5 Reasons To Watch ONE: NEXTGEN III On 26 November
This Friday, ONE: NEXTGEN III will round off The Home of Martial Arts’ latest event series with six thrilling matchups.
And with a fun blend of mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and Muay Thai action, fans can expect nonstop entertainment inside the Circle.
Here are five reasons to watch the riveting card when it airs from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
#1 Adiwang And Brooks Settle Their Beef
Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang is usually a laid-back character, but the Team Lakay star wants to make a statement against newcomer Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks in their strawweight mixed martial arts main event.
The pair have exchanged barbs on social media, and they’ll have the chance to back up their words inside the Circle.
Adiwang is one of the most explosive strikers in the division and is riding a two-bout winning streak. Brooks acknowledges his opponent’s power but believes his own grappling game creates a massive advantage – and that it will lead to a certain finish.
“Thunder Kid” knows he must be wary of the lifelong wrestler’s well-rounded skill set. If he comes in too fired up, he could make the wrong decisions, and the margin for error is extremely thin at the top.
This long-delayed bout is set to be a finely balanced battle of colliding styles, and it will have ramifications for the upper echelon of the strawweight division. Expect both men to bring their best to the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
#2 Former Kickboxing King Returns To Muay Thai
An epic co-main event features the Muay Thai return of Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov, who is getting back to his roots in “the art of eight limbs” following his tenure as the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion.
The Russian is facing off against Pongsiri PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym in a clash between two relentless strikers who never stop to catch a breath.
Watching a technical muay femur stylist showcase their skills is captivating, but these two prefer to charge in and throw all their weapons off the front foot – and that guarantees excitement.
“Babyface Killer” feels like he has a point to prove after losing his kickboxing gold, while Pongsiri has vowed to “damage [Ramazanov] as much as possible” in an effort to take his #5 contender spot in the bantamweight Muay Thai rankings.
With this combination of motivation, skill, and style, it’s hard to imagine anything other than fireworks for as long as the bout lasts.
- The Road That Led To Alex Silva vs. Rene Catalan II
- Jarred Brooks Plans To Show He Can ‘Talk The Talk And Walk The Walk’
- After War Of Words, Lito Adiwang Is Fired Up To Fight Jarred Brooks
#3 A Rematch 8 Years In The Making
ONE Championship was still in its formative stages eight years ago, and so were Alex “Little Rock” Silva and Rene “The Challenger” Catalan.
While the foundations of their games have remained the same, both veterans have evolved massively as mixed martial artists, so it’ll be interesting to see how the rematch looks compared to their original encounter at ONE: KINGS AND CHAMPIONS in April 2013.
BJJ specialist Silva won that fight by submission – and went on to claim the ONE Strawweight World Championship.
Since then, he’s consistently gone up against the best of the best in his division, but at 38, he needs to string together victories if he wants to reclaim the belt. For now, that means defeating “The Challenger” and maintaining his #4 contender spot in the weight class.
Striking expert Catalan, who also challenged for the ONE Strawweight World Title but couldn’t convert that chance, is looking to avenge his previous loss to Silva. And just like his opponent, the 42-year-old is running out of time to make another run.
With revenge in the air – and a final push for glory in mind – both men will be pumped up for their second contest.
#4 Panpayak And Rodlek Begin Charges For Kickboxing Gold
A pair of elite Muay Thai stars will be on the hunt for success in the ONE Super Series kickboxing ranks at ONE: NEXTGEN III.
Multiple-time Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Panpayak “The Angel Warrior” Jitmuangnon is stepping into his second-ever kickboxing battle against Daniel Puertas at flyweight, replacing Thai megastar Rodtang, who had to pull out after testing positive for COVID-19.
Panpayak won his first foray into kickboxing convincingly against Masahide “Crazy Rabbit” Kudo at ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH back in 2019. A second victory would prove he can thrive under the rule set, but it’s far from a guarantee given that he’ll meet a two-time ISKA Kickboxing World Champion in Puertas at flyweight.
Meanwhile, former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title challenger Rodlek PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym is competing in kickboxing for the first time against Felipe Lobo. His heavy-punching muay mat style should lend itself well to the change of codes, but Lobo will surely put up a fight as he looks to make it two in a row in the promotion.
Big wins would give Panpayak and Rodlek a massive push toward the top of their new divisions and offer proof that their Muay Thai skills can rival the elite in any striking art.
#5 Lightweight MMA Showdown Could Forge New Contender
Ruslan “Snow Leopard” Emilbek Uulu and Pieter “The Archangel” Buist are hoping to resume their respective ascents toward the top of the lightweight mixed martial arts division.
Uulu stepped onto the global stage with a perfect 12-0 record, but that 0 was taken away by Yoshiki Nakahara at ONE: FISTS OF FURY II.
The man from Kyrgyzstan still believes he can be a force in ONE, and if he can get past a tough rival like the formerly ranked Buist, he’ll be right back in the mix.
However, the Dutchman owns an impressive resume and has shown his ability to hang with the best.
“The Archangel” earned eight straights wins before he came up against future ONE Lightweight World Title challenger Timofey Nastyukhin, losing a hard-fought decision in a top contender matchup at ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX II last November.
Still, Buist showed that his skills are definitely up there, and another victory would get him back on track toward his goal.
With both men looking to re-establish themselves as serious threats, this bout should prove to be an absolute barn burner.
Read more: How To Watch ONE: NEXTGEN III on 26 November
