Feb 20, 2021

3 Fights That Could Steal The Show At ONE: FISTS OF FURY

Muay Thai star Wondergirl Fairtex kicks KC Carlos

A massive ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title encounter will headline the bill at ONE: FISTS OF FURY, but the supporting cast also promises to deliver incredible action.

Before Ilias “Tweety” Ennahachi and “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 square off for the gold at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, 26 February, fans will be treated to matchups between established and rising stars with points to prove.

That means there could be a number of Fight of the Night contenders in “The Lion City.” Before the action goes down, we’ve picked three bouts that could steal the show.

Giorgio Petrosyan Vs. Davit Kiria

ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Champion Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan is on the hunt for more silverware, but he’ll have to get past Davit Kiria to get there.

These two athletes faced off back in 2012, with Petrosyan beating the tough Georgian via decision. However, Petrosyan knows that both fighters have evolved since that time, which means this match will present a clean slate.

For his part, “The Doctor’s” clinical boxing and laser-focused accuracy have been constants throughout his illustrious career and his unbeaten run in ONE Super Series.

Meanwhile, Kiria possesses a wide array of unorthodox strikes from his karate background, along with stopping power in his hands. Like many before him, the Georgian striker will try to get inside Petrosyan’s almost impenetrable defense, but that offense comes with risks.

When it comes to his legacy, “The Doctor” wants to cement his GOAT status in kickboxing and move toward the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title, while Kiria can earn the biggest win of his career on the biggest stage of his career.

Because of all that, fans can expect a cerebral but explosive matchup as both men try to find the right opening to land a bout-ending strike.

Hiroki Akimoto Vs. Zhang Chenglong

Another rematch features on the bill, but this time, it’s a much quicker turnaround for the athletes involved.

Hiroki Akimoto defeated “Muay Thai Boy” Zhang Chenglong via split decision in their riveting first encounter at ONE: REIGN OF DYNASTIES II in October. Due to the incredibly tight result, ONE’s matchmakers decided to run it back straight away.

In the original three-rounder, Zhang tried to march his opponent down and score with thudding punches and kicks, while the WFKO Karate World Champion spent more time moving and countering — though he was not afraid to engage in a firefight.

This time around, both men are more acutely aware of what they must do to win. They understand their rival’s strengths and weaknesses more intimately and will no doubt have trained to exploit them.

There’s also a chance that “Muay Thai Boy” will be even more aggressive this time around now that he’s been given his chance at redemption, but walking headlong into the Evolve athlete’s strikes is asking for trouble.

It will be interesting to see which striker makes the better adjustments in this immediate rematch.

Wondergirl Fairtex Vs. Jackie Buntan

Jackie Buntan has waited a long time to make her debut on the global stage. That time is finally here, so she wants to make the most of the opportunity.

In front of her stands the formidable Wondergirl Fairtex, who featured twice in ONE Super Series last year and scored back-to-back knockout victories.

Still, it will be hard to faze Buntan given that she trains daily with ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Janet “JT” Todd at Boxing Works Gym in California, USA.

The American knows what it’s like to go up against an elite operator, with the key difference here being Wondergirl’s incredible power dial.

The rising star from Thailand throws heavy punches — in particular, a crunching right hand. Buntan will have to try to work through them to negate Wondergirl’s reach advantage and score on the inside, which should offer plenty of toe-to-toe engagements.