By Onefc.com
The Impact Arena plays host to the latest ONE Championship event this Friday, 16 August, as the stars of ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD are set to put on an unforgettable show for the passionate fans in Bangkok, Thailand.
There should be no shortage of entertainment as some of the world’s best martial artists compete for World Title gold, the chance to go for glory at the biggest event of all time, and top contention in their weight divisions.
This is what is at stake at the Impact Arena.
The ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title On The Line
The night’s main event features a spectacular striking clash as ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Baby Shark” Petchdam Petchyindee Academy takes on six-time kickboxing World Champion Ilias Ennahachi.
Hometown hero Petchdam had already collected a host of World Titles in Muay Thai, including the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium and WBC World Titles when he arrived in ONE Super Series.
After switching to the kickboxing rule set this year, the 21-year-old defeated a fellow stylist of “the art of eight limbs” to become the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion.
Now, he will defend his gold for the first time against a seasoned kickboxing specialist in the form of Dutch-Moroccan Ennahachi, who will make his first appearance in The Home Of Martial Arts,
If he can dethrone “The Baby Shark” and claim the belt, he will complete one of the most sensational ONE Super Series debuts yet.
2 ONE World Featherweight Kickboxing Grand Prix Final Places
Four World Champion featherweight kickboxers will take center stage in Bangkok across two match-ups for a place in the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix final at ONE: CENTURY.
Rangy French striker Samy “AK47 Sana has already eliminated one of the big pre-tournament favorites – Thai legend “The Boxing Computer” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex – in the quarterfinals, and he will take on hard-hitting Russian contender Dzhabar “Genghis Khan” Askerov, who impressed against Enriko æThe Hurricane” Kehl in the first round.
The night’s second semifinal sees a hotly-anticipated rematch between Thailand’s own “Smokin” Jo Nattawut and Italy’s pound-for-pound great Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan.
The Bangkok Boxing representative will also seek redemption for the defeat he suffered at the hands of his old rival last year on the very first night of ONE Super Series action.
With the most prestigious accolade in kickboxing awaiting the tournament winner, as well as US$1 million in prize money, all four men will be desperate to win at the Impact Arena and move one step closer to martial arts immortality.
Stamp Fairtex Goes For Mixed Martial Arts Glory
After becoming the first two-sport ONE World Champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing, Stamp Fairtex said she wanted to broaden her horizons and go for gold again in mixed martial arts.
Her first test in the Circle in ONE will not be easy, as she is set to face India’s Asha “Knockout Queen” Roka.
The Thai superstar will welcome her rival to the global stage, but the boxer from Bhopal is actually more experienced than her when multiple disciplines are used. The 20-year-old has four professional mixed martial arts bouts under her belt, and she won each one by first-round finish.
At the tender age of just 21, Stamp has plenty of time to pursue her goal of being a three-sport World Champion, but an impressive win against such a dangerous rival will show she is ready to take on the ONE women’s atomweight division’s biggest names.
Rising Contenders Aim To Stake Their Claim
ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD also features a host of contenders looking to make their mark as they search for a shot at World Championship gold in the months ahead.
One such athlete is featherweight Thanh Le, who will look to showcase his spectacular striking against Kotetsu “No Face” Boku.
The Vietnamese-American already has one spectacular KO win in his back pocket, and another against a former ONE Lightweight World Champion should propel him toward a match against Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen.
Also, Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev and Shuya “Stealth” Kamikubo have each won their last three contests in ONE’s bantamweight division, and their pivotal bout could propel the winner into a showdown with the winner of Bibiano Fernandes vs. Kevin Belingon IV – which takes place in October.
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