As we get ever closer to ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II the hype around one of the year’s best looking fight cards is real.
With the likes of Tawanchai defending his featherweight Muay Thai world title, Rodtand Jitmuangnon returning, Kade Ruotolo making his MMA bow, and Mikey Musumeci facing the last man to defeat him we can all see why the Impact Arena in Bangkok event is so highly anticipated.
But which fights are passing under the radar? We take a look at three bouts that could steal the show.
Johan Estupinan vs Zafer Sayik
The first bout of the night has fireworks written all over it in the bantamweight Muay Thai division. Both Estupinan and Sayik are known for their flashy styles, and both will be looking to end proceedings as quickly as possible. Sayik may have lost on his ONE Championship debut but is a 13-time national kickboxing champion in Turkey, with a reputation as a lethal striker across Europe. Estupinan is coming off a super-quick turnaround having only made his debut two weeks ago. The Colombian certainly made his mark that night though with a stunning KO to announce his presence in the division. It’s unlikely this goes the distance.
Liam Harrison vs Katsuki Kitano
That fact that we are even considering a Liam Harrison fight as being ‘slept on’ says everything about this card. The Brit has not been seen in action since August 2022, but will always be considered as one of the world’s premier strikers. A multiple time and weight world champion in Muay Thai, Harrison has been taking victims for well over two decades – most of them inside the distance. This week he faces someone at the other end of their career in Japan’s Katsuki Kitano. A Road To ONE: Japan winner, he blew away the competition on the show, and was ultra impressive on his promotional debut last year. This is a man with bucket loads of talent and will be eyeing a run to a title shot.
Johan Ghazali vs Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat
This is something of a battle of the generations in the flyweight Muay Thai division. Malaysian American Ghazali may only be 17-years-old but has already built himself a 5-0 record in ONE Championship – with four of those wins coming by stunning knockout. Last time out Edgar Tabares barely made it out of the first 30 seconds before a clubbing right hand ended things. However Vietnam’s Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat will be no pushover. At 35, he certainly has experience on his side – and five Muay Thai world titles to back that up. Looking to bounce back after a loss to Denis Puric last time out, this would be the perfect opportunity for Nguyen to establish his place in the division.
Middle East fight fans can watch ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II live on BeIN SPORTS as well as watch.onefc.com on Saturday June 7 from 3am AST.
