Another Filipino fighter is set to make a comeback after a long hiatus in the ONE Circle.
Three-time Kyokushin karate champion Ramon Gonzales will be facing Indonesian wrestler Eko Roni Saputra in ONE: Inside the Matrix II at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“I make sure that when it’s time to enter the Circle, I am ready. I promise my fans that will show them the best of me this time," said Gonzales, who spent most of his quarantine time training with his students.
The Bicolano fighter suffered a bitter loss in his ONE Championship debut in 2015 via technical knockout. He came back two years later only to be defeated in the same fashion.
But Gonzales finally broke through on September 17 the same year, punching his first victory in the Singapore-based fighting promotion.
From there, he rode on a three-win match streak, all clinched from submissions, before yielding to Chinese warrior Hexigetu November last year.
After a year of preparation, the 33-year-old Filipino karateka hopes to chalk up a win for the Philippines this time after compatriot Eduard Folayang of Team Lakay lost to Australian foe Antonio Caruso in ONE: Inside the Matrix last Oct. 30.
Saputra, meanwhile, has won three of all his four fights in the Circle. After a spoiled debut in April last year, the Indonesian wrestling champion made a statement by racking up three straight victories in first-round finishes.
Gonzales holds a 4-3 record while Saputra has a 3-1 slate.
ONE: Inside the Matrix II is a previously-recorded event in Singapore scheduled to air Friday night, November 6.