Our ONE Championship predictions for ONE: Winter Warriors II are in. After the undeniable success of Winter Warriors, the Asian promotion plans to close out the year with a massive bang.
Scheduled for December 17, the all-MMA card will showcase members of prominent martial arts stable Team Lakay Wushu. The event will be headlined by a flyweight bout between Team Lakay's Danny 'The King' Kingad and former ONE flyweight champ Kairat 'The Kazakh' Akhmetov.
The co-main event will witness the return of Team Lakay vet and former ONE bantamweight champion Kevin 'The Silencer' Belingon. The renowned striker will get a chance to turn his career around against Korean slugger Kwon Won Il.
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The rest of the card is packed with exciting fights and here are the ONE Championship predictions for ONE: Winter Warriors II:
ONE Championship predictions for its next event, ONE: Winter Warriors II
Danny Kingad vs. Kairat Akhmetov
If there's one thing Team Lakay is feared for, it's their lethal kickboxing. Their combination of power, speed, explosiveness and cardio is a nightmare to deal with on the feet. Another thing that they're known for, however, is that they're not the best once the fight hits the ground.
Of course, there have been standouts from the team who fared well in grappling exchanges and even dominated and won with submissions. The common consensus, however, is that the Filipino stable's strongest suit is their striking, not their grappling.
Look for former Greco-Roman wrestling champion Kairat Akhmetov to take advantage of this fact and drag the fight on the mat right away. From there it's only a matter of whether Danny Kingad can get up and have enough space to land a momentum-swinging blow.
Our ONE Championship prediction says he probably won't.
Winner: Kairat Akhmetov
Kevin Belingon vs. Kwon Won Il
This striker vs. striker bout features the old guard facing the new breed. Though former bantamweight champion Kevin Belingon has been on the rougher side of his career lately, he's only lost to the very best in the division. Belingon is still levels above the fighters Kwon Won Il faced in the cage.
Our ONE Championship prediction sees Belingon's experience at the highest level make the difference in this co-main event slugfest.
Winner: Kevin Belingon
Vitaly Bigdash vs. Fan Rong
This fight has the potential to be fight of the night as both have insane power in their hands. Not only that, but both middleweight behemoths have a knack for coming back from adversity as well. Former ONE middleweight champion Vitaly Bigdash's kickboxing acumen, coupled with his power and heart, will make a difference in this one.
Our ONE Championship prediction sees Bigdash winning via knockout in the latter stages of the fight.
Winner: Vitaly Bigdash
Zebaztian Kadestam vs. Murad Ramazanov
Murad Ramazanov, being the more well-rounded fighter, will look to grapple his way to victory on this one. The undefeated fighter will utilize his vice-like bodylock clinch against the highly mobile fighter in Kadestam. Our ONE Championship prediction says Ramazanov will lock in his trademark clinch early to drag Kagestam to the ground and proceed to maul him there.
Winner: Murad Ramazanov
Stephen Loman vs. Yusup Saadulaev
No.3-ranked Yusup 'Maestro' Saadulaev is going to be a tough task for the debuting Loman. 'Maestro', owner of one of the greatest submission wins in ONE Championship history, will be a nightmare on the ground if he manages to bring the fight there.
Our ONE Championship prediction sees Saadulaev biding his time and staying away from Loman's lethal strikes early. Once he gets the right distance and timing, watch the Dagestani score an empathic takedown and keep the fight there for the win.
Winner: Yusup Saadulaev
Jhanlo Mark Sangiao vs. Paul Lumihi
Our ONE Championship prediction sees debuting Jhanlo Mark Sangiao come out guns blazing early on. The golden child of Team Lakay Wushu will look to make a statement in his debut. He will look to take out veteran Paul Lumihi in impactful fashion.
Being the younger and hungrier of the two, Sangiao will use his world-class kickboxing to overwhelm Lumihi and never let the veteran gain any momentum. We see this fight ending early and violently.
Winner: Jhanlo Mark Sangiao
These are our ONE Championship predictions for Winter Warriors II. Tune in on December 17 to watch the drama and action unfold.