighting out of Sao Paulo, Brazil).
Rapid striker Song ‘The Assassin’ Kenan (13-4-0, fighting out of Tangshan, Hebei, China) will look to secure his second consecutive welterweight win against UFC debutant and The Ultimate Fighter Latin America contender Héctor Aldana (4-1, fighting out of Mexico).
Dynamic athlete Teruto ‘Yashabo’ Ishihara (11-5-2, fighting out of Osaka, Japan) will continue his bantamweight pursuit in a bout against UFC debutant and bright Russian prospect, Petr ‘No Mercy’ Yan (8-1, fighting out of Omsk, Russia).
