ONE Fight Night 17 preview and predictions: Jo Nattawut vs. Luke Lessei

Thai veteran Jo Nattawut is back and he’s taking promotional newcomer Luke Lessei in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 17.

The featherweight Muay Thai matchup goes down this Friday, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok.

‘Smokin’’ Jo has been on a slump lately but the no.4-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender remains one of the most respected fighters in ONE Championship, and a win over Lessei would certainly help his climb in the rankings.

As for Lessei, the American star is as enigmatic as he is charismatic.

The Iowa native has yet to debut on the global stage, but he already has a personality that could carry him wherever he goes.

That said, here are Sportskeeda MMA’s expert opinions and predictions for the upcoming matchup between these two inter-generational stars.

Just a bit of a reminder, ONE Fight Night 17 is available live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.

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Mike Murillo: Jo Nattawut by knockout

Luke Lessei comes as an interesting fighter to me, especially after learning of his journey as a martial artist. However, he will find the going tough in his ONE debut against veteran Thai fighter Jo Nattawut at ONE Fight Night 17.

It is hard not to like the chances of ‘Smokin’' Jo especially after he gave Thai superstar Tawanchai PK Saenchai a difficult time in his last fight. Granted it was fought in kickboxing and not Muay Thai, but still, it showed how a nifty striker he is.

Lessei has had extensive experience in competitions but I’m not convinced it is a par with that of Nattawut and the other Muay Thai stars in ONE Championship.

Sure, ‘The Chef’ will have his moments here and there but I see Nattawut winning by knockout in the second round, finally ending a three-fight skid.

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Ted Razon: Luke Lessei by split decision

ONE fans haven’t seen much of Luke Lessei since he’ll be making his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 17.

Plus, he’s thrown into the deep end right away against proven veteran ‘Smokin’ Jo Nattawut.

Still, it’s apparent that the American has both the charisma and talent to succeed on the global stage.

The free-flowing Lessei will certainly want to make a good first impression by upsetting the favored Nattawut.

‘The Chef’s fluid movement and counterstriking will be his key to victory, considering he’ll have to weather the aggressive Thai’s early onslaught.

Lessei’s speed and precision should pose problems for ‘Smokin’ Jo, especially if he can stay on the outside and avoid clinch war.

The younger Lessei will also have the wonders of youth by his side, and he can take Nattawut into deep waters once he slows down in the latter stages of this bout.

This won’t be an easy bout for Lessei by no means, but I think he can eke out a narrow decision victory against Nattawut this Friday at ONE Fight Night 17.

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Vince Richards: Jo Nattawut by knockout

Luke Lessei has built a reputation in the American Muay Thai scene as one of its most creative fighters. ‘The Chef’ perfectly encapsulates his nickname, and he used his free-flowing style to capture a loyal fanbase in his home country.

The Iowa native, however, has yet to face an opponent of Jo Nattawut’s caliber.

‘Smokin’’ Jo is one of the most dangerous strikers on the planet and is a former Lion Fight champion and WMC Muay Thai world champion.

The Thai veteran also went to battle against the likes of Giorgio Petrosyan, Samy Sana, ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Chingiz Allazov, and most recently ONE featherweight Muay Thai world champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai.

Lessei, certainly, has a chance at victory against Nattawut, as is the nature of combat sports. Nattawut, however, has a treasure chest of experience he can rely on at ONE Fight Night 17.

Things may start slowly for Nattawut, but once he gets a read then it’s game over for Lessei.

I expect Nattawut to get a third-round knockout win against Lessei in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 17.