ONE Championship updates ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic card, replaces 'Buchecha' vs. 'Reug Reug' with Chen Rui vs. Song Min Jong

ONE Championship has released an updated card for its event on April 22, with a couple of changes, including a new name and a huge fight moved to a later date.

On Twitter, the promotion announced that the event will be called ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic. However, the post also came with news that the heavyweight battle between 'Buchecha' and 'Reug Reug' is off the upcoming event.

The caption read:

“Your updated ONE 156 fight card, headlined by 2 World Title bouts, a ONE Strawweight World Title eliminator, and much more! #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONE156 | 22 April”

ONE Championship did not elaborate on the reason for the removal of the heavyweight pairing of 'Buchecha' and 'Reug Reug', but assured fans that it will push through at a later event.

The main card remains at six fights, with the bantamweight showdown between Chen Rui and Song Min Jong elevated from the lead card to take the spot vacated by the failed 'Buchecha'-'Reug Reug' clash.

Apart from one less match, the lead card remains unchanged. The event will now have 15 contests instead of 16, with all bouts promising to deliver exciting action from start to finish.

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Rising stars in ONE Championship’s bantamweight division get featured on the main card

Among the many options on the lead card, ONE Championship chose to elevate Chen Rui and Song Min Jong to the main card to replace the void left by the rescheduled heavyweight match.

The bantamweight division's top five is filled with hungry lions seeking a world title shot against newly-crowned champion John Lineker. 'Hands of Stone' defeated one of the greatest champions in ONE Championship’s history, Bibiano Fernandes, last month, signaling a new era in the division.

With the struggling former world champion Kevin Belingon occupying the No.5 slot in the rankings, Chen and Song have the opportunity to claim his spot with a big win on April 22.

Chen is coming off a win against the hard-hitting Mark Abelardo at February 2022’s ONE: Bad Blood. He is looking for back-to-back wins by defeating Song in their matchup. It will be easier said than done though, as Song is 3-1 since arriving in ONE in 2019.

The stakes are definitely high for their upcoming matchup. One of them has the chance to join No.4-ranked Fabricio Andrade, No.3-ranked Stephen Loman, and No.2-ranked Kwon Won Il, who are all in hot pursuit of a world title opportunity.