We are a little over a week away from one of ONE Championship’s showcase events of the year – ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II, and from top to bottom this card is loaded with incredible matchups.
Whether you are a fan of striking, grappling, or a little bit of both there is plenty of entertainment schedules for the Impact Arena in Bangkok.
Here are five reasons why you need to tune in
Tawanchai is a man on a mission
When Tawanchai PK Saenchai met “Smokin” Jo Nattawut last October, in theory it should have been a relatively comfortable night for the featherweight Muay Thai champion. Nattawut was a late replacement for Superbon but produced the performance of a lifetime to push Tawanchai to his limits. That night it may have been Tawanchai who got the decision, but it was Smokin’ Joe who got the plaudits. Now we get to seem them do it once more over five rounds of Muay Thai action – and the champ is looking for a much more conclusive outcome this time around.
Rodtang returns
After seven months on the sidelines, Rodtang Jitmuangnon is back. One of ONE Championship’s most iconic champions The Iron Man has for a long time been in the sights of Denis Puric. At 39-years-old the Candadian-born Puric may be heading towards the twilight of his career, but finally gets the chance to step inside the circle with the man he has called out on more than one occasion. Puric is arguably in the form of his life in the flyweight Muay Thai division, but we all know what Rodtang is capable of – and sometimes you should be careful what you wish for.
Kade makes his MMA debut
We all know Kade Ruotolo as a grappling phenom, but now he is going to test his skills under MMA rules for the first time. The American has been untouchable in ONE Championship with six wins, and the honour of becoming the first man to hold the lightweight submission grappling world title in ONE. Blake Cooper is the man with the potentially unenviable task of welcoming Ruotolo to MMA, but he has said he’s comfortable on the ground and backs his own grappling skills should this one go to the ground. Time will tell.
Turkish champ seeks redemption
Turkey’s Zafer Sayik is a 13-time kickboxing national champion with real pedigree across Europe, so when he slipped to a debut defeat at ONE 166: Qatar it was somewhat uncharted territory for him. But, now he’s back and looking to get in the win column in the bantamweight Muay Thai division. His opponent is coming off one of the biggest highlight-reel knockouts we have seen in recent months. Just a week ago, Colombia’s Johan Estupinan was announcing himself to the world via a stunning right head kick, left hook combo that sent Japan’s Kouta Omori reeling. Expect a fiery, fast, and flashy encounter from these two who will not be afraid to swing for the fences.
Musumeci looks to get a loss back
It’s not often Mikey Musumeci features in one of these lists as the fifth element, but that goes to show the calibre of event we are looking forward too. Darth Rigatoni is 6-0 in ONE Championship and has looked practically flawless on his way to dominant display after dominant display. Now however the current flyweight submission grappling world champion is taking on a new challenge in the form of a weight increase – taking the step up to bantamweight for his clash with Gabriel Sousa. It is a debut for the highly decorated Brazilian, but he does come into the bout with one huge advantage – he’s the last man to defeat Musumeci. Will history repeat itself?
Middle East fight fans can watch ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II live on BeIN SPORTS as well as watch.onefc.com on Saturday June 7 from 3am AST.
