ONE Fight Night 14 hits our screens this weekend with a card packed with title fights, and blockbusters from top to bottom – here are five reasons you should be tuning in to the action.
Here come the girls
ONE Fight Night 14 is arguably the biggest night of the year for women’s combat sports on a global scale. The Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore, will play host to four world class women’s fights – including three with titles on the line.
A prodigy in action
The term prodigy is often overused, but when you are talking about an 18-year-old world champion it is hard to argue with those words. Sweden’s Smilla Sundell has been combat sports since the age of five, and will defend her ONE strawweight Muay Thai title against atomweight queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues. Champion versus Champion bouts are always mouthwatering – but this one more than most – will Smilla continue her reign, or can the Brazilian, who boasts Stamp Fairtex’s name on her record, derail this teenage sensation?
Stamp of approval
What is there to say about Stamp Fairtex? When it comes to female trailblazers in women’s combat sports few have the credentials of the Thai 25-year-old. She won the atomweight kickboxing world title on her ONE debut, and became the first two-sport world champion a fight later when she captured the Muay Thai crown. Never content with her accomplishments, Fairtex has now won six of her last seven fights and seeks another piece of history this week when she goes in search of the interim atomweight MMA world title. Standing in her path is the 36-year-old Ham Seo Hee. With a wealth of experience, titles all over Asia, and a 3-0 record in ONE – this is by no means a foregone conclusion.
Special fighters, special rules
One of the fights to really capture fan excitement is between Xiong Jing Nan and Nat ‘Wondergirl’ Jaroonsak. Xiong has been unstoppable in the strawweight MMA division, holding the title since 2018, and only tasting defeat when dropping down to atomweight to take on Angela Lee – but she was able to defeat Lee at 125lbs in her last outing. Wondergirl is a beautifully founded fighter having excelled in Muay Thai and now transitioned to MMA. In the battle however, neither women will be able to rely on their MMA skills – the special rules dictate this will be decided by punches only – and fireworks are sure to follow.
Hands of Stone looks to mount title challenge
From becoming the ONE bantamweight world champion, to having that title stripped from him for missing weight – and losing a subsequent follow up fight with Fabricio Andrade – it has been an up and down 18 months for John Lineker. A winner last time out, he now faces the well-respected Stephen Loman, who is undefeated since arriving in ONE, as both men try to reach the pinnacle of the bantamweight class – a win here puts either man one step closer to a title shot.
ONE Fight Night 14 comes live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Singapore on Saturday September 30. Fight fans in the MENA region can watch action BeINSPORTS from 3.00am MECCA, or on watch.onefc.com
