ONE Fight Night 7 will soon be upon us, with another stacked card coming from the world-famous Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Bangkok.
Here are 5 things you should be looking out for
The battle of the Brazilians
When it comes to unfinished business, John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade have plenty. This heated rivalry came to a head in October last year when the pair met for the first time – and bragging rights within the bantamweight division. A no-contest following a stiff groin shot from Andrade only threw fuel on their fire, and now we get to run things back again. With the bantamweight world title on the line, expect fireworks in this one.
A Muay Thai masterclass
When Tawanchai PK.Saenchai steps into the circle with Jamal Yusupov we will get to see two of the world’s best in action. Featherweight Muay Thai champ Tawanchai will put his title on the line against the number two ranked fighter, a man raised in the tough surrounds of Dagestan but now representing Turkey. Yusupov has won all three of his ONE outings, while Tawanchai rides a three-fight win streak – with two impressive KOs in the process.
Kelly aims for the stars
When it comes to fighters expected to make a rapid rise in 2023, place Danielle Kelly in that category. The American is elite when it comes to BJJ, and her catchweight submission grappling bout against Akaya Miura is just the test she needs to kick the year off. She was ultra-impressive in submitting Sambo world champ Mariia Molchanova last time out – bagging a $50k bonus in the process. Kelly wants to get her hands on a world title this year, and this is the next rung on the ladder.
Legend looks to get back on track
Martin Nguyen’s legacy is already secured. The first ever two-division world champion in ONE is an all-time great – but will be looking to get his name back in the win column. He may have lost three of his last four, but is still ranked fourth in the featherweight division, and at 33-years-old, time is not catching up on him just yet. Next up for him is Shamil Gasanov. The Russian is ranked just one place below Nguyen, and looking to build on his ONE debut win last October.
A challenger wants a title shot
Number one ranked bantamweight kickboxer Saemapetch Fairtex kicks off his 2023 campaign this month. 2022 certainly had its ups and down for him, a loss against rival Tawanchai being the most notable of the downs, but victory last time out got him reestablished in the win column. A win over Zhang Chenglong may not be considered a statement win (Zhang has lost his last five bouts), but will add another layer of confidence as he goes hunting for gold in 2023.
ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker v Andrade takes place Saturday February 25 4am GST at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, Bangkok. This is a night not to be missed so mark your calendars, download the ONE Super App, and go to watch.onefc.com now!
