What’s Next For The Big Winners Of ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT?
There was plenty to talk about following a night of unmissable martial arts at ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT on Friday, 10 May.
The two main event World Title matches brought thrilling action to Bangkok, Thailand after no end of excitement on the undercard, but as soon as the lights went down at the Impact Arena, fans, pundits and the athletes themselves were plotting their next moves in the Circle.
In the aftermath of another outstanding event from The Home Of Martial Arts, take a look at what could be next for some of the biggest winners at ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT.
Nong-O Gaiyanghadao & Zhang Chenglong
Nong-O Gaiyanghadao looked unstoppable as he cruised to a unanimous decision victory in the main event and defended his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship against Hiroaki “Kaibutsukun” Suzuki.
The Evolve representative put in his most dominant performance on the global stage for martial arts, as he earned the 259th win of his career after five rounds.
The Thai icon deserves a worthy challenger for his belt, and he may not have to look far for one after China’s “Muay Thai Boy” Zhang Chenglong delivered an excellent performance earlier in the night in Bangkok.
Zhang picked up his second win in ONE with an impressive unanimous decision victory over Panicos Yusuf thanks to an awesome display of power punching in the final round, which scored two knockdowns.
Zhang might be just 21, but he has some impressive credentials – including a 47-12-1 record and the Top King Muay Thai World Championship – to back up his claim for a shot at ONE gold.
Both athletes have delivered nothing but all-out offense in ONE Super Series, and they could combine to put on an explosive contest between two of the best Muay Thai practitioners on the planet.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon
Rodtang “Iron Man” Jitmuangnon looked determined to leave Bangkok with a finish, and that is exactly what he produced as he overwhelmed Sok Thy to claim a second-round TKO and cap another highlight-reel performance.
As soon as he had his hand raised, Rodtang answered the call from new ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty, who challenged him after he claimed the belt last week.
Rodtang has rattled off four wins in a row and continues to look stronger with each performance. His blistering style of Muay Thai would certainly offer an interesting match-up to the Englishman for his first World Title defense later this year.
There is very little chance this bout would not also bring unrelenting excitement thanks to the kind of offensive output Haggerty and Rodtang each produce, and a five-round battle could produce more fireworks than we have seen in a ONE Super Series bout to date.
Kazuki Tokudome
Japanese veteran Kazuki Tokudome looked reborn in the lightweight division in a dominant showcase against the tough-as-nails Adrian “The Hunter” Pang.
The Australian veteran’s last loss due to strikes had come 13 years ago in 2006, but the Pancrase Lightweight World Champion’s pinpoint power punches consigned him to a defeat via second-round TKO.
Tokudome faced some struggles in his bouts at featherweight, but it appears the move up to a new division helped to reinvigorate him. The same was true for Honorio “The Rock” Banario, who has looked better than ever since his move to lightweight.
The Team Lakay athlete would be an interesting opponent for Tokudome. Both are expert strikers who are unafraid to go toe-to-toe, and a win could propel either up the rankings in their stacked division.
Janet Todd
American Muay Thai specialist Janet “JT” Todd was an offensive juggernaut on Friday as she earned a second-round TKO stoppage against Wang Chin Long – her first win in ONE Super Series.
As Todd looks to climb back into contention for another shot at a World Title, “Killer Bee” Kai Ting Chuang is definitely an opponent who would be worthy of her full attention.
The former ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion has showcased blinding speed and incredible, hard-hitting offense that could overwhelm many athletes in the martial arts world.
Todd and Chuang have each gone five rounds with two-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex previously, which means this match-up could be the ultimate measuring stick for the victor to move back toward the gold.
Also, each athlete’s tenacity and skill set means it has all the ingredients to be a real crowd-pleaser.
