“Start the new year great” - Thai slugger Suablack plans a banger opener to his 2025 run in ONE Championship

Suablack Tor Pran49 is eager to reverse his fortunes as he kicks off his 2025 campaign.

The Thai hard-hitter is set to compete at ONE Fight Night 29, airing live in U.S. primetime from the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, January 10. In a high-stakes, three-round bantamweight Muay Thai clash, he squares off against Russia’s Dmitrii Kovtun.

Suablack closed out 2024 on a sour note, enduring back-to-back losses to Kiamran Nabati and Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai. Determined to start the new year on a high, he expressed his resolve to turn things around in an interview with Bangkok Post:

“Every fight has been important to me, but this fight, of course, has a little bit more importance, because first it's New Year, so I just want to start the new year great.”

Before his recent struggles, Suablack was a rising star who took ONE Championship by storm. He burst onto the scene with a perfect 6-0 record, living up to the lofty expectations surrounding him.

Known for his ferocious kicks and punishing combinations, the Thai striker delivered four electrifying knockouts in a row under the ONE Friday Fights banner, earning him a well-deserved promotion to the main roster.

Suablack continued to shine on the promotion’s grand stage, edging out Russia’s Vladimir Kuzmin via unanimous decision in his main roster debut.

However, his momentum stalled with two consecutive knockout defeats, leaving him eager to reignite the form that once made him a feared competitor.

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Suablack battles an opponent with the same desire

Standing in Suablack Tor Pran49’s way is Dmitrii Kovtun, who shares a similar hunger to reclaim his footing.

Kovtun made an explosive promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 24 in August 2024, outclassing Ferrari Fairtex to secure a unanimous decision victory.

However, the Russian's follow-up performance fell short when he suffered a second-round knockout loss to Nontachai Jitmuangnon at ONE Friday Fights 86 three months later.

Both men enter this bout with something to prove, making their collision at Lumpinee Stadium a must-watch showdown.