5 Top ONE Warrior Series Prospects To Watch In The Second Half Of 2019
Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series (OWS) has a proven track record for uncovering talented martial artists and nurturing them until they are primed to star on the global stage.
At the latest event – OWS 6 – Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg became the latest addition to the main ONE Championship roster via its developmental league, and bagged a deal worth more than US$100,000.
He will join the likes of fellow alumni Kimihiro Eto, Mark Fairtex Abelardo and Rockie Bactol in the world’s largest martial arts organization, as well as two-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex. There are plenty more where they came from, too.
Here are five more promising athletes in OWS who have a lucrative contract in their sights.
Jerry Olsim
Jerry Olsim began his OWS tenure on the first live event last March and impressed with back-to-back wins in 2018. He has continued that form into 2019 with another pair of victories.
He defeated previously unbeaten Pancrase veteran Hiroyasu Sakurai in April, and then took out the experienced Myung Gu Kim in his last outing to extend his perfect slate to 7-0.
The Filipino has recently made the switch to Team Lakay – one of Asia’s most successful martial arts gyms – and a future at the top looks almost certain for the exciting Muay Thai stylist.
De’Von Morris
Thailand-based American De’Von “Bam” Morris has amassed a perfect 3-0 slate in OWS.
His first-round stoppage of Fu Guo An last November was the perfect start, and then he took out Nigerian wrecking machine Emmanuel Onyedikachi via KO at OWS 4.
Most recently at OWS 6, Morris showed another aspect of his skill set when he submitted India’s Javed Mulla with an armbar in the opening minute.
“Bam’s” power punching and submission prowess could make him a big threat in the welterweight division.
Gadzhimurad Abdulaev
Undefeated Shanghai resident Gadzhimurad Abdulaev hails from the famous wrestling hub of Dagestan, but he is a sanda expert that has knocked out three of his opponents en route to a 5-0 professional mixed martial arts record.
Abdulaev faced his toughest test to date earlier this month against high-level Muay Thai competitor Carlos Prates – another man with a lot of potential.
The 22-year-old from Team Wildhearts displayed his excellent takedown and ground control ability en route to a unanimous decision victory over the Brazilian.
With a little more fine-tuning to get some finishes with his dominance, this welterweight could accelerate his rise.
So Yul Kim
South Korea’s So Yul Kim has been on fire since late last year in OWS.
She scored a TKO stoppage over Bayarmaa Munkhgerel in October when her rival could not answer the bell, and then in February, she overcame a massive experience differential to defeat Japan’s Yuko Suzuki.
If she can continue her success, the MOB Training Center athlete will hope to follow in her teammate Dae Sung Park’s footsteps by going from the developmental league to the arena shows.
Dave Bangguigui
Dave Bangguigui’s stunning second-round KO over Susovan Ghosh was enough for the fans to remember his name in his OWS debut last week.
The Filipino striker showed good scrambling ability and submission offense as his Indian rival sought to contest the match on the canvas.
He took control of the match with a relentless barrage of ground and pound, and then a thudding right hand ended the contest and left a lasting impression.
The 23-year-old has a lot of room to grow, but he is already 7-1 – with seven straight victories – and clearly ready for the bigger tests in OWS as he vies for a life-changing contract.
