A former ONE featherweight champion, an Olympian, and a former mixed martial artist who went back to amateur are already assured of silver medals in the 2024 Asian Kickboxing Championship in Phnom Phen, Cambodia.
Inaugural ONE featherweight king Honorio Banario secured a finals spot after a dominant performance.
Thanks to a walkover win over his Iraqi opponent on day 3, the Lions MMA fighter and sometimes-coach managed to secure the finals slot.
After back-to-back victories by way of knockout, Banario was declared the winner in the men’s K1 -75 kg division when his Iraqi opponent failed to enter the ring, reportedly because of fatigue from a grueling match against a Pakistani fighter.
The most seasoned member of the Philippine kickboxing team earned the semifinals ticket after beating Cambodia’s Chheng Leang and India’s Joshi Makarand Vilas, both via first-round knockouts in the elimination and quarterfinal rounds, respectively.
He will face either Chao Luo of China or Rayimjonov Davlatbek of Uzbekistan for the gold medal.
Earlier, Team Philippines saw former ONE Championship fighter Gina Araos securing a finals slot at the women’s Low Kick -56 kg division, where she will take on Indonesia’s Lumbangtungkup Aprilia Eka Putri.
The former ONE fighter Araos, known then as the Conviction, is a gold medalist in the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games before settling for a silver medal in the 2023 edition.
Hergie Bacyadan, who saw action in the Paris Olympics last July, also advanced to the women’s K1 -70 kg category finals after a devastating knockout win over Cambodia’s Samnang Raksa on Wednesday.
Local fighters contributed to the country’s effort, with bronze medals from Daryl Chulipas in the men’s full-contact -51 kg division, Claudine Veloso in the women’s K1 -52 kg category, Felex Dave Cantores and Renalyn Dacquel and Lance Airon Villamer of Kafagway MMA in the men’s point-fighting -63 kg division.
