4 Reasons Why You Just Can't Miss ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES

This weekend, ONE Championship will return to Jakarta, Indonesia, for the third time in 2018.

On Saturday, 22 September, the world’s largest martial arts organization will present ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES from the Jakarta Convention Center.

The thrilling card will be headlined by a World Title match featuring two of the best strawweights on the planet. Also, it will feature elite strikers in ONE Super Series, as well as many of the promotion’s most talented mixed martial artists.

Here are four reasons why you must check out Saturday’s action-packed event.

#1 A Fascinating World Title Defense

ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito (13-1) regained his crown with a victory over Alex Silva in their rematch at ONE: GRIT & GLORY.

The Japanese athlete’s next challenge is a familiar one as well, as he takes on Joshua “The Passion” Pacio (12-2) in the night’s main event.

Almost two years ago, at ONE: STATE OF WARRIORS in October 2016, Naito submitted the Filipino in the third round.

However, this is not the same Joshua Pacio. Since that loss, the Team Lakay standout has added new skills to his arsenal, which has helped him to win four of his past five bouts.

The striking of “The Passion” is to be feared, and he has dramatically improved his ground game, too, but will it be enough to fend off the champion’s world-class grappling, and add yet another World Title to Team Lakay’s trophy cabinet in Baguio City?

#2 Indonesian Heroes Seek Victory

Local fans are in for a treat, as this card is teeming with Indonesian talent.

ONE Jakarta Flyweight Tournament Champion Stefer “The Lion” Rahardian (9-1) will meet China’s Peng Xue Wen in an exciting strawweight clash. The Bali MMA product has never lost in his homeland, and he is refusing to let his countrymen down on Saturday night.

Also, fellow Indonesians such as Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol, “The Terminator” Sunoto, and Adrian “Papua Badboy” Mattheis all have tough bouts ahead of them, but they will be lifted by the support from their supporters inside the arena.

#3 Two Young Muay Thai World Champions Debut

The Jitmuangnon gym is one of Thailand’s leading Muay Thai camps, and the quality of their athletes is evident, as they have consistently produced World Champions in the country’s leading stadiums and tournaments.

Two of its most talented athletes – Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon (252-40-10) and Yodpanomrung “The Lightning Knee” Jitmuangnon (230-68-2) – will debut in ONE Super Series Muay Thai bouts at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES.

Both men each have at least 300 bouts to their credit despite being aged just age 21 and 24 respectively, and they have received major honors during their time as professionals.

Rodtang, who meets Sergio “Samurai” Wielzen (46-19-2), is a two-time Omnoi Stadium Champion. He is revered for his aggressive, come-forward style that invariably leads to fiery encounters.

Yodpanomrung takes on “The Funky Drummer” Fabrice Fairtex Delannon (55-10). “The Lightning Knee” is considered one of the best pound-for-pound Nak Muay in the world, and is a WMC, Rajadamnern Stadium, and Channel 7 Stadium Muay Thai World Champion.

Their opponents are World Champions, too, making these encounters on 22 September match-ups of the highest level. There can be little doubt ONE Super Series will continue to deliver the fireworks in Jakarta.

#4 Former World Champions Return To Action

A true champion will never be satisfied as a contender, and that is why Marat “Cobra” Gafurov (16-1) and Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov (24-2) are hungry for a taste of victory in Jakarta.

Dagestan’s Gafurov has earned 13 of his 16 wins inside the distance, and he is the featherweight king of chokes. Following his title loss to Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen in August 2016, he returned to winning ways by finishing Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia via arm-triangle choke in April.

A win over Japan’s Koyomi Matsushima (9-3) would undoubtedly put “Cobra” right back into World Title contention.

As for Akhmetov, he defeated Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes in November 2015 to claim the flyweight strap, but lost it upon his return from injury in August 2017.

He meets “The Southern Eagle” Ma Hao Bin (11-3) at the show, and a victory could lead him to a trilogy bout with the division’s reigning king, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio.