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ONE Championship’s year-long venture for ONE Lumpinee begins this Friday, January 20, with ONE Friday Fights 1. The event will take place inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The stacked card features some of the best Thai warriors in the world, headlined by Nong-O Gaiyanghadao’s return to the arena he holds close to his heart.
ONE Friday Fights 1 will also mark the first time Lumpinee Stadium opens its doors for mixed martial arts fights.
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The largest martial arts organization in the world has vowed to hold at least 52 shows in Lumpinee in 2023, starting with ONE Friday Fights 1.
With that said, here are three reasons why the promotion's debut in the Mecca of Muay Thai is a must-watch.
#1. Nong-O Gaiyanghadao defends his bantamweight Muay Thai throne against Alaverdi Ramazanov
Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is one of the most respected fighters in the promotion.
The 36-year-old, after all, has remained undefeated in nine fights inside the circle and has defended his bantamweight Muay Thai championship six consecutive times.
The soft-spoken Thai world champion’s reputation precedes itself. Once the circle door closes, Nong-O transforms into an absolute savage and dismantles anyone in his wake.
The Thai wrecking machine has finished his last four challengers in devastating fashion – a list that includes Saemapetch Fairtex, Rodlek PK.Saenchai, Felipe Lobo, and Liam Harrison.
He’ll be looking to do the same against the No.2-ranked Alaverdi Ramazanov. ‘Babyface Killer’ has been on a roll as of late, picking up back-to-back victories over Pongsiri PK.Saenchai and Capitan Petchyindee.
Meanwhile, Nong-O was a Lumpinee Stadium veteran before he took his talents to ONE. The Thai hero will pull out all the stops to give his loyal fanbase a show this Friday.
#2. Prajanchai begins his road to redemption at ONE Friday Fights 1
Even the best fighters face certain roadblocks along the way. What separates the great ones is how they recover from adversity.
Former strawweight Muay Thai king Prajanchai PK.Saenchai will look to bounce back from the worst loss of his career and prove he’s still one of the best pound-for-pound Muay Thai fighters on the planet.
The 28-year-old Thai star is eager to climb his way back into contention and earn a rematch with new division king Joseph Lasiri. The road begins against a familiar foe, Kompetch Sitsarawatsuer.
The two Thai sluggers split their first two meetings. This grudge match may very well determine the next world title challenger at 125 pounds.
#3. Lumpinee stadium will host its first-ever MMA bout
Aside from bringing Muay Thai to the global stage, the promotion also vowed to host all combat sports disciplines inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Initially, fans inside the legendary arena were only able to witness striking-exclusive fights in Muay Thai.
History will be made this Friday at ONE Friday Fights 1, as two mixed martial arts bouts have been added to the stacked card.
Japanese star Akihiro Fujisawa will clash with the United States’ Colton Kielbasa in a flyweight MMA bout.
Also scheduled is a lightweight MMA clash between Richard Godoy of Brazil and Alexy Lyapunov of Russia.
