3 Bouts That Could Steal The Show At ONE: HERO'S ASCENT

ONE Championship returns to Manila, Philippines for the first time in 2019 with a stacked card of magnificent martial arts bouts.

At ONE: HERO’S ASCENT, history will be made at the top of the bill as Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio defends his ONE Flyweight World Title against Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes in the first ever trilogy bout in The Home Of Martial Arts.

That is rightly grabbing the most attention, but there is no shortage of other mixed martial arts matches and ONE Super Series contests that are sure to give this headline encounter a run for its money when the bout of the night is decided.

Here are the onefc.com editorial team’s picks for three must-see match-ups at the Mall Of Asia Arena this Friday, 25 January.

Fahdi Khaled VS Rodtang Jitmuangnon

Choosing a favorite ONE Super Series clash from this line-up is a tough decision, as every one has the potential for fireworks.

However, if there is one athlete’s return Muay Thai fans have been looking forward to more than any other in 2019, it is Rodtang “Iron Man” Jitmuangnon (254-41-10).

The 21-year-old phenom is a force of nature, as he showed when he dominated, outclassed, and overwhelmed Sergio Wielzen in his ONE debut last year.

It would be thrilling to see Rodtang compete against anyone, but seeing as this is the world’s largest martial arts organization, you know the two-time Omnoi Stadium Muay Thai World Champion will have a dance partner who is more than capable.

That man is Fahdi “The Gladiator” Khaled (37-4), a WMC Intercontinental Muay Thai Champion from Tunisia, who is fearless when he competes and has plenty of experience against top-level Thais.

Just sit back and watch the show.

Danny Kingad VS Tatsumitsu Wada

The flyweight mixed martial arts contest between Filipino Danny “The King” Kingad and Japan’s Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada is sure to be turbo-charged.

Kingad was in impeccable form in 2018. The 23-year-old went 3-0, and the strength of his performances grew with each outing. His versatility was most impressive, and he found a way to win against both strikers and grapplers.

In Wada, he meets a well-rounded foe with no glaring weaknesses. He will test the Team Lakay product’s ability to think on his feet and react when he can’t immediately dictate the action – a skill which will show his readiness to compete in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix with a victory in Manila.

The ground will not be a sanctuary for ‘The King” if the going gets tough. Wada’s submission game is clinical, and his durability on the mat was evident against Reece “Lightning” McLaren in his ONE debut, so this will be fast-paced and evenly-matched, but also unpredictable.

Mohammed Bin Mahmoud VS Hiroaki Suzuki

The ONE Super Series Muay Thai bantamweight encounter between Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud and Hiroaki “Kaibutsukun” Suzuki could be one of the most explosive bouts of the evening.

In December, Mohammed accomplished what veterans Ognjen Topic and Han Zi Hao failed to do – knock out Stergos “Greek Dynamite” Mikkios. What’s more, he did it in a single round.

The 22-year-old Malaysian attacked from range with mixed combos, dropped the Greek with an elbow from the clinch, and then showed his killer instinct by finishing him seconds later.

Though Suzuki was forced to go the distance with Deividas “The Lithuanian Savage” Danyla in their November battle, the 34-year-old Japanese southpaw displayed remarkable defense, counter-striking, and punching power en route to a unanimous decision.

It will be fascinating to see if Mohammed can use his enormous reach, speed, and 8-centimeter height advantage to break through his rival’s defense, and if Suzuki can get close enough to deliver those powerful single shots he is known for.