Honorio Banario relishing in the role of underdog ahead of title fight with Eric kelly at ONE FC Return of warriors

Honorio Banario’s got a point to prove when he fights Eric Kelly for the featherweight title at ONE FC: ‘Return of Warriors.’ Even though he brings a 7-1 record and a URCC Lightweight belt into this bout he feels like he is being overlooked.

There is no question that Kelly has a higher profile after eye catching wins over Mitch Chilson, Bae Young Kwon and Jens Pulver but Banario believes that he simply hasn’t had the same opportunities as his opponent,

“I have had two fights for ONE FC and both times I was only offered the fight at short notice and did not have a lot of time to prepare. I don’t think people have seen what I can do yet for ONE FC so maybe they underestimate me.”

Banario had spent his entire career competing at 159 lbs but accepted a featherweight fight against Kwon at only a few week’s notice in February 2012. He suffered the sole loss of his career at the hands of the Korean but says he has no regrets about stepping up to take the fight at ONE FC: ‘Battle of Heroes’,

“It was my first time fighting at 145 lbs, my first time fighting in a cage and my first fight outside of the Philippines. I believe I could beat Bae Young Kwon and I hope to fight him again but ONE FC is the biggest MMA organization in all of Asia and when they want you to fight for them you cannot say ‘no’.”

Banario made the most of his second fight for ONE FC when he bludgeoned Andrew Benibe in Manila last August, finishing him midway through the third round, and feels that he is only just starting to realize his potential as a featherweight,

“To drop from 159 lbs to 145 lbs is a big difference and there are also some differences between fighting in a ring and a cage. For this next fight I have had a long time to prepare and have more experience of fighting in a cage and of cutting down to featherweight and I believe that my performance will be better than against Bae Young Kwon or Andrew Benibe.”

He is facing a familiar for in Kelly who is also from Baguio and has trained at Team Lakay in the past and Banario knows exactly what sort of fight to expect,

“Me and Eric sparred together before he fought Mitch Chilson for ONE FC and this will be a very aggressive fight and a striking battle, I am sure about that. I know he thinks his ground game is better than mine but I have been training hard with Coach Mark Sangiao and Team Lakay and am confident in all areas of my game.”

On paper this is a very even contest. Kelly made his debut in 2009 and has nine fights with an immaculate record of 9-0 while Banario made his debut in 2010 and has eight fights with his record currently standing at 7-1. The one statistic which really separates the two fighters is their age as Kelly turned 30 earlier this year while Banario is only 23.

It will be a pivotal moment for both fighters but should Banario lose he can at least console himself with the knowledge that time is on his side. However according to the Baguio based fighter this does not factor into his thinking,

“This is the most important moment of my career because if I win I will be the champion of the ONE FC. Many fighters will never have the chance to do this, to fight in a big stadium in a foreign country for a belt, I am not thinking about the future, only about winning this fight. That is my only focus.”

With just over two weeks to go until fight night on February 2nd Banario is entering the most intense phase of his training camp. The additional preparation time could be a key factor and him and his team believe fervently that it will result in a significant improvement in his speed, power and stamina.

Having not been at a 100 per cent for either of his last two fights Banario is much more confident this time around and feels fans simply have not seen what he is capable of yet. At ONE FC: ‘Return of Warriors’ he has an opportunity to set the record straight and show that it is he, not Kelly, who should be making the headlines.

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