5 Reasons To Watch ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas On April 5
This week, the world’s largest martial arts organization is returning to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with a star-studded doubleheader.
After ONE Friday Fights 58: Superbon vs. Grigorian II goes down in Asia primetime, ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas on Prime Video will take place in U.S. primetime – topped by a pair of World Title contests and featuring four different combat sports disciplines.
Simply put, fans won’t want to miss a moment of the action, from the opening bout to the blockbuster main events.
With that in mind, here are five big reasons to tune in this Friday night.
#1 A World Title Clash With Long Winning Streaks On The Line
The event’s headline attraction will see dominant two-sport kingpin Regian “The Immortal” Eersel defend his ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title against undefeated French phenom Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas.
Both men have become accustomed to winning.
Widely regarded as one of the planet’s best pound-for-pound strikers, Eersel is undefeated in ONE and will enter the fifth defense of his kickboxing crown riding an incredible 22-fight winning streak that dates back to 2016.
“The Immortal” will look to retain his 26 pounds of gold and hand his foe the first defeat of his professional career.
For his part, the hard-hitting Nicolas boasts a pristine 23-0 record, firmly establishing himself as Europe’s top lightweight kickboxer before making his successful debut in January.
Now, with the prestigious belt up for grabs, one of these impressive winning streaks must come to an end.
#2 The Ruotolos Face Their Toughest Tests Yet
For the first time since December 2022, twin brothers Kade Ruotolo and Tye Ruotolo will share the same ONE card, and they’re both taking on dangerous opponents.
First, current ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade will lock horns with decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Francisco Lo in a non-title 180-pound catchweight tilt.
The 21-year-old Californian can’t take this matchup lightly, as Lo is an IBJJF No-Gi Pan-American Champion and an innovative submission hunter who’s capable of tapping out any man on the planet – including the young prodigy.
Later in the evening, Tye will make the first defense of his ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title when he squares off with all-action Australian standout Izaak Michell.
A physically imposing athlete with world-class leg locks, back takes, and guard passing, the 25-year-old Michell has all the tools needed to knock Ruotolo off his throne.
#3 A Showcase Of Elite Flyweight Strikers
ONE Fight Night 21 will showcase the upper echelon ONE’s flyweight strikers.
Fans are in for a treat when 21-year-old Thai sensation Dedduanglek Tded99 takes on Japanese star Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito in a much-anticipated kickboxing bout.
The pair are no strangers to each other. In their Muay Thai clash last July, Dedduanglek stunned Naito with his punishing body attacks to secure the biggest win of his professional career.
Now ranked #3 in the flyweight Muay Thai division, Dedduanglek hopes to prove his victory was no fluke and pick up a second win – now in a different sport – over the #3-ranked flyweight kickboxer.
Also, #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Jacob Smith will go toe-to-toe with Canadian-Bosnian scrapper Denis “The Bosnian Menace” Puric. Both men will come into the bout following highlight-reel knockout wins and will each look to keep their momentum going as they climb toward a potential World Title shot.
What’s more, the showdown between Smith and Puric should, stylistically speaking, produce fireworks, with both men more than willing to exchange big blows until one of them crumbles.
#4 Undefeated Heavyweight Monster Ben Tynan Returns
One of MMA’s most promising rising stars will return for his sophomore appearance in ONE, as undefeated powerhouse Ben “Vanilla Thunder” Tynan is set to battle ultra-skilled Australian veteran Duke Didier.
An accomplished wrestler with perhaps the division’s most terrifying ground-and-pound game, Tynan shined in his promotional debut last November, living up to the hype with a dominant stoppage win over knockout artist “Mighty Warrior” Kang Ji Won.
“Vanilla Thunder” will now face an entirely different challenge in judo and BJJ black belt Didier – a true submission specialist.
Given his foe’s grappling base, the outspoken Canadian has made it no secret that he plans to feature his ever-evolving striking in this bout and hunt for the bonus-winning knockout.
If he does, Tynan will put the rest of the heavyweight MMA division on notice, including reigning king Anatoly “Sladkiy” Maylkhin.
#5 Suablack Aims To Continue Flawless Run
Thai sensation Suablack Tor Pran49 is making waves in the talent-laden bantamweight Muay Thai division, but he’s in for the biggest test of his ONE tenure when he clashes with former Road to ONE winner Vladimir Kuzmin.
Suablack debuted in the world’s largest martial arts organization last June and has put together an impressive 5-0 run that includes four electrifying knockouts.
Those performances have made the 27-year-old a fan favorite, revered for his all-around skills and ruthless finishing instincts.
If he wants to keep that streak going and continue his march toward the division’s top five, he’ll first need to deal with the always-dangerous Kuzmin, who comes into this bout on a two-fight winning streak and looks to be in the finest shape of his career.
