Category Archives: MMA

Legend Ring Girls Cupid and Gloria

Last week I photographed the highly anticipated Legend Fighting Championship 4 event at Hong Kong’s AsiaWorld-Expo. It was a night of solid fights put together by Legend, but I particularly appreciated the attention to smaller details (commonly overlooked by many event promoters in the region, IMHO): professionalism from the fighters, efficient refereeing and judging, proper beer and concessions, a MMA-savvy crowd – stuff like that. On top of all that, the venue was at near capacity which I think bodes very well for the sport’s growth in Hong Kong.

During the fights itself, as a photographer, I’ve realized its pretty near impossible to pay complete attention with your face buried into the back of a huge camera. Nevertheless, here are some thoughts on some of the matchups that night.

Mark Eddiva, Philippines vs. Alex Lee, Hong Kong
Lee clearly had the hometown crowd behind him, and he nearly ended the fight in the first round when he dropped Eddiva with knees. But Eddiva recovered and secured a crucifix which allowed him to pound away at Lee’s face (a la Hughes-BJ Penn). Lee escaped, but right into a rear-naked choke. Would’ve been great to see the HK native win, but it was great to see the fans support him anyways.

Wang Sai, China vs. Alex Niu, China
Possibly the most exciting fight of the night, Wang and Niu traded precision striking as both fighters showcased their entire muay-thai repertoire. But Niu got the better of the exchanges and landed full mount several times, on his way to an unanimous decision.

Li Jingliang, China vs. Tony Rossini, Australia
Most of the first round was spent on the ground with Li tucking his chin from Rossini’s rear-naked choke. In the second round, Rossini grabbed another takedown but gave up his neck to a guillotine that Li eventually choked him out with. Although he didn’t tap, I remember catching a glimpse of Rossini’s eyes looking towards the ref before he eventually went out. Thats heart right there.

Yao Honggang, China vs. Mick Mortimer, Australia
Although Mortimer dropped him early, Yao quickly recovered to fight what would be a back and forth battle. This was one of those fights where as a photographer it was hard to keep track of scoring, but judges gave the unanimous decision to Yao.

Yohan Mulia Legowo, Indonesia vs. Jo Nam Jin, South Korea
Jo fought this like his opponent had stole something. Seemingly upset at Legowo for grabbing the tape on his gloves, Jo pranced and taunted before dishing out some serious ground and pound, leading to a rear naked choke in Round 2.

Kim Hoon, South Korea vs. Rod MacSwain, New Zealand
With the Welterweight Belt on the line, Kim dropped MacSwain early, but allowed the Kiwi to come back and dominate the remainder of the fight. The fight was a story of heavy hands coupled with strong defense on the ground. MacSwain won the unanimous decision and the Welterweight Title.

Nam Yui Chul, South Korea vs. Adrian Pang, Australia
A rematch of Legend 1′s main event (involving a controversial point deduction and draw decision), Nam and Pang promised to be a good one. The bad intentions were written all over each fighter’s demeanor before the fight even started. Somewhat surprisingly though, both fighters maintained discipline with their strikes from what was clear respect for each other. As the fight went on Pang seemed to be getting the better of the standing exchanges and growing in confidence. Nam, sensing he might have been behind in the score cards, began to flurry with more desperation, but in the end Pang won the split decision and held on to his Lightweight Title.