5 Huge Reasons Why ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS Is Not To Be Missed
This Friday, 18 May, ONE Championship will hold its most historic event ever.
ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS will be an unmissable night of martial arts action, with three world title bouts headlining a super-stacked card.
The main event attractions are supported by a stacked undercard of must-see match-ups, including the return of two former ONE Lightweight World Champions.
Here are just five of the many reasons why you have to check out the action on Friday.
#1 The Greatest Rematch In Women’s Martial Arts
Angela Lee vs. Mei Yamaguchi II is the most anticipated rematch in women’s martial arts history.
The first encounter between these warriors for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight World Title at ONE: ASCENT TO POWER in May 2016 still stands as the cage’s most thrilling battle between female athletes.
Five rounds of relentless, back-and-forth action kept fans on their feet for 25 full minutes. In the end, Lee took the victory, and the belt, by unanimous decision.
Since then, fans have been waiting for the rivalry to be renewed, as Lee defended her belt twice, and Yamaguchi built her way back up to the top.
The rematch was originally scheduled to take place last November at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, before a car accident forced “Unstoppable” to withdraw from the bout. While she wished the champion well, Yamaguchi sealed her place as the top contender with a win against Gina “Conviction” Iniong.
Now, the wait is over. These two heroes are finally going at it once more.
#2 The First-Ever ONE Super Series World Title Bout
The first ONE Super Series bouts have offered incredible striking from some of the world’s best strikers. But that was just a taste of things to come. The stakes will be raised on Friday, as world championship gold is put on the line for the first time.
A momentous occasion deserves a great match-up, and that is what is being delivered. Sam-A Gaiyanghadao takes on Sergio “The Samurai” Wielzen for the ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight World Title.
Sam-A comes into the contest with 365 wins. That is not a mistake — he really does have that many victories, which solidifies him as a legend of the sport.
Known for his lightning-quick kicks, the Evolve MMA athlete is aiming to add some ONE hardware to his collection of world titles. He dazzled fans for the first time with a stunning TKO win over Joseph Lasiri at ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES, and will look to produce an equally impressive performance in Singapore.
Victory is far from guaranteed, however, as he takes on Wielzen, himself a multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion who trains out of Sityodtong Amsterdam.
Wielzen made his name defeating elite names from around the world, including former Lumpinee and four-time Rajadamnern Stadium World Champion Anuwat Kaewsamrit. Throughout his career, “The Samurai” has claimed the Lion Fight Lightweight World Championship, an It’s Showtime 61MAX World Title, and claimed two World Version W5 Championships.
A world-class display of Muay Thai is practically guaranteed.
#3 Former Rivals Clash For Featherweight Gold
In addition to the two aforementioned world title bouts, there is a third on the card, which also features a member of the Lee family.
Christian “The Warrior” Lee will challenge his old rival, two-division ONE World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen, for the featherweight world title.
Their first meeting ended in a first-round submission for the Vietnamese-Australian, who went on to win the ONE Featherweight and Lightweight World Titles. His knockouts of Marat Gafurov and Eduard Folayang made him the first two-division world champion in ONE history.
Lee, however, has rebounded in style. He scored four consecutive stoppage victories over the likes of former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu Boku and two-division DEEP Champion Kazunori Yokota, setting the record for the most finishes in the promotion’s history in the process. With those performances, he made an iron-clad case to challenge for the belt.
Both “The Situ-Asian” and “The Warrior” expect to dispatch the other inside the distance, and you can expect one of their predictions to become a reality. After all, neither athlete has ever gone the distance in their careers.
On top of that, Lee can create some more history. If he wins, he will become the youngest male athlete to win a major mixed martial arts world championship. And, if Lee is successful in her bout, they would be the first-ever sibling World Champions in history as well.
#4 Lightweight Legends Return To Action
After some time away from the cage, two former ONE Lightweight World Champions will make their returns.
Six months after his last appearance, Eduard “The Landslide” Folayang will aim to begin a new campaign towards the gold. However, the Filipino hero will not have an easy task when he steps into the cage with Kharun “Predator” Atlangeriev.
The Russian Sambo Champion is undefeated at 11-0, with five knockouts and five submissions proving how dangerous he is in all areas.
Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki will also make a comeback to the lightweight division for the first time in 18 months. In the interim, he challenged for the ONE Welterweight World Title and was last seen competing in a Grappling Super-Match last January, where he defeated Marat “Cobra” Gafurov via rear-naked choke.
Aoki has vowed to refocus on the division where he has enjoyed most of his martial arts success, and work towards the world title yet again.
First, he will have to get past Rasul Yakhyaev, who will arrive in Singapore on the back of his stunning defeat over Shannon Wiratchai.
#5 Muay Thai Legends Make Super Series Debuts
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There are few martial artists anywhere in the world, in any discipline, as revered as Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex. The legendary striker boasts an incredible record of 198-71-4 in Muay Thai and kickboxing bouts.
After years of traveling across the continent to compete against the world’s best stand-up martial artists, “The Hero” announced his retirement from competition in 2017. However, the lure of ONE Super Series was too much to resist, and he now debuts in the ONE cage, much to the delight of his fans.
His highly-anticipated appearance will come against the two-time WKA Muay Thai Super Welterweight World Champion Chris “The African Warrior” Ngimbi.
Finally, on the preliminary card, Singtongnoi Por Telakun will also make his ONE debut.
A Lumpinee Stadium and WMC Muay Thai World Champion with a 220-80 record, Singtongnoi now trains out of Evolve MMA in Singapore, and has inspired many by overcoming his battle with cancer.
The Thai can add another feather in his cap with an impressive showing against WBC Muay Thai Super Bantamweight World Champion Joseph “Hurricane” Lasiri.
