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.”

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.

Yoshitaka Naito, the Japanses star, 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.”

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.

Stefer Rahardian, 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.”

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. Himanshu Kaushik, commented stating:

“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.”

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. Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol spoke to press saying:

“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.”

Her opponent, 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. Rome Trinidad commented:

“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.”

ONE: GUTS AND GLORY has all the makings of a exciting outing in Jakarta. With some fun fights and technical fighters, we should be in for a treat.

Gregory Dorvil: What did you love about the culture of MMA when you were growing up?

Yoshitaka Naito: There were plenty of exciting action that I have never seen and the atmosphere at the venue was great. I seemed like both athletes and fans were having a good time together.

GD: You mention that you liked Sakuraba when he performed in MMA, because of his use of strategy. What made that strategy the most appealing to you out of, say, teeth-gritting brawling?

YN: Sakuraba won against the best fighters by a submission that no one has ever seen so it was mind blowing and it fascinating me.

GD: Do you still read manga, if so what titles do you currently read. Are there any manga characters that resonate with you today, or is Nobita still your top favorite?

YN: I still read comics. I’m currently into this coming called ‘Golden Kamui.’ It’s a bit scary but it has lots of nature in it so I like it. Nobita is always my favorite character.

GD: How would you describe your fighter spirit, that which fuels you and guides you in every fight?

YN: I don’t know if I have the fighters spirit but I always try to show everything that I got in every bout.
That is what I was taught from hero’s in comic books.

GD: What culture, attidues, or values do you think ONE FC or its roster brings to the world of MMA?

YN: ONE has the best athletes in their roster and is expanding the possibility of the fighters.

GD: Do you approach the MMA world from a classic warrior’s perspective or business perspective? Or a little of both?

YN: I try to approach in both classic warrior’s perspective or business perspective. If both perspective match, I want the organization to gather the best fighters and also succeed in business and be sustainable.

GD: How different do you think the culture of MMA is today as opposed to what it was when you first watched Sakabura, or even when you joined MMA in your adult years?

YN: I feel MMA is expanding to the world and everyone is aware of the sports.

GD: You mentioned in your biography promo video that fear is what motivates you in your training and in your fights. What is it that you fear, even when you were champion, and how does it affect your fighter spirit, if at all?

YN: One win and one loss can dramatically change your life. It’s a thankful thing but scary at the same time. Fierce never went away even after I became champion but a tough situation is always a chance.

GD: When you became champion, was that your only goal, or one goal of many?

YN: I want become a person who is appropriate to be a champion. Someone who behaves and can be a role model.

GD: What was the reception with your friends and family like after receiving it?

YN: Everyone was happy about me becoming champion and celebrated.

GD: What did you want to accomplish once you attained the status of a champion, either legacy-wise or business wise?

YN: Money is important, but I was proud that I become champion in an organization big as ONE.

GD: What was your thought process before the fight with Silva, as you studied him, in terms of fighting prowess and mentality?

YN: I knew Alex was good so I was expecting an exciting fight against him.

GD: During the fight, in between rounds, what did you gauge from his skills, his mentality?

YN: I felt spirit from him during the fight but dont remember much because I was totally focussed.

GD: Where is your mind coming into the rematch with Silva?

YN: Same opponent but the big difference is that I dont have a belt to protect. This I will take it as a positive thing and challenge aggressively.

GD: If you win the belt, what are your future plans? Continuation?

YN: I’m only thinking about becoming a champion again at the moment so I will think about the future after get back my belt.

GD: Do you see any fighters within your division or the divisions above that you would like to fight?

YN: I want to fight against someone like Gian! [Gian is the bully character in Doraemon].

Catch ONE: Grits and Glory This Saturday May 12th in the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia, as Yoshitaka Naito faces Alex Silva in a main event rematch for the Strawweight championship of the world.

The 34-year-old native of Matsudo, Japan has been granted a rematch against newly-minted division kingpin Alex “Little Rock” Silva in the main event of ONE: GRIT AND GLORY, which takes place at the Jakarta Convention Center on 12 May.

It is now almost five months since Naito bowed down to Silva, who demonstrated his rapidly-evolving striking game to beat the then-undefeated Japanese champion by unanimous decision at ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Alex had more superiority in the cage on that night. I could not dictate the pace and do what I wanted to do. I was adapting throughout the match. In every aspect, my game plan failed,” he recalled.

Naito admitted that he was caught off guard by the striking arsenal of Silva. The Brazilian is a Jiu-Jitsu world champion who previously exhibited his grappling prowess with five consecutive submission victories as he surged into world title contention last year.

“In the beginning, I thought his weakness was striking since he is a multi-titled Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. However, it turned out that his strikes hurt a lot,” he confessed. “That was my first time meeting an athlete who is good at everything. After the loss, I felt I was not good enough at anything.”

Although Naito revealed that it took some time for him to accept the outcome of his unsuccessful title defense against Silva last December, the disappointing defeat to the Brazilian produced a renewed hunger to improve his craft.

“At first, it was very hard to accept. You can say that it was a rude awakening, but the loss gave me a fresh perspective. The heartbreak was transformed into a drive to win again,” he said.

While Naito has rededicated himself to progressing both his striking and his grappling skills, perhaps the biggest evolution is one that cannot be physically seen.

“I hope I got stronger. But what I am sure about is that my heart is definitely stronger than before,” he stated.

As he prepares to step inside the ONE Championship cage with Silva once more on 12 May, Naito now holds his Brazilian rival in high esteem as he vows to capitalize on the golden chance that lies before him.

“I am so happy to get another chance to have a rematch against him. I really respect him. He is a great athlete,”

“The championship belt is special for me. I am so honored to be able to fight the strongest athlete in the division whether I win or not. I can fight the strongest athlete, and I have a chance to get the championship belt. That makes it very special for me,” Naito added.

Almost five months since losing his coveted title belt to Silva, Naito’s competitive fire is burning intensely and he is more driven than ever to return to glory.

“I will get my belt back. My ultimate goal is to become a champion again.” Naito insisted.