5 Reasons To Watch ONE Fight Night 27: Tang Vs. Abdullaev On January 10
This Friday, January 10, ONE Championship will host its first U.S. primetime show of 2025, and the event is jam-packed with compelling matchups.
Topped by a pair of high-stakes World Title contests, ONE Fight Night 27: Tang vs. Abdullaev on Prime Video will go down at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans of white-knuckle action and world-class martial arts have plenty of reasons to tune in on fight night – and these are the top five.
#1 Ruthless Finishers Square Off In World Title Main Event
The main event pits two of MMA’s most dangerous finishers against each other, as undefeated sensation Akbar “Bakal” Abdullaev will challenge Chinese superstar Tang Kai for the ONE Featherweight MMA World Title.
Abdullaev has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the world’s largest martial arts organization. After arriving in ONE with an unblemished 8-0 record and 100 percent finishing rate, the Kyrgyz standout has backed up the hype, reeling off a trio of highlight-reel knockouts against top-flight competition.
He hopes to remain perfect and claim 26 pounds of gold, but he’ll be standing across from one of the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighters.
Tang boasts an 8-0 record in ONE that includes five thrilling finishes and a pair of impressive World Title wins.
The 28-year-old is an ultra-skilled and well-rounded mixed martial artist but tends to do his best work on the feet, where he employs his venomous counter-striking and show-stopping power.
In short, fans can look forward to an all-action striking battle that’s unlikely to see the judges’ scorecards.
#2 Stamp’s Next Challenger Will Emerge With Interim Gold
In the co-main event, surging Filipina Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga will square off with Ukrainian submission specialist Alyona Rassohyna for the ONE Women’s Interim Atomweight MMA World Title.
The winner of that contest will leave Bangkok with a coveted golden belt and a guaranteed shot at Stamp Fairtex, who is continuing her recovery from major knee surgery.
A veteran of eight battles in ONE, Zamboanga might be the division’s most well-rounded athlete, having shown virtually no weaknesses over the course of her current three-fight winning streak.
Rassohyna, meanwhile, is aiming for a long-awaited trilogy fight with Stamp. She submitted the Thai megastar in her promotional debut back in 2021, only to drop a narrow split decision in their rematch several months later.
The 34-year-old will look to use her crushing strength and relentless ground game to punch her ticket to what would be a massive rubber match and a World Title unification bout.
#3 John Lineker Faces His Toughest Muay Thai Foe Yet
Former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker will continue his journey into the world of elite Muay Thai when he faces his most accomplished opponent yet – former two-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion “Left Meteorite” Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai.
Armed with his granite hands and fearless, brawling style of striking, Lineker has scored back-to-back knockouts against world-class strikers in his two career Muay Thai fights, quickly establishing himself as a legitimate contender in the talent-laden bantamweight Muay Thai division.
This Friday, he’ll face an immensely skilled and experienced fighter in Kulabdam.
At just 26 years old, “Left Meteorite” is already a veteran of nearly 100 professional fights, including 14 appearances under ONE’s bright lights.
The Thai’s big southpaw power, well-rounded Muay Thai skill set, and crafty fight IQ will pose an intriguing challenge for the hard-hitting Brazilian slugger.
#4 Old Rivals Leon And Langaker Meet Again
In 180-pound catchweight submission grappling action, Canadian star Dante Leon will return for his sophomore appearance in the promotion to face former two-time ONE World Title challenger Tommy Langaker.
The BJJ black belts have met once before in competition, and that match was filled with drama.
At the 2018 IBJJF Pan-American Championships, the Norwegian earned a narrow 2-0 points win, but it was Leon who spent the vast majority of the contest attacking submissions, even extending on a brutal armbar attempt that ultimately forced Langaker out of the tournament.
Fresh off a dominant submission victory in his debut this past December, Leon is hungry to even the score with Langaker and further cement himself as one of the planet’s top pound-for-pound grapplers, along with a serious World Title contender.
For his part, Langaker will look to utilize his seemingly impassable guard and dynamic submission attack to stamp his name on the rivalry and derail Leon’s hype train.
#5 Two Of North America’s Top Muay Thai Talents Throw Down
American phenom Luke “The Chef” Lessei and Canada’s Cody Jerome will try to entertain the Bangkok crowd in their featherweight Muay Thai tilt that has fireworks written all over it.
Lessei has been nothing short of electrifying through three appearances in ONE, using his creative brand of striking to gain legions of fans and prove that United States fighters can compete among the best of the best in “the art of eight limbs.”
Jerome hopes to make a similar impact in his promotional debut. The 28-year-old is an aggressive and well-rounded striker who largely dominated Canada’s regional scene before winning a prestigious Road to ONE tournament to earn his spot on the global roster.
Fans should expect an all-out war when “The Chef” and Jerome go toe-to-toe, with each man supremely motivated to showcase North American Muay Thai on the biggest platform available.
