Former ALA Boxer makes jump to MMA

CEBU, Philippines - Former ALA Boxing Gym fighter Joseph ‘Jomanz Omanz’ Omaña is set to make his Mixed Martial Arts debut on June 14 in the ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) fight card against Thai kickboxer Dejdamrong Sor Amnuavsirichoke in Jakarta, Indonesia.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” said Omaña. “I will not waste this chance, I am facing a more experience opponent when it comes to MMA but I believe in my skills to win and give pride to Cebu.”                               

As a boxer, Omaña had a record of 12-2, spiked with six knockouts before his budding ring career was put to halt after suffering a serious skin disease.

After his retirement from boxing, Omaña served as a boxing trainer at the Legacy Gym in Boracay where he decided to try his luck in an amateur MMA tournament, finishing with a 1-1 win-loss record.

Omaña will have his handful of Amnuavsirchoke who is a two-time Muay Thai world champion and one of the fighters from Evolve Mixed Martials, the premier MMA gym in Singapore.

Aside from Omaña, two other Filipino MMA fighters are lined up for the main card of ONE FC: Era of Champions.

 Team Lakay’s Gege Eustaquio and wushu fighter Ruel Catalan will face respective foreign foes. Eustaquio will battle Kentaro Watanabe of Japan, while Catalan will face Malaysian Gianni Subba.

Meanwhile, Cebuano Vaughn Donayre of Yaw-Yan ArDigma has also signed contract with ONE FC and is set to make his tournament debut later this year. (FREEMAN)