Brooks Vs. McLaren, Wakamatsu Vs. Nakatani, Gasanov Vs. Amir Confirmed For ONE Fight Night 26
ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov on Prime Video is rapidly approaching, and three more must-watch matchups have been confirmed for the card at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Set for U.S. primetime on Friday, December 6, the event will include a pair of high-stakes flyweight MMA contests in addition to a key featherweight MMA showdown.
In flyweight MMA action, reigning ONE Interim Strawweight MMA World Champion Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks will move up in weight to battle #4-ranked flyweight MMA contender Reece “Lightning” McLaren, while #2-ranked Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu will square off with highly touted American rising star Gilbert Nakatani.
With the retirement of former titleholder and MMA GOAT Demetrious “Might Mouse” Johnson, the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title sits vacant, so all of these men are hoping to make their case for a shot.
A former undisputed ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion who currently holds the interim belt, Brooks will begin his quest for two-division glory against Australian fan favorite McLaren.
“The Monkey God” is an immensely powerful takedown artist with a dangerous submission game and dynamic striking skills that seem to improve by leaps and bounds every fight.
In his most recent appearance, he made quick work of Cuban powerhouse Gustavo “El Gladiador” Balart to claim the interim strawweight MMA crown.
Brash and outspoken, Brooks will certainly push for a World Title opportunity if he’s able to get past McLaren.
“Lightning,” though, is a mainstay of the flyweight MMA division’s upper echelon and appears to be in the best form of his career.
A veteran of 16 thrilling battles in ONE, he’ll enter this contest having won three of his last four fights and fresh off a critical win over #5-ranked contender “Wolf Warrior” Hu Yong.
Stylistically, McLaren has the elite jiu-jitsu chops to give Brooks trouble on the ground, which could lead to a fast-paced stand-up battle.
Before that, former ONE Flyweight MMA World Title challenger Wakamatsu will aim to give a rude welcome to promotional newcomer Nakatani.
An explosive knockout artist who has spent the past six years fighting the best competitors in the flyweight MMA division, the 29-year-old Japanese star is hungry for another chance at the gold.
And with back-to-back wins in his last two appearances, he’s loaded with momentum and confidence.
For his part, Nakatani hopes to use his prodigious athleticism and ruthless finishing instincts to jump the queue and grab Wakamatsu’s spot in the divisional rankings.
The 31-year-old Syndicate MMA product boasts an 8-1 career record that includes a mixture of both TKO and submission finishes. His well-rounded skill set and aggressive, crowd-pleasing style have established him as one of MMA’s top talents outside of ONE.
Nakatani could make waves on the global stage at ONE Fight Night 26, and fans can look forward to a barnburner with Wakamatsu.
In addition to those pivotal flyweight MMA bouts, ONE Fight Night 26 will feature an intriguing featherweight MMA tilt.
Russian grappling ace Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov aims to extend his winning streak to three when he battles talented Turkish sensation Halil “No Mercy” Amir.
As the #4-ranked featherweight MMA contender, Gasanov knows he’ll need to emerge victorious to maintain his spot in the top five and keep his World Title aspirations alive.
The 29-year-old Russian has lost just one time in his professional career and comes into the bout following a three-round destruction of Aaron Canarte in August at ONE Fight Night 24.
Amir will look to put an abrupt end to Gasanov’s rise and steal his spot in the rankings. Like his opponent, “No Mercy” has tasted defeat just once and has all the skills needed to reach the top of the MMA mountain.
The 30-year-old racked up a trio of impressive victories at lightweight before dropping down to featherweight in his most recent appearance, suffering a knockout loss against surging Kyrgz phenom Akbar “Bakal” Abdullaev.
Now, he’ll look to kick-start another winning run and establish himself as a dangerous contender in the 155-pound division.
Keep checking onefc.com for more news and announcements about ONE Fight Night 26 on December 6.
