Honorio “The Rock” Banario looks to recreate some old magic when he marks his return to the featherweight division of ONE Championship.
The inaugural ONE Featherweight World Champion is back to his old weight class. This time, he tackles Shannon “Oneshin” Wiratchai on the prime card of ONE: King of the Jungle on February 28 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Banario’s decision to drop down from lightweight stems out of necessity.
“In the lightweight division, I was a bit relaxed with my weight because I just have to maintain it. Sometimes I forget about diet, but now it’s so much better because I am disciplined with what I eat, and I know the value of being disciplined. Now I am back to [having a] strict diet and training,” Banario said.
“I think I’m kind of small in the lightweight division as well. But I can’t explain it… I feel heavy, yet I am small. In featherweight, I feel like I’m in the right size — weight and strength.”
“The Rock” rolled into the lightweight division with momentum, winning his first five matches in the stacked weight class.
But the 30-year-old hit the wall in his next matches, losing to contenders Amir Khan, Lowen Tynanes, “Crazy Dog” Dae Sung Park, and Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki.
But while he is optimistic about a change of fortune in his move, he will have his hands full against Wiratchai, who is also looking to start fresh in the featherweight division.
The Thai has lost his last three bouts, and Banario expects him to go for broke. And he is all too familiar with the mindset of an athlete trying to make amends for his previous outings.
“It is going to be a good scrap because he’s also coming off consecutive losses, and I know he wants to win,” Banario said.
“Like him, I’m also coming off losses, so this is going to be a good fight. I expect it to be a striking battle, and I don’t expect the match to go to the decision.”
Banario, however, shied away from making a prediction for their match.
“May the best man win.”
Meanwhile, five of Banario’s teammates on Team Lakay are set to face the world at ONE: Fire and Fury on January 31 t the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
Watch the event live and dine with your ONE Championship heroes in the ‘Boodle Feast VIP package’, which includes two tickets for the event and access for two to the Boodle Feast on 29 January at the City of Dreams.
Download the ONE Super App to catch all the bouts live and for free.
Read More From ONE Championship:
Two World Title Bouts Confirmed For ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE
Why Honorio Banario Gave Up His Childhood Dream For Martial Arts
