3 reasons to watch ONE Friday Fights 22 this Friday

ONE Championship has put on literal magic with its ONE Friday Fights series and the weekly fight cards have become a tradition in Bangkok every week.

ONE Friday Fights 22, however, might just be the best one yet.

The iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium steadily bore witness to some of the greatest martial action the world has ever seen and ONE Friday Fights 22 looks to continue that steep tradition.

A couple of world title fights and Muay Thai legends taking on some of the world’s best fighters will headline this Friday’s card in the Thai capital.

That being said, here are three reasons to watch ONE Friday Fights 22 this Friday.

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#3. ONE Friday Fights 22 is free on YouTube

In a world where organizations put their content behind pay-per-view or paid subscriptions, ONE Championship did the opposite.

The promotion decided that its weekly Bangkok cards should be the most accessible martial arts product. Since its inception in January, the ONE Friday Fights series have been broadcasted live and free on YouTube.

Having that kind of availability is practically unheard of in the overall sporting world but ONE Championship made the bold decision to have its fans access ONE Friday Fights without spending a single dime.

The entire ONE Friday Fights series can also be replayed for free on the platform, allowing fans to enjoy the shows as many times as possible.

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#2. Sam-A and Prajanchai run it back for interim gold

When Sam-A Gaiyanghadao retired from ONE Championship in 2021, it left a GOAT-sized hole in the promotion’s Muay Thai landscape.

Sam-A is considered a legend in the sport and he’s regarded as one of the greatest Muay Thai artists ever. So when he made his way back to the Circle this past March, the community promptly celebrated with him.

A dominant second-round knockout win over Ryan Sheehan showed just how devastating Sam-A’s power is, and he’s now gearing up for another shot at gold against an old foe.

Sam-A will face Prajanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE interim strawweight Muay Thai world title this Friday, and the 39-year-old wants vengeance.

Prajanchai beat Sam-A for the ONE strawweight Muay Thai world title in their first meeting in July 2021. That match became Sam-A’s final bout in ONE Championship before returning to the promotion.

With such history behind this bout, Sam-A wants nothing more than to re-establish his spot at the top of the strawweight Muay Thai division. A win over Prajanchai will also set up a world title unification bout against Joseph Lasiri, the now reigning ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion.

Sam-A is a true Thai sporting icon and he’s the only fighter to have held three separate world titles in ONE Championship.

From 2018 to 2020, Sam-A possessed the ONE strawweight kickboxing, the ONE flyweight Muay Thai, and the ONE strawweight Muay Thai world titles at one point or another.

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#1. Arjan Bhullar and Anatoly Malykhin blow off feud for the undisputed heavyweight crown

It’s finally happening and we’re only days away from this titanic moment.

Arjan Bhullar, the reigning ONE heavyweight world champion, and Anatoly Malykhin, the ONE light heavyweight and interim heavyweight world champion, will finally meet for a world title unification bout this Friday in Bangkok.

These two were supposed to meet each other as early as 2022, but injuries and other outside factors repeatedly postponed their fated meeting. Nevertheless, all those cancelations only made this colossal meeting that much spicier.

Bhullar and Malykhin have talked insurmountable trash against each other, and all that animosity will certainly lead to a slugfest of the highest order.

Both fighters are certified knockout artists, and it’s unthinkable to see these two rivals utilize their elite wrestling inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.

With the ONE undisputed heavyweight world title on the line, expect Bhullar and Malykhin to batter each other until one of them eventually loses consciousness.