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A few of ONE Championship’s most fearless athletes are able to enter the Circle.
This Friday, 28 January, the promotion brings ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE to the Singapore Indoor Stadium. On the occasion, an enormous win might assist a number of kickboxers and blended martial artists earn a spot within the rankings, a match championship, and even a shot at a World Title.
Forward of the group’s second occasion of 2022, check out what’s at stake for the soldiers scheduled for motion on the principle card.
Reward And Redemption
Within the headline attraction, #3-ranked featherweight kickboxing contender Sitthichai “Killer Child” Sitsongpeenong faces Georgian underdog Davit Kiria in a ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix semifinal conflict.
Making this combat much more attention-grabbing is the truth that it’s a trilogy bout.
Sitthichai – an eight-time Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion who has lengthy been thought-about one of many prime pound-for-pound kickboxers on the planet – is main of their sequence.
The Thai favourite initially knocked Kiria out with a knee to the physique in June 2015, after which he beat the Georgian in March 2016 by way of unanimous choice.
However since that matchup almost six years in the past, each males have reworked themselves and are driving waves of momentum. Sitthichai finds himself on a two-bout profitable streak, having most not too long ago defeated #5-ranked Tayfun “Turbine” Ozcan within the quarterfinals of the Grand Prix final October. Alternatively, Kiria knocked out Enriko “The Hurricane” Kehl within the first spherical of the match’s opener.
Now, “Killer Child” has an opportunity to go 3-0 in opposition to his Georgian rival and prolong his streak to 3. In the meantime, Kiria can upset the favourite and get one again. However most significantly, the victor will safe a spot within the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Last.
Second Probabilities And First Makes an attempt
The co-main occasion options the opposite semifinal matchup, which not too long ago skilled an enormous change.
Chingiz “Chinga” Allazov was initially scheduled to face top-ranked Marat Grigorian in a trilogy bout, however COVID-19 well being and security protocols pressured the Armenian-Belgian to withdraw from the match.
The Belarusian now faces Grand Prix alternate Smokin’ Jo Nattawut, and the bout feels simply as thrilling.
Allazov earned his spot within the semifinals when he knocked out 2019 Grand Prix Championship finalist Samy “AK47” Sana in 39 seconds in October, changing into the primary particular person to complete Sana and incomes the third-fastest KO in ONE Tremendous Sequence historical past. One other extraordinary efficiency would put him within the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Last.
On Friday, Allazov stands throughout from one other knockout artist, who could also be extra fired up than he’s.
After falling to Giorgio “The Physician” Petrosyan within the 2019 Grand Prix semifinals, Nattawut wasn’t picked for the 2021 subject of eight and as a substitute was slotted in an alternate bout. The Thai proved that he was nonetheless a harmful risk by knocking out Yurik “Mee Khao Jomhot” Davtyan with an unlimited overhand proper.
If Nattawut can earn one other KO on Friday, he’ll be in a four-way tie for many knockouts in ONE Tremendous Sequence historical past. However extra importantly, a win would convey him into the 2021 ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Last, giving him redemption for arising brief two years earlier.
A Shot At Featherweight Gold
ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE additionally contains a matchup that can decide the following challenger for the ONE Featherweight World Title.
“The Combating God” Kim Jae Woong initially earned the #1 contender spot, in addition to a World Title shot from ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, when he knocked out former divisional kingpin Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen in September.
However as a substitute of ready round for the winner of the showdown between reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le and #2-ranked Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon, the South Korean determined to remain busy.
This might show to be a deadly mistake, nevertheless.
Tang Kai, the division’s #4-ranked contender, has been on an absolute tear. The Chinese language KO artist is on an eight-fight profitable streak, and he most not too long ago completed “The Huge Coronary heart” Yoon Chang Min and Ryogo “Kaitai” Takahashi within the first spherical of their respective matches.
Ought to Tang defeat “The Combating God” in Singapore, then he’ll get the highest spot within the rankings and steal the World Title shot.
The Probability To Face A High-Ranked Light-weight
Outdated school buddies from China’s Xi’an Bodily Schooling College will put apart their friendship for an opportunity to crack the top-five light-weight rankings.
Ruslan “Snow Leopard” Emilbek Uulu had a tough begin to life in ONE as a featherweight, however after transferring up a division to his pure weight class, he appears to have regained his type. This was evident when he beat beforehand ranked light-weight contender Pieter “The Archangel” Buist in November.
The Kyrgyz juggernaut will try and construct on that momentum, however “The Warrior” Zhang Lipeng must derail his progress to realize his objectives.
After taking out former ONE Light-weight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang in his promotional debut final August, Zhang made his intentions clear: get a spot within the rankings and get a date with Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki, Christian “The Warrior” Lee, or Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez.
A victory on Friday brings him nearer towards these aims.
Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title Contender Standing
A pair of heavyweight kickboxers are including an additional shot of energy to ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE.
Rade Opacic has been a real revelation. The Serbian demolition man crushed his final three opponents, having gained all of his matches on the worldwide stage by way of knockout. If he will get one other end, he’ll additionally tie the file for many KOs in ONE Tremendous Sequence historical past.
He will get his probability when he welcomes the mighty Francesko “Smile” Xhaja to the Circle, who makes his promotional debut on Friday.
The Italy-based Albanian is a tank with sturdy boxing and leaping knees, and he brings a three-bout profitable streak to the showdown. What’s extra, he has gained eight of his final 10 fights.
Whoever emerges victorious can be a number one man within the race for a ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship, ought to it’s inaugurated quickly.
The Strawweight World Champion’s Subsequent Challenger
Opening the principle card is a World Title eliminator between one among Japan’s best younger costs and an American wrestler with one objective in thoughts – to antagonize the strawweight division each verbally and bodily.
Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks has rapidly emerged as one of many division’s most promising stars. The outspoken American made his presence felt when he stopped Group Lakay’s Lito “Thunder Child” Adiwang, forcing the Filipino to faucet out by way of arm-triangle choke in November.
That earned Brooks the #3-ranked strawweight contender spot, in addition to the ire of Adiwang’s Group Lakay stablemate, reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Ardour” Pacio.
Moreover, Hiroba Minowa earned a controversial split-decision victory over the aforementioned “Thunder Child” in his ONE debut in October 2020. Then he defeated #5-ranked Alex “Little Rock” Silva to safe the #4 contender spot within the strawweight rankings.
For weeks, Brooks and Minowa have been attacking one another within the media, which provides one other layer of intrigue to this high-stakes matchup. Not solely will the winner earn bragging rights, however he might additionally line up a date with an equally heated Pacio.
Learn extra: 5 Causes To Watch ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE
