4 Reasons To Watch ONE: FULL BLAST II
This Friday, 11 June, ONE: FULL BLAST II will provide a fascinating lineup of Muay Thai, kickboxing, and mixed martial arts fights.
The diverse card features top international athletes across the combat sports spectrum, from strikers and grapplers to World Title contenders and promotional newcomers.
With that in mind, let’s look at four big reasons to watch all the action from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
#1 Muay Thai Contenders Aim For World Title Shot
The main event will see two elite strikers battle for prime position in the flyweight Muay Thai picture.
Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi, a former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title challenger, now holds the #4 rank in the flyweight Muay Thai division and is desperate for a shot at gold in “the art of eight limbs.”
On Friday, he faces a tough test in Lumpinee Muay Thai World Champion Mongkolpetch Petchyindee Academy, who owns a perfect 3-0 slate in ONE Super Series.
Though other surging contenders are hoping to challenge reigning flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon, a dominant win for either Mahmoudi or Mongkolpetch could see them elbow their way to the front of the queue.
With the stakes so high, expect both exciting athletes to bring their best in a thrilling three-round battle.
#2 Rising Lightweight MMA Stars
Amarsanaa “Spear” Tsogookhuu looked impressive during his first two mixed martial arts fights on the global stage, defeating Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai in his promotional debut and pushing former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang hard in a technical decision loss.
Those performances showed that the Mongolian has elite potential, and a victory this Friday would go a long way toward proving he belongs at the top level of the lightweight division.
However, unbeaten American Ben Wilhelm is also out to make a name for himself. His first ONE contest will come against a tough opponent, but the submission specialist from Hawaii has finished all five of his foes to date and is confident that he can keep the streak alive.
Stylistically, “Spear” favors the stand-up range, while Wilhelm prefers to chase the finish on the ground. That contrast should produce some interesting scenarios between the pair of hard-nosed rising stars.
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- How To Watch ONE: FULL BLAST II on 11 June
- Taiki Naito’s Top 3 Wins In ONE Super Series
#3 Yoon Tries To Regain Momentum
It appeared “The Big Heart” Yoon Chang Min had a one-way ticket to the top as he raced to a 4-0 record in ONE, but that momentum came to an abrupt halt against the much more experienced Ryogo “Kaitai” Takahashi at ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX IV.
Despite his first loss, Yoon performed admirably versus the Japanese slugger, and he will carry some important lessons into a featherweight mixed martial arts battle with “Cannon” Ma Jia Wen this Friday.
But while “The Big Heart” will be incredibly motivated to get back on track, “Cannon” has the skill set to make this a tough fight.
The Chinese star owns heavy hands and strong wrestling — much like his South Korean counterpart — so there is a high likelihood of nail-biting action on the feet and intense grappling battles on the ground.
With eight finishes among their 10 combined victories, there’s a good chance the winner will get the job done emphatically inside the distance.
#4 Slick Kickboxing Action
“Metal Storm” Wang Wenfeng came up short in his ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title bout against Ilias Ennahachi, but he rebounded in style versus Azwan Che Wil at ONE: REIGN OF DYNASTIES II.
The Chinese striker lost a close split decision to Ennahachi and actually beat the reigning king back in 2017, so he’s undoubtedly capable of claiming the crown. However, the division is stacked with top talent – and that includes Wang’s upcoming opponent, Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito.
Naito has had fans on the edge of their seats in his three ONE Super Series wins, and if he can beat #4-ranked Wang, he could make a giant leap into ONE’s flyweight kickboxing top five.
Wang will likely stick to his flawless fundamentals to pressure Naito, but the Japanese athlete thrives as a counter-striker, so heat will come in both directions as they hunt for the KO.
Read more: 5 Things To Know About ONE: FULL BLAST II Headliner Mongkolpetch
