5 Reasons We’re Excited To Watch ONE: FISTS OF FURY
ONE Championship’s next event series will get underway on Friday, 26 February, as ONE: FISTS OF FURY showcases a slew of the world’s greatest strikers and most promising rising stars.
More than anything, this card is a feast for fans of the stand-up arts, with five incredible ONE Super Series matchups. Plus, the lone mixed martial arts encounter will feature one of the most anticipated debuts ever seen on the global stage.
With so much excitement going down, here are five reasons we’re excited to witness the action at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
#1 A Colossal Kickboxing World Title Fight
In the main event, ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Ilias “Tweety” Ennahachi will put his gold on the line for the second time in a matchup against “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9.
The Dutch-Moroccan star was sublime in his first two ONE Super Series bouts, claiming the belt with a stunning KO win over Petchdam “The Baby Shark” Petchyindee Academy in August 2019 and then defending it with a decision win over Wang “Metal Storm” Wenfeng three months later.
Ennahachi now faces another stern test in Superlek. The Buriram native owns a massive list of accomplishments in Muay Thai — including WBC and Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Titles — and he recently showed that he can transfer those skills to the world of kickboxing when he defeated Fahdi “The Gladiator” Khaled by unanimous decision.
That win pushed “The Kicking Machine’s” ONE record to 4-0 and earned him this World Title opportunity. Can he handle Ennahachi’s relentless kickboxing repertoire and slow the king down with powerful body kicks? This clash of striking styles will be fascinating.
#2 The Greatest Is Back
Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan is widely regarded as the greatest kickboxer of all time, and he has certainly backed up that claim in The Home Of Martial Arts.
“The Doctor” is undefeated through six fights on the global stage and won the biggest prize in the sport’s history when he claimed the ONE Featherweight World Grand Prix Championship in his last outing.
Now, he’s ready to square off against another elite adversary in Davit Kiria. The man from Georgia has racked up impressive accolades, but a win over Petrosyan would be the biggest moment of his career.
Kiria is an exciting proponent of Ashihara karate, with a vast array of strikes in his arsenal, as well as concussive punching power.
Petrosyan has beaten him before — way back in 2012 — so the newcomer has redemption on his mind. Plus, he’ll be looking to impress fans on a global platform.
Once again, styles make fights, and this matchup has all the elements of a classic.
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#3 It’s Rodtang Time
If there’s one name on any card that instantly signals action, it’s Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon.
The ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion always goes full throttle from the first bell to the last, and in this contest, he’ll have even more motivation to step on the gas.
“The Iron Man” wants to be a two-sport World Champion in ONE, which means staking his claim for a shot at kickboxing gold. And with a Kickboxing World Title fight atop the bill, this matchup in Singapore would be a great time to shine.
In front of Rodtang is a man with nothing to lose and everything to gain — Alejandro “El Puma” Rivas. The Spaniard has defied the odds in his career before, and he’ll be hoping to upset the applecart once more in his ONE Super Series debut.
Rodtang has the hunger of a contender again, while Rivas has a chance to elevate his status among the world’s elite. With so much at stake, expect both men to bring their best.
#4 The Start Of Something Special?
Many combat sports pundits expect that 26 February 2021 will be a date to remember. It’s when Victoria “The Prodigy” Lee — the younger sister of ONE World Champions “Unstoppable” Angela Lee and Christian “The Warrior” Lee — will make her professional mixed martial arts debut.
The 16-year-old phenom made headlines when she inked a deal with ONE Championship last September, and now she’s ready to kick-start her career and attempt to follow in her older siblings’ footsteps.
Lee already owns an impressive resume, and at her very young age, she has unlimited potential. However, Sunisa “Thunderstorm” Srisen will have her say in just how quickly “The Prodigy” can start to realize it.
Srisen, a Thailand Judo Champion, is more experienced than Lee and has already notched a victory in ONE, so she will be composed and relaxed under the bright lights.
Will Lee’s World Champion pedigree see her through a tough first bout, or can Srisen postpone the fanfare when the latest member of the famous fighting family takes her first steps on the global stage?
#5 More World-Class Striking
Rounding off the card are two more ONE Super Series contests that pack serious firepower.
Wondergirl Fairtex and Jackie Buntan will square off in a strawweight Muay Thai clash, before “Muay Thai Boy” Zhang Chenglong and Hiroki Akimoto meet in a bantamweight kickboxing rematch.
Wondergirl is a two-time Thailand Champion in her nation’s favorite sport, while California’s Buntan is also a national champion in the USA.
So far, the Thai superstar has amassed a pair of KO wins in ONE, and she is eager to push toward World Title contention. Meanwhile, Buntan has the chance to make a name for herself on the biggest platform of all.
Former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title challenger Zhang met Akimoto in the main event of ONE: REIGN OF DYNASTIES II in October 2020, where he dropped a close split decision after an entertaining battle.
With very little to separate the combatants, ONE’s matchmakers decided to run it back. Armed with some extra knowledge about each other, Akimoto and Zhang will be ready to go to war.
Read more: 5 Reasons To Get Excited About Victoria Lee
