MANILA, the Philippines—In a testament to the growing popularity of female mixed martial arts fighters, One Fighting Championship, Asia’s biggest MMA event, has added a bout to its upcoming ticket between former world boxing champion Ana Julaton and champion kick boxer Aya Saeid Saber.
The 33-year-old Ms. Julaton, an American with Filipino lineage, will meet her Egyptian counterpart in the ring on May 2 in Manila.
Ms. Julaton grew up in California and has never fought in the Philippines, but her exploits in the boxing ring have been splashed across local sports news, helping her cultivate a fan base in a country whose beloved sports heroes include boxing legend Gabriel “Flash” Elorde and reigning World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao. Over the course of her seven-year boxing career, she has compiled a record 13 wins, four losses and a draw, and has taken the super bantamweight title in three different world boxing groups.
Known in the ring as Hurricane because of her aggressive fighting style, Ms. Julaton last fought in November in Mexico, where the California-born boxer earned her 13th victory.
On May 2 she’ll make her MMA debut against a fighter two inches taller and 10 years younger when she steps into the ONE FC cage against Ms. Saber, whose MMA career shows one win and three losses.
A kickboxing champion in Egypt and a popular fighter in the Middle East, where female fights are rare, Ms. Saber combines explosive kicks with steadily improving takedown skills. She likes the underdog tag, and says she relishes the opportunity to upstage Ms. Julaton.
ONE FC chief executive Victor Cui recently described the scheduled bout as “explosive,” in a statement promoting the event.
“Filipino fight fans have been clamouring to see Ana Julaton in action for years and their wait is finally over,” he said.
Also debuting at the Manila event will be Filipina champion boxer Jujeath Nagaowa, who will meet three-year MMS veteran Jeet Toshi, a kick boxer from India.
ONE FC is the biggest mixed martial arts organization in Asia. Its bouts air on Fox Sports, Star Sports and several local free-to-air channels, which beam fights around the world to more than 500 million viewers.