Macau – Saturday, July 16, 2011: Twenty-four-year-old South Korean Bae Myung Ho defeated 24-year-old Rod MacSwain of New Zealand by an unanimous decision to take the Legend Welterweight (77kg) Title in a thrilling main event that had the sell-out audience at the edge of their seats in Legend’s most exciting and successful event yet, Legend Fighting Championship 5.
The packed house at City of Dreams, Macau was electrified as Bae used his superior strength to pin McSwain down for long periods of the bout, a plan that enabled the South Korean to pummel his opponent at will.
The new champion – who was forced to pull out of competing for the title at Legend 4 due to injury – thanked his fans after being presented with the championship belt. “I am happy that I could put on a good show. I was never hit and I was never scared,” he said.
In the co-main event, 29-year-old Yao Honggang of China was awarded Legend’s inaugural Bantamweight Title (61kg), defeating 20-year-old Jo Nam Jin of South Korea by unanimous decision. Yao’s ferocious technique ultimately won out in what was a back-and-forth battle for the entire 15-minute competition.
The nine-bout card also featured two elimination contest in the 66kg Featherweight division and both put all of Mixed Martial Arts’ multitude of skills on show.
In the first elimination bout, 30-year-old Indonesian Fransino Tirta defeated 20-year-old Wu Chengjie of China by unanimous decision. Mark Striegl of the Philippines, 23, defeated Yusuke Kanawago, 28, of Japan in what the audience considered as a controversial decision.
Earlier in the evening, Hong Kong’s very own Vincent Siu lost his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut to Taiwan’s Sung Ming-Yen, 31, in the 61kg Bantamweight category when he submitted to a rear-naked choke in the first round.
The sport of MMA, long popular in Japan, has been growing at a rapid pace in Greater China Region since Legend began holding Asia-Pacific championships in early 2010. The next collaboration between Legend and City of Dreams is set to take place at City of Dreams in Macau on Saturday, October 29, 2011.
City of Dreams is an integrated entertainment resort that has established itself as a premier leisure and entertainment destination in Macau, and was developed by Melco Crown Entertainment Limited, an entertainment company listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market (NASDAQ: MPEL).