4 Reasons You Absolutely Cannot Miss ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR

ONE Championship is ready to rock the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium once again.

This Friday, 29 June, the promotion will return to Yangon, Myanmar for its next blockbuster event, ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR.

In the main event, two-division ONE World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang will defend his ONE Middleweight World Title for the first time against Ken Hasegawa. 

Beyond that, the event is stacked with thrilling debuts, action-packed mixed martial arts contests, and a trio of exciting ONE Super Series kickboxing bouts.

Here are just four of the many reasons you must watch ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR this Friday night.

#1 The Epic Middleweight World Title Main Event

Since his electrifying victory over previously undefeated titleholder Vitaly Bigdash in June 2017, Aung La N Sang has scored two more high-profile victories in Yangon.

He submitted Alain Ngalani via first-round guillotine choke in the promotion’s inaugural Open Weight Super-Bout in November, and then knocked out Alexandre Machado in a record-setting 56 seconds in February to claim the vacant ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship.

This time, when “The Burmese Python” returns to the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium, he will defend the ONE Middleweight World Title for the first time. He meets Japan’s Ken Hasegawa.

Although he is making his promotional debut, Hasegawa serves as the biggest threat to Aung La N Sang’s title reign, and has all the tools to leave Myanmar with the belt.

The Japanese athlete is a former DEEP Openweight Champion who sports a strong professional record of 16-2-1, which includes four wins by submission and six by knockout.

Hasegawa, a third-degree judo black belt, prides himself on his powerful striking and high-level grappling, which matches up superbly with the Myanmar hero’s skill set. Japan’s top middleweight wants nothing more than to upset the national hero in front of his countrymen.

Both men are tough, talented, and durable – and with Aung La N Sang’s raucous fans cheering him on, the atmosphere inside the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium will take this main-event tilt to another level. 

#2 A Top Bantamweight Contender Returns

Leandro “Brodinho” Issa is one of the bantamweight division’s top contenders. Since making his return to ONE in August 2017, the Brazilian has rallied to defeat two of the biggest names in his weight class.

Issa’s second-round destruction of Finland’s Toni “Dynamite” Tauru served as the perfect comeback to the world’s largest martial arts organization. He followed that stellar performance with a convincing unanimous decision victory over highly-regarded South Korean grappler Dae Hwan Kim.

Now, the BJJ World Champion is looking for his third consecutive victory against a promotional newcomer in Guam’s Roman “Boom” Alvarez.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg-kDecjeHf/

The Trench Warz Featherweight Champion owns a professional record of 8-1, and has a 75 percent finishing rate. He is young, confident, and tough as nails, and will look to give the 34-year-old veteran a stiff challenge.

Issa plans to use this bout with the Guam striker as a chance to cement his position among the division’s elite.

However, Alvarez could make a huge statement if he were to defeat such an accomplished competitor in his first ONE appearance.

#3 An Explosive Strawweight Battle

A pair of explosive strawweight contenders will go head-to-head when the Philippines’ Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado meets rising Thai superstar Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai.

In fact, this match-up has the potential to steal the show.

Miado is looking to build momentum from his biggest victory yet – an 89-second knockout of legendary Muay Thai World Champion and former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in March.

Thanks to ONE’s revolutionary weigh-in program, the 25-year-old Filipino is a healthier and stronger athlete than he was in the past, and appears to be in perfect condition to have continued success in the organization.

However, it will take a gargantuan effort from “The Jaguar” to continue his winning ways against one of the most exciting young talents in the division.

“Dream Man” is a 13-time Thai National Wrestling Champion who once captured a Muay Thai title in his adolescence.

The 26-year-old blends his powerful striking with his aggressive grappling, which has made for some impressive offense and two dominant victories in the organization so far.

Both men are looking to climb the divisional ladder, and a win would help the victor ascend up the ranks towards reigning kingpin Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito.

#4 Three Awesome Super Series Kickboxing Bouts

ONE Super Series will be in full swing at ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR with three exciting kickboxing battles.

First off, Elliot “The Dragon” Compton will make his second promotional appearance. The four-time World Caged Muay Thai Champion will face ONE newcomer Matthew “Sobek” Semper, who has been perfecting his craft at Tiger Muay Thai since 2010.

It is an opportunity for both to establish their presence in the striking-only contests, and establish their place as a top contender in the lightweight division.

Evolve MMA’s Tukkatatong Petpayathai will also make his ONE debut on the card. The two-time Muay Thai World Champion sports an astonishing professional record of 240-33-2, and faces ISKA & WBC World Champion Mehdi “Diamond Heart” Zatout, who trains out of Venum Training Camp in Thailand.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Samy Sana (@samy_sana75)

Finally, WBC & A1 Muay Thai World Champion Samy “AK47” Sana takes on Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy. The two highly-decorated combatants will face-off in a catch weight bout of 72 kilograms.