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ONE Championship is able to shut the guide on 2021.
This Friday, 17 December, the world’s largest martial arts group will air its last occasion of the 12 months, ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II, and the stakes are extraordinarily excessive for each athlete concerned – particularly the 12 blended martial artists competing on the principle card.
A number of of these fighters may place themselves for ONE World Title gold of their divisions, whereas others may enter the rankings or make a powerful first impression of their promotional debuts on the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Listed below are the storylines and implications for each bout within the WINTER WARRIORS sequel.
Danny Kingad Vs. Kairat Akhmetov
In the principle occasion of the evening, #2-ranked flyweight contender Danny “The King” Kingad will collide with #4-ranked Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov in a matchup two years within the making.
These athletes had been initially scheduled to battle within the 2019 ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix semifinals, however an harm compelled Akhmetov to withdraw from the match. The bout has since been scheduled and delayed a number of instances, however now, it’s set for Friday, and it may determine the following challenger for the divisional gold.
Group Lakay’s Kingad can be competing in his twelfth bout in ONE’s flyweight division – which ties his previous foe and reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes for the second-most in promotional historical past.
Since his World Championship defeat to Moraes in November 2017, Kingad has gained seven of his final eight fights. And if he can beat a former flyweight king in Akhmetov, he would make his case for the long-awaited rematch.
“The Kazakh,” nonetheless, is simply as motivated to earn the victory. After beating Moraes by way of cut up determination for the ONE Flyweight World Championship in November 2015, he dropped the gold again to the Brazilian after which misplaced an interim title bout to Kingad’s Group Lakay stablemate Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio.
However after therapeutic from accidents and making adjustments to his coaching camp, Akhmetov discovered his groove. He’s driving a three-fight profitable streak and appears completely unstoppable. If he can take out “The King,” he would possibly simply safe a date with Moraes for a World Title trilogy.
Kevin Belingon Vs. Kwon Received Il
Two of the bantamweight division’s most fearsome knockout artists will meet within the co-main occasion, however whereas each of them wish to placed on a present, they’re at totally different place of their respective MMA careers.
Former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon has his again up in opposition to the wall. The Filipino veteran remains to be the division’s #2-ranked contender, however he’s coming off a few troublesome setbacks – a submission defeat to reigning king Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes and his first knockout loss to #1-ranked John “Arms of Stone” Lineker.
The Group Lakay star desperately needs to take care of his spot within the ONE Athlete Rankings and work his method towards a fifth match with Fernandes, which places him in a must-win state of affairs.
However “Fairly Boy” Kwon Received Il needs to take “The Silencer’s” spot and make his first run on the bantamweight throne.
Kwon is an thrilling younger expertise and a breath of contemporary air within the division. The 26-year-old South Korean knockout artist sports activities a 10-3 report, owns a two-bout profitable streak, and is coming off a Combat of the 12 months candidate. Beating a giant identify like Belingon could be a game-changer.
Vitaly Bigdash Vs. Fan Rong
The subsequent challenger for Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder’s ONE Middleweight World Championship may emerge from this matchup.
Former titleholder Vitaly Bigdash returned to kind in his most up-to-date displaying in opposition to Pancrase Middleweight Champion Yuki Niimura, submitting him with a uncommon reverse-triangle armbar.
Following that victory, Bigdash was scheduled to problem former two-sport ONE World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang for his belts at varied factors. Nevertheless, accidents and well being points prevented the mighty Russian from entering into the Circle, and Aung La has since dropped each titles to De Ridder.
Now, Bigdash hopes to show that he’s wholesome, in prime kind, and able to earn a crack on the Dutchman’s middleweight gold.
However “King Kong Warrior” Fan Rong is simply as hungry. Except for the prospect to turn out to be China’s first male ONE World Champion, the surging athlete is keen to rematch “The Dutch Knight” and even the rating with the one man who’s ever submitted him.
Zebaztian Kadestam Vs. Murad Ramazanov
The welterweight division will even be underneath the highlight, as a former king collides with the following large factor.
Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam has lengthy established himself as probably the most devastating striker within the weight class, and he used his ferocious stand-up arsenal to say the ONE Welterweight World Title in November 2018.
Though he made one profitable protection, “The Bandit” in the end faltered in opposition to grapplers, which led to his World Title loss after which the quickest defeat of his profession. The Swede is now feeling the strain and desperately must reverse his fortunes if he needs any likelihood to contend for the gold once more.
However standing in his method is Murad Ramazanov, an undefeated Russian juggernaut who’s dominated his opponents with a deadly mixture of grappling and putting.
Ramazanov has solely competed in two promotional outings, however he ripped by way of “Wolverine” Bae Myung Ho and decimated Hiroyuki “Japanese Beast” Tetsuka. If he can do the identical to Kadestam, he would possibly line up a date with reigning welterweight king Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov.
Stephen Loman Vs. Yusup Saadulaev
A pivotal battle for positioning within the bantamweight rankings will start within the second fundamental card bout of the evening, as debuting Group Lakay star Stephen “The Sniper” Loman takes on #3-ranked Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev.
Loman was initially scheduled to make his promotional debut in opposition to the aforementioned Lineker in the principle occasion of “ONE on TNT III” in April, however a constructive COVID-19 prognosis booted him from the present.
In the end, Lineker went on to knock out the Filipino’s substitute, Troy “Fairly Boy” Worthen, and earn the following crack at Fernandes’ ONE Bantamweight World Title.
Regardless of it being out of his management, “The Sniper” is aware of the canceled battle with Lineker was a giant missed alternative, however he believes defeating a extremely ranked opponent may put him inside putting distance of a World Championship alternative.
Saadulaev, nonetheless, thinks he deserves a World Title shot with one other victory. The Dagestani contender is driving a three-bout profitable streak and hasn’t misplaced a battle within the bantamweight division since 2014, so this battle might be the clincher for him.
Jhanlo Mark Sangiao Vs. Paul Lumihi
Opening the principle card is a brand-new teenage sensation and a well-respected veteran.
This can be an extremely particular stroll to the Circle for famed Group Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao, as he’ll be cornering his 19-year-old son, Jhanlo Mark “The Machine” Sangiao.
The undefeated phenom represents the health club’s new technology of blended martial artists, as he combines Group Lakay’s signature model of wushu with grappling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. That ability set led to a trio of finishes in his first three professional bouts – and the chance to signal with ONE Championship.
As for Paul “The Nice King” Lumihi, he possesses 4 instances extra expertise than his younger opponent and has the instruments to spoil the Filipino’s debut.
The Indonesian striker has endured a tricky stretch throughout his time on the worldwide stage and remains to be chasing that elusive first promotional win. However a conquer the teenager star would put Lumihi heading in the right direction and make him the primary Indonesian to beat a member of Group Lakay in ONE.
Learn extra: 5 Causes To Watch ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II
