5 Reasons To Watch ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty Vs. Lobo On February 16
ONE superstars will soon return to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, for ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo on Prime Video, set to air live in U.S. primetime this Friday, February 16.
Topped by a World Title clash between two of the planet’s most talented strikers, the nine-fight event features captivating matchups from top to bottom, each designed to deliver drama and fireworks.
Before the bright lights are on and the action gets underway, we examine five reasons why this is a can’t-miss card.
#1 A Heated World Title Grudge Match
The evening’s main event is steeped in animosity.
Brazilian knockout artist Felipe “Demolition Man” Lobo will challenge reigning two-sport king and British superstar Jonathan “The General” Haggerty for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.
The pair has been trading words for nearly a year.
Now, the brash titleholder will enter the bout fresh off a victory over Lobo’s good friend and teammate, Fabricio Andrade, giving the challenger plenty of motivation to shut him down and leave Bangkok with 26 pounds of gold.
#2 Bantamweight Muay Thai Contenders Settle Unfinished Business
In the co-main event, #4-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Saemapetch Fairtex will run it back with undefeated Algerian sensation Mohamed “The Eagle” Younes Rabah as he looks to avenge a controversial December 2023 loss.
When the two first squared off, they traded knockdowns at a furious pace in a wild, back-and-forth firefight. Late in the first frame, Rabah sent the Thai crashing to the canvas, where he seemed to land a borderline illegal knee strike.
“The Eagle” was awarded the victory, but not without drawing the ire of the Thai crowd, giving Saemapetch something to prove in this pivotal rematch.
#3 A Battle For American Muay Thai Supremacy
Lower on the card, Iowa native Luke “The Chef” Lessei will battle Californian Eddie “Silky Smooth” Abasolo in a highly anticipated featherweight Muay Thai tilt to determine bragging rights and a coveted spot in the top-five rankings.
Each striker most recently lost a hard-fought decision to a top Thai athlete. However, those performances also earned them international acclaim and respect for their incredible displays of heart and technical acumen.
Fans are now in for a treat, as both #5-ranked Lessei and Abasolo possess some of the most creative and unique games in all of Muay Thai.
And with both fighters promising to put on a show that will elevate the American Muay Thai scene to new heights, this contest has all the makings of a classic.
#4 Previously Injured Stars Look To Continue Meteoric Rises
Fan favorites Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang and “Lethal” Liam Nolan will each try to continue their climbs toward divisional gold following lengthy injury layoffs.
Adiwang spent the bulk of 2022 and 2023 on the sidelines with a knee injury but returned to action last September and has reeled off a pair of impressive victories in the talent-laden strawweight MMA division.
The 30-year-old now hopes to keep that streak alive and land himself in the division’s top five when he takes on all-action striking specialist “Mini T” Danial Williams in a fight that could easily steal the show.
As for Nolan, a difficult 2023 that saw him unable to compete has led to a hot start in 2024, as the British sensation picked up a dominant win over Ali Aliev in January.
With an eye toward reigning ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Champion Regian Eersel, “Lethal” will put his dynamic, high-volume style to the test against hard-hitting Spaniard Nauzet Trujillo.
#5 Strawweight Martial Arts Madness
The speedy and talented strawweights will take center stage at ONE Fight Night 19, with three bouts in the weight class set to go down.
In addition to the clash between Adiwang and Williams, the card will feature a Muay Thai scrap between Thongpoon PK Saenchai and Timur Chuikov and an MMA bout between Mansur Malachiev and Yosuke Saruta.
After winning three thrillers in a row to earn a six-figure contract on ONE’s main roster, Thongpoon stumbled in his most recent outing but is primed to bounce back when he takes on dangerous promotional newcomer Chuikov.
Meanwhile, #5-ranked strawweight MMA contender Malachiev finds himself in a similar situation, having recently suffered his first career defeat at the hands of former titleholder Joshua Pacio.
The well-rounded Russian will have his hands full in his return, though, as he’s set to lock horns with another former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion in Japanese veteran Saruta.
