Rising Singapore-based mixed martial arts promotion One Fighting Championship signed bantamweight Bibiano Fernandes and lightweight Shinya Aoki on Thursday.
“We are thrilled to have Bibiano and Aoki added to the growing list of top fighters in One FC’s bantamweight and lightweight divisions,” CEO of One FC Victor Cui said in a press release. “Both fighters keep moving forward and never stop looking to finish their opponents in spectacular fashion.”
Fernandes (11-3) is the Dream bantamweight champion and the former Dream featherweight champion. The Manaus, Brazil native lives in and trains out of Vancouver and was recently thought to have signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The 32-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black was unofficially scheduled to fight Canadian Roland Delorme at UFC 149 in Calgary, but Fernandes posted on his Facebook page that he never in fact signed with the UFC even though the UFC had announced the matchup.
In his last bout he defeated former WEC contender Antonio Banuelos by TKO in just 81 seconds on New Year’s Eve. He has competed against Urijah Faber and Norifumi (Kid) Yamamoto, and has wins over former Shooto champion Joachim Hansen and former Bellator champ Joe Warren.
Aoki (30-6, 1 NC) is considered one of the best submissions artists in MMA and has won 10 of his last 12 bouts. The 29-year-old is one of Asia’s most popular and successful fighters but has struggled in North America against top competition, losing to Gilbert Melendez in Strikeforce and Eddie Alvarez in Bellator.
Both fighters will debut at One FC: Pride of a Nation in Manila on Aug. 31. Their opponents have yet to be named. One FC is Asia’s largest MMA organization.
