5 Burning Questions Ahead Of ONE Friday Fights 68: Prajanchai Vs. Di Bella
ONE Friday Fights 68: Prajanchai vs. Di Bella will deliver one of the biggest Asia primetime cards of the year on June 28.
The event is stacked with the planet’s finest strikers, all looking to make an impact in front of the fervent crowd at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The rescheduled ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title fight between Jonathan Di Bella and Prajanchai PK Saenchai headlines the bill, but there are big names and exciting matchups from top to bottom.
Here are five burning questions that will be answered when the action gets underway this Friday.
#1 Can Prajanchai Hand Di Bella His First Loss Ever?
Di Bella was stripped of the strawweight kickboxing gold and forced to withdraw from his original clash with Prajanchai due to health issues earlier this year. Now, both men are fired up to put that unfortunate episode behind them.
Although they’re now fighting for the vacant belt, the Italian-Canadian remains undefeated, having never lost in amateur or pro kickboxing – or even in his brief boxing tenure.
However, he’s never faced anyone quite like the legendary Prajanchai, the reigning ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion whose incredible 342-52 professional record dwarfs Di Bella’s 12-0 pro kickboxing slate.
The Thai icon has only competed in kickboxing once since joining ONE, but his well-rounded arsenal saw him transition seamlessly into the sport last September as he aims for two-sport gold.
With sharper hands than most of his compatriots due to his own stint in the pro boxing ranks, Prajanchai could give Di Bella trouble in the area where he usually excels.
Di Bella has been raised in kickboxing and knows the sport inside out, so defeating him will not be an easy task. Still, if there’s a strawweight striker on the planet who can do it, it’s Prajanchai.
#2 Will Kongthoranee Shock The World Against Superlek?
Kongthoranee Sor Sommai’s seventh straight ONE Friday Fights win earned him a six-figure contract on the organization’s global roster, and he’ll face the most high-profile opponent of his career in his very next fight.
The 27-year-old is set to meet reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion and #1-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 in a Muay Thai clash this Friday.
Superlek has looked unstoppable lately, boasting a 13-1 ONE record and nine straight victories, including a decision over the division’s reigning king, Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon.
But Kongthoranee has proven that he won’t back down from anyone. His recent bouts have all been action-packed wars, and he brings an intensity that could push “The Kicking Machine” to his limit.
If he can step on the gas early to get ahead on the scorecards, the Sor Sommai representative might just engineer one of the biggest upsets in recent history and make a drastic change to the flyweight top order.
#3 Could Haggerty’s First Kickboxing Challenger Emerge?
Two former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champions want to put their name in the hat for a shot at reigning divisional king Jonathan “The General” Haggerty.
Petchtanong Petchfergus will face Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov in his return to the ring, and a win would put either man in a strong position to challenge for the throne.
Petchtanong has earned back-to-back victories and is hungry to reclaim the gold after being stripped last year.
In the other corner, #3-ranked Ramazanov is one of the most seasoned campaigners in the division and was its inaugural World Champion. With a recent KO win to his credit, the dangerous Russian has Haggerty in his sights.
Top-ranked contender “Demon Blade” Wei Rui is another potential challenger following his debut win over former titleholder Hiroki Akimoto, but if either Petchtanong or Ramazanov can deliver a standout performance, they will give the matchmakers something to think about.
#4 Will Suablack Or Nabati Continue Their Path Of Destruction?
Suablack Tor Pran49 has amassed a stunning six-fight winning streak with four knockouts since entering the world’s largest martial arts organization, while Kiamran Nabati has extended his overall record to 20-0 with two impressive outings.
Someone’s momentum will be halted in Bangkok – but neither man plans on it being their own.
Nabati might enter with the mental edge after scoring a knockout win over Suablack when they met on the regional scene in 2023, but the Thai has bounced back well to fight with swagger and confidence.
The pair have left swathes of fallen victims in their wake to reach this point, but only one will continue their meteoric rise up the bantamweight Muay Thai ranks in their highly anticipated rematch.
#5 Which Former Muay Thai World Champion Will Make A Statement At Bantamweight?
There is even more bantamweight action on the jam-packed card with two decorated Muay Thai World Champions duking it out for prominence in the division.
Rafi Bohic hasn’t had the start he wanted in ONE, but his resume proves that he can beat anyone on his day.
The former Lumpinee Stadium, WMC, and WBC Muay Thai World Champion has faced – and defeated – many of the sport’s elite. Now, he’s in desperate need of a victory if he wants to work toward the sport’s biggest prize.
However, it’s another tough assignment for the Frenchman, who will take on Thai legend Pakorn PK Saenchai – a man widely regarded as one of his era’s greats.
Pakorn has won almost everything in the sport, including Lumpinee Stadium and Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Titles, among many other prestigious accolades.
Riding a nine-fight winning streak into his promotional debut, the battle gains an extra edge because Bohic was the last man to defeat the PK Saenchai star.
Both men have tasted the highs of “the art of eight limbs,” but they’d love to crown their careers with 26 pounds of ONE gold, and this could be a make-or-break contest for those aspirations.
