Bokang Masunyane is certain that his next opponent, Mansur Malachiev, won't be able to hang with him on the canvas.
After banking back-to-back wins against Hiroba Minowa and Keito Yamakita in his last two outings, 'Little Giant' is determined to establish himself as the next man in line for a ONE strawweight MMA world title opportunity when he meets Malachiev in a battle of top-five contenders at ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video.
Needless to say, Masunyane is feeling very confident ahead of his return to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 4. Thus far, 'Little Giant' is a near-perfect 10-1 in his mixed martial arts career, with his only loss coming against current interim ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks.
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As for how he plans to get the job done against the fifth-ranked Russian contender, Bokang Masunyane believes it will all come down to his superior ground game:
“But I definitely feel like my wrestling is much more superior," he told ONE Championship during a recent interview. "My scrambling and getting on top is quicker, and he won’t be able to handle that pressure.”
Mansur Malachiev could close in on his first ONE world title shot with a win against Bokang Masunyane
Masunyane faces a very tough test in his return to the 'Mecca of Muay Thai' when he meets a man who, like him, only has one loss on his record which came against a current ONE world champion.
Malachiev made his promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 11 last year, earning a first-round submission victory over Filipino fan favorite Jeremy Miado. Stepping back onto martial arts' biggest global stage four months later, Malachiev came up short against Joshua Pacio, the current ONE strawweight MMA world champion, at ONE Fight Night 15.
Since then, he's climbed back into the win column against Yosuke Saurta in February. With a win over Bokang Masunyane, he could put himself into pole position for a shot at the ONE strawweight MMA title once Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks settle some unfinished business.
ONE Fight Night 25 will air live via Amazon Prime Video in the United States and Canada on Friday, Oct. 4 in U.S. primetime.