The Incredibly High Stakes Ahead Of ONE: REIGN OF VALOR

ONE Championship’s courageous heroes will be looking to make an impact at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium this coming Friday, 8 March.

The world’s largest martial arts organization will return to the iconic arena in Yangon, Myanmar for its latest blockbuster ONE: REIGN OF VALOR, and every competitor on the 14-bout card will be searching for an elusive win.

With just days before event night, here is what’s at stake for some of the superstars who are scheduled for action.

The ONE Welterweight World Title

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Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam (11-4) returns to the cage with one notable addition to his attire — the ONE Welterweight World Championship belt.

The Swedish striker will try to leave the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium with the gold wrapped around his waist, but in order to do that, he will need to defeat FNG Welterweight Champion Georgiy “Knight” Kichigin (20-5) in his first World Title defense.

Kadestam worked his way to the division’s top prize off the strength of his endurance, takedown defense, and powerful striking. During his time in The Home Of Martial Arts, he has defeated three grappling-based martial artists in Luis Santos, Agilan Thani, and Tyler McGuire in dramatic fashion.

Now he draws Kichigin, who has not lost since November 2014. The Kazakh grappler is riding an astonishing 14-bout win streak, with 10 of those victories coming via first-round finish. Although he is known for his submission prowess, he also possesses the stand-up talent to knock his opponents out.

For “The Bandit,” this is a chance to start his reign on a high note. As for Kichigin, he will attempt to extend his fabulous win streak and lift the ONE Welterweight World Title in his promotional debut.

Strawweights Vie For World Title Contention

Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito returns to action against Filipino star Rene “The Challenger” Catalan, and this battle of strawweight contenders could determine the identity of the division’s next World Title challenger.

The Japanese combatant knows what it takes to not only win a World Title, but also bounce back and reclaim one, too. He is on the comeback trail once again following his closely-contested match with Joshua Pacio in September, but a statement-defining victory will catapult him to the top.

Standing in his way is Catalan, who is riding a five-bout win streak and looking to break his way into World Title contention at the age of 40.

While the winner is not guaranteed a shot at the ONE Strawweight World Championship, he would surely be under strong consideration.

Myanmar’s Next Generation Could Emerge

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Two-division ONE World Champion Aung La N Sang may not be on the card, but Myanmar fans will have a chance to cheer for three of the nation’s fastest rising stars.

Phoe “Bushido” Thaw has already established himself as one of the most exciting contenders in the featherweight division, and the knockout artist will return to action against Indonesian martial arts pioneer Yohan “The Ice Man” Mulia Legowo.

The Yangon luminary has expressed his desire to return to the ONE Featherweight World Title picture and carry the torch for his countrymen in the sport. A victory over Legowo would certainly help him achieve both objectives.

Also set for action is “The Dragon Leg” Tial Thang. The four-time Chin State Wrestling Champion has been training alongside “The Burmese Python” at Hard Knocks 365 in Florida, USA in anticipation of his professional debut. He draws Cambodia’s Rin Saroth in a 68-kilogram catch weight bout.

Finally, two-time Myanmar National Boxing Champion Bozhena “Toto” Antoniyar intends to showcase her rapid mixed martial arts development at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium. The women’s pioneer meets Malaysia’s Audreylaura “Ice Comet” Boniface in an atomweight clash.