It’s all go in the ring as the ONE championship heads home to Singapore

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It’s all go in the ring as the ONE championship heads home to Singapore

By THE NATION

 

 

Reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao of Thailand is to defend his World Title against countryman Saemapetch Fairtex next month as the ONE Championship returns to Singapore for “ONE: Edge of Greatness”.

 

 

The event, which takes place on Novemberr 22 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, will feature fights between the world’s greatest martial arts athletes. 

 

Considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, Nong-O has captured nearly every accolade in Muay Thai. He made his first appearance at the famed Rajadamnern Stadium when he was just a teenager and has since competed in over 300 professional bouts.

 

During that time, he claimed two Thailand National Muay Thai Championships, four Lumpini Stadium Muay Thai World Championships in different divisions, and a Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Championship.

 

Since joining the world’s best strikers in ONE Super Series, Nong-O has dominated the competition. In February, he captured the inaugural ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title with a unanimous decision victory over Han Zi Hao. He has since successfully defended his belt twice. Now he’s taking on Saemapetch, one of the fastest rising stars in Thailand.

 

The former MTGP Welterweight World Champion joined ONE Super Series in 2018 and has since impressed during his time inside the ring. Saemapetch took up Muay Thai at the age of 11, and a mere three years later, he was competing at the famed Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok. Now training out of the renowned Fairtex camp in Pattaya, alongside the likes of Muay Thai World Champions Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex and Stamp Fairtex, Saemapetch is certainly a noteworthy talent to watch out for.

 

In the co-main event of the evening, former ONE World Title challengers Amir Khan of Singapore and Ev “ET” Ting of Malaysia will do battle in a lightweight mixed martial arts contest. Khan, a Singaporean Muay Thai champion, has faced the biggest names in ONE Championship’s lightweight division, including former World Champion Eduard Folayang and former featherweight World Champion Honorio Banario.

 

Ting, on the other hand, is coming off a spectacular come-from-behind victory against Daichi Abe last July. The Malaysian-Kiwi sensation, who is one of the world’s best lightweights, blazed a trail across Asia, New Zealand, and Australia before making waves on the global stage of ONE Championship.

 

Born in Malaysia, Ting was once a promising soccer player but in 2009, he decided to switch his focus to mixed martial arts and began training at a local gym in Auckland. He made his professional debut in 2011, and has since defeated proven contenders such as former ONE Welterweight World Champion Nobutatsu Suzuki, Ariel Sexton, and Kamal Shalorus.

 

The rest of the card is stacked with even more world-class martial artists and local talent.

 

Singaporean star Tiffany Teo is set to make her ONE Championship return against promotional newcomer Maira Mazar of Brazil.

 

Teo is one of the fastest rising stars in Asia. She began her training in taekwondo, and then later moved on to compete in Muay Thai, boxing, and finally, mixed martial arts. The former ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title challenger now welcomes Mazar to the Circle. The Brazilian is riding a two-bout win streak, and she would love to extend it to three in her ONE Championship debut.

 

Also on the cards is undefeated American featherweight Troy Worthen, who faces Chinese knockout artist “Rock Man” Chen Lei.

 

Worthen, who trains out of Evolve in Singapore, is a former NCWA Conference Champion and All-American with over 400 career wrestling matches under his belt. He made his mixed martial arts debut in 2015 and has since won all five of his bouts. He signed with ONE Championship last July and debuted with a second-round technical knockout victory over Chen Rui.

 

His opponent, the hard-hitting “Rock Man,” is a Shanghai Open BJJ Champion known for his fast and powerful hands. Chen started his ONE Championship career finishing his first four opponents in spectacular fashion.

 

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil is set to take on China’s Peng Xue Wen in a strawweight contest. Silva, a mainstay at Evolve in Singapore, is fresh off an impressive second-round submission victory over Stefer Rahardian. Peng, on the other hand, is a winner of two of his last three bouts.

 

Silva’s Evolve teammate, multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion and former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke of Thailand, will see action against Pakistan’s Muhammad “The Spider” Imran while Singapore-based Indian martial artist Rahul “The Kerala Krusher” Raju will face Pakistan’s Ahmed “The Wolverine” Mujtaba.

 

Lastly, in a Muay Thai contest, Thailand’s Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy takes on the United Kingdom’s Charlie Peters.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/sport/30377556

 

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