Big night for PH fighters

A great night for the country’s mixed martial arts (MMA).

Brandon “The Truth” Vera appeared like he did not take a two-year break as he knocked out Italy’s Mauro Cerilli to retain his heavyweight world title in the main event of ONE: Conquest of Champions, Friday, at the Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay.

Vera turned the lights off on Cerilli with a thunderous left hook to the jaw, prompting referee Olivier Coste to half the fight at 3:56 of the opening round.

“Two years was a long time. I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long,” said Vera, who took time to pursue an acting career. “But it looks like I can still do it.”

The 41-year-old admitted he was “surprised” he was able to put Cerilli away easily as he was expecting a five-round brawl. “I didn’t see it coming but I’m glad [the fight] ended that way,” Vera said at the post-fight press conference.

Also triumphant was Eduard “Landslide” Folayang who reclaimed the ONE lightweight throne via unanimous decision in the co-main event.

For five rounds, Folayang punished Singaporean Amir Khan with a combination of spinning back elbows and hard kicks to the mid-section.

“It was [Khan’s] first opportunity to fight for the title but I didn’t take him lightly,” the Baguio native said. “We were able to predict the technique that he wants to apply and we are thankful that we were able to stop all those attempts and execute the game plan.”