FROM 16 aspiring warriors, ONE Warrior Series Philippines is now down its final four. Sheraz Qureshi, Adonis Sevilleno, Ariel Lee Lampacan, and Ernesto Montilla Jr. remain after nine weeks of intensive training, challenges, and sparring showdowns.
This came after Arjay Ortega voluntarily exited the show after injuring his rib in a training session with Team Lakay.
Ortega actually continued with the individual Warrior Challenge called Hang Time, but he ultimately had to leave before the Circle Elimination showdown began.
“This is very difficult for me but I have to do this. I want to thank you guys for the opportunity that you gave me to showcase my skills, but I’ll have to ask for your permission for me to voluntarily exit,” Ortega told the coaches after the challenge.
While it was tough to see such a promising warrior like Ortega go, the coaches respected his decision, knowing that the health and safety of the fighters are paramount.
‘It’s tough for me to see him go. He’s my first pick. I see a lot of potential with him. Honestly, I’m at a loss to see him go,” Joshua Pacio, his former Team Passion coach, said.
“We might be warriors, but we know ourselves,” coach Mark Sangiao continued.
“Up until this final challenge, you showed and proved that you’re a warrior. We pray and hope that you recover quickly, and thank you very much for joining ONE Warrior Series Philippines.”
Final four step up in ONE Warrior Series PH
It seems like there’s no stopping Adonis Sevilleno; for the second straight week he ruled the individual Warrior Challenge.
After ruling the Spartan Training challenge last week, Sevilleno once again hung tough in the challenge called Hang Time, where they had to hang on a bar for an extended period of time while the coaches gradually added weights to their backs.
Sevilleno outlasted the tough Sheraz Qureshi to win the challenge and got himself a nice massage as a reward.
That momentum carried over into his Circle Elimination showdown, as he took on the dangerous Ariel Lampacan in a match in which Sevilleno showcased his explosiveness and wrestling, repeatedly taking down his opponent and controlling him on the mat.
A cut in the second round prematurely ended the sparring, but Adonis’ performance wasn’t lost on the coaches.
After being called out in his previous two Circle Elimination showdowns, Qureshi also bounced back in the most impressive manner as he took the fight to local MMA Champion Jun Montilla.
While experience still favored Montilla, Qureshi looked good on the feet, using his size and reach to fend off Montilla in the striking exchanges.
There were still times when he got taken down and controlled, but nonetheless the coaches have been happy with Qureshi’s development.
“It’s not about wins or losses, but it’s all about performance,” coach Geje Eustaquio said.
“In this fight we’ve seen Sheraz’ potential. Despite the fact that he got controlled on the ground, we’re happy all-in-all because we’ve seen his improvement and his potential as a mixed martial artist.”