“Use my striking more” - Bokang Masunyane confident he can outstrike ‘pure wrestler’ Mansur Malachiev 

Bokang Masunyane believes his wrestling skills could cancel out Mansur Malachiev's ground attack.

On October 4, the latest installment of ONE Championship's partnership with Amazon Prime Video, ONE Fight Night 25, goes down inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium.

A rematch between ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion Alexis Nicolas and Regian Eersel will headline the event.

Earlier in the night, Masunyane, ranked number two in the strawweight MMA division, and number five-ranked Malachiev will meet for a matchup between potential title contenders. Malachiev has showcased his wrestling prowess during his ONE tenure, but Masunyane believes he won't have any issues.

During an interview with ONE, Bokang Masunyane had this to say about his upcoming matchup with Malachiev:

"I’m going to be able to use my striking more and look for a finish there if the wrestling cancels each other out."

North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can see ONE Fight Night 25 live and for free from Bangkok, Thailand.

The event also features Kongthoranee Sor Sommai vs Tagir Khalilov (flyweight Muay Thai), John Lineker vs Alexey Balyko (bantamweight Muay Thai), and more.

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Bokang Masunyane and Mansur Malachiev look to make a statement in strawweight title picture

Last month, Jarred Brooks secured a first-round submission against Gustavo Balart for the ONE interim strawweight MMA world champion.

Brooks was previously dethroned from the undisputed strap due to a disqualification, but the trilogy bout was postponed after Joshua Pacio suffered an injury in training.

Pacio is expected to return in late 2024 or early 2025 to unify the strawweight MMA throne against Brooks.

In the meantime, top contenders like Bokang Masunyane and Mansur Malachiev have an opportunity to strengthen their presence in the division, potentially earning the next title shot after Brooks.

Heading into ONE Fight Night 25, Malachiev bounced back from his lone promotional loss with a unanimous decision win against Yosuke Saruta.

Meanwhile, Masunyane is coming off back-to-back impressive unanimous decisions against number four-ranked Hiroba Minowa and Keito Yamakita.

Masunyane or Malachiev could find themselves fighting for ONE strawweight MMA gold in mid-2025, regardless of who wins at ONE Fight Night 25.