5 reasons to watch ONE: NextGen this Friday

Another blockbuster ONE Championship event goes down this Friday. ONE: NextGen is the promotion’s penultimate live event of 2021, and it promises exciting fights from start to finish.

Headlined by the historic ONE women’s atomweight world Grand Prix, ONE: NextGen will see two atomweight fighters make it through to the finals. There, they will fight for a shot at division queen Angela Lee’s belt.

Leading up to the main and co-main events, there are a handful of fighters to watch out for. Filipino striker Jeremy Miado is in action, squaring off against Chinese rival Miao Li Tao in a highly anticipated rematch of their November 2019 epic. Also, a pair of undefeated heavyweights throw down in what is expected to be a showcase of fistic fireworks.

If you’re looking for something to keep you busy on Friday, look no further. Here are five reasons to watch ONE: NextGen.

---

#5. More ONE kickboxing action

There's a lot of fun to be had in the opening bout of ONE: NextGen.

Earlier this year, Beybulat Isaev tallied his first-ever victory in ONE Super Series, ONE Championship's all-striking league. It came in spectacular fashion, via an early Knockout of the Year contender over Mihajlo Kecojevic at ONE: Unbreakable II.

At ONE: NextGen, Isaev will welcome Bogdan 'Bucharest Bad Boy' Stoica to ONE Super Series. The Romanian fighter will bring an explosive pedigree to the circle.

Stoica has won 54 fights in his career, including 38 by knockout, proof of his otherworldly power. Now at the pinnacle of his career, Stoica will look to score his 39th knockout victory and prove to the world that he truly belongs among the best. Stoica, who is Andrei Stoica’s brother (also with ONE), will be looking to leave a lasting impression.

Meanwhile, Isaev is already a proven commodity on the global stage, meaning another fantastic performance can be expected from the Russian stalwart.

From the opening to the final bell, fans can expect these two light heavyweights to throw some serious leather.

#4. Jeremy Miado versus Miao Li Tao rematch

Chinese mixed martial arts star Miao Li Tao is looking to get back at Filipino rival Jeremy ‘The Jaguar’ Miado, who finished him in a Knockout of the Year-worthy performance in their first ONE meeting in November 2019.

In that fight, Miado unleashed a concussive flying knee at the midway point of the first round, separating Miao from his senses. The Chinese fighter, of course, is more than capable of achieving vengeance in a similar manner, which makes this strawweight showdown a must-watch for adrenaline junkies.

Miado is the more talented striker between the two. With the Filipino now having joined Denice and Drex Zamboanga at Marrok Force MMA in Bangkok, expect Miado to feature an even more improved offensive arsenal in this highly anticipated rematch.

Miao should also come in much improved and better prepared after experiencing firsthand the kind of power Miado brings to the table. Both men will be gunning for an explosive finish, so don’t blink.

Will Miado put this rivalry past him with another exciting finish? Or will Miao even up the score at one win apiece? Only one way to find out. The call of the cage beckons.

---

#3. Iraj Azizpour’s ONE debut

Iranian kickboxing superstar Iraj Azizpour makes his way to ONE Super Series, where he joins a roster filled with killers at every weight class.

Azizpour was initially set to make his ONE Championship debut in a battle for the inaugural heavyweight kickboxing world title opposite reigning ONE light heavyweight kickboxing champion Roman Kryklia.

However, Kryklia was forced to withdraw from the event due to an undisclosed medical issue, canceling the world title matchup.

As a result, Brazil's ever-reliable Anderson 'Braddock' Silva has been tapped to face Azizpour in a non-title bout. Silva owns a significant height advantage over the Iranian banger and even has his own pair of first-round knockout wins in ONE Super Series, making this a potentially show-stealing throwdown.

Azizpour is definitely a fighter to watch out for. The kickboxing big man is renowned for his devastating punches and thunderous head kicks.

Furthermore, the winner of this bout could eventually face Kryklia for the heavyweight title when he's ready to compete again.

#2. Clash of undefeated ONE heavyweights

Speaking of heavyweight matchups in ONE, this MMA clash may even be better than its kickboxing counterpart.

Undefeated heavyweight Kirill Grishenko will meet Canadian Dustin Joynson. Both fighters sport spotless pro records.

Grishenko made his ONE Championship debut in April, dominating and finishing Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane in two rounds. It was an impressive performance by the 30-year-old from Minsk, Belarus, and one that he wants to build upon.

Joynson, on the other hand, is a former Dana White’s Contender Series entrant. He appeared on the third season, but his fight ended in a no-contest after being inadvertently eye-poked by opponent Ben Sosoli. Joynson has four finishes, including three knockouts and one submission. He now finds himself in ONE Championship, ready to make his mark among the best fighters in the world.

Don’t look away from your screen because both men have the ability to end matters abruptly with their finishing skills. Nevertheless, it’s a battle of the unbeaten, and somebody’s ‘0’ has got to go.

---

#1. The ONE women’s atomweight world Grand Prix semifinals

Undeniably, the main attraction of ONE: NextGen is the historic ONE women’s atomweight world Grand Prix.

The tournament brought together eight of the world’s best atomweights competing for the Grand Prix belt and a chance to face Angela Lee for the ONE women’s atomweight world championship.

Now, only four fighters remain - No. 3-ranked atomweight Stamp Fairtex, her opponent Julie Mezabarba, No. 4-ranked atomweight Ritu Phogat, and her opponent, Grand Prix alternate Jenelyn Olsim.

The Phogat-Olsim matchup offers fans the classic striker versus grappler showdown, with the Indian wrestling phenom Phogat taking on wushu champion Olsim.

Phogat defeated highly regarded Chinese veteran Meng Bo to advance to this round of the competition. At the same time, Olsim got her entry as an alternate after Phogat’s original opponent, Itsuki Hirata, pulled out of the tournament due to a non-COVID-19-related illness.

Meanwhile, Stamp trounced rival Alyona Rassohyna to make it to the semifinals. After original opponent Seo Hee Ham fell out due to injury, Mezabarba stepped in to take the South Korean’s place. Both Stamp and Mezabarba are capable strikers, but only one will make it to the final round.