5 Reasons To Watch ONE Fight Night 45: Lessei Vs. Rabah On Prime Video
ONE Fight Night 45: Lessei vs. Rabah on Prime Video promises to deliver another spectacular martial arts showcase straight from the hallowed ring of Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium. The action goes down on Friday, July 17, broadcasting live in U.S. primetime.
The world’s largest martial arts organization has loaded up nine compelling bouts across Muay Thai and MMA, packed with intriguing stylistic matchups, high-stakes divisional implications, and pure entertainment from top to bottom.
Here are five undeniable reasons why this highly anticipated card is set to ignite the global stage this Friday.
#1 Towering Strikers Look To Punch Their Way Back Into Contention
Two of the featherweight Muay Thai division’s most physically imposing strikers are set to collide in a blockbuster main event. Luke “The Chef” Lessei and “The Eagle” Mohamed Younes Rabah both stand over six feet tall and possess the devastating reach to match.
The Iowa native Lessei has built a reputation on outstanding durability, elite technical prowess, and flashy striking combinations. “The Chef” has already cooked up two massive wins inside ONE, highlighted by a US$50,000 bonus-winning, first-round TKO of Cody Jerome at ONE Fight Night 27 in January 2025.
However, he came up short against ONE Interim Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Nico “King of the North” Carrillo in his last outing. That being said, he arrives hungry to prove that setback was merely a temporary detour.
His opponent carries equal striking menace. Rabah, a proud product of Team Mehdi Zatout in Pattaya, emphatically announced his arrival with a blistering first-round knockout of former ONE World Title challenger Saemapetch Fairtex, before adding a tactical unanimous decision over Eddie “Silky Smooth” Abasolo.
However, a no-contest against Shadow Mavinn at ONE Fight Night 33 in July 2025 has the Algerian standout desperate to leave a definitive mark.
When the smoke finally clears, only one of these athletes will take a meaningful step back into the featherweight Muay Thai World Title picture.
#2 “El Matador” Makes His Main Roster Debut
Stephen “El Matador” Irvine has absolutely bulldozed his way through ONE Friday Fights, and now the Scottish knockout artist will get to perform on the absolute biggest stage of his young career.
Riding a flawless five-fight winning streak — highlighted by a devastating head kick that put Rambong Sor Therapat to sleep at ONE Friday Fights 128 — the 26-year-old Scot rightfully earned a coveted US$100,000 main-roster contract.
The message was impossible to miss. “El Matador” does not need long to finish opponents, and the flyweight Muay Thai division officially has another dangerous addition to its already stacked ranks.
Life on the main roster does not get any easier, however, and Suablack Tor Pran49 is the perfect illustration of that reality.
Battle-tested, incredibly durable, and technically razor-sharp, the seasoned Thai veteran represents a significant step up in competition for Irvine. A dominant performance here would loudly announce the Scot as a genuine flyweight Muay Thai force on the world stage.
#3 The Next Top Strawweight MMA Contender Could Emerge
ONE Championship’s deeply stacked strawweight MMA division never stops producing elite contenders, and Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane and Lee “The Flash” Seung Cheol are both fully prepared to make their undisputed case for a crack at the top spot.
A perennial staple of the 125-pound division, Masunyane brings highly dynamic takedowns and a thunderous right hand that has already produced five thrilling victories in ONE.
The 32-year-old South African’s commanding win over Ryohei Kurosawa at ONE Fight Night 39 was a complete statement performance that instantly reignited his aggressive push toward 26 pounds of gold.
Standing squarely in his way is one of the division’s most rapidly ascending names. Lee boasts a remarkable 10-1 overall professional record and a flawless 5-0 mark inside ONE that earned him his own US$100,000 contract.
Dominant victories over Fabio “The Giant” Henrique and Hiroba Minowa perfectly highlight his meteoric rise, and the surging South Korean shows absolutely no intention of stopping there.
The winner of this clash will emerge as a highly compelling challenger for undisputed ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, who just successfully defended his gold against Mansur Malachiev at The Inner Circle 21.
#4 Women’s MMA Takes Center Stage With Two Compelling Bouts
The women’s MMA ranks will deliver double the drama this Friday, with two crucial matchups carrying massive divisional implications.
Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan returns to action against Anastasia “Anniemale” Nikolakakos in a pivotal atomweight MMA clash. The 27-year-old Malaysian fan favorite owns nine impressive ONE victories, most recently stopping highly touted debutant Gabriela “Gabi” Fujimoto via TKO at ONE Fight Night 40.
But Nikolakakos is in equally terrifying form. The undefeated Canadian carries a perfect 6-0 record and wasted no time making a statement on her promotional debut, annihilating Victoria “Vick” Souza via first-round KO at ONE Fight Night 41.
Earlier on the card, Japanese submission specialist Ayaka “Zombie” Miura makes a brief move up to the strawweight ranks to face the aforementioned Souza. The 35-year-old veteran owns nine ONE victories and a remarkable 89 percent finishing rate.
She looks to bounce back after her five-fight winning streak was snapped by Chihiro Sawada at ONE SAMURAI 1 this past April. Her opponent arrives equally motivated, as Souza brings a well-rounded skill set and three ONE victories to the ring, including a slick first-round submission win over Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata.
Both bouts carry added urgency and massive stakes, especially with the ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title currently sitting vacant following Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga’s recent decision to relinquish the gold.
#5 Surging Flyweight Contenders Look To Keep Their Winning Streaks Alive
Three elite athletes head into Bangkok with impressive winning streaks fully intact, all incredibly hungry to force their way to the very top of their respective divisions.
Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang brings massive momentum into his flyweight MMA clash against streaking Brazilian debutant Antonio “The Flash” Cesar. The heavy-handed Filipino has been thoroughly rejuvenated since moving up a weight class, winning five of his last six bouts, including back-to-back first-round stoppages over Mauro “Dinamita” Mastromarini and Eko Roni Saputra.
Also in action is Sanzhar “Tornado” Zakirov, who enters the ring with an outstanding 16-0 overall record and seven consecutive victories in ONE. The Uzbek wrecking machine faces a genuinely dangerous test against fellow undefeated rising star Ruslan Satiev. Only one man will walk away with his perfect slate intact.
Rounding out the trio, Black Panther puts his five-fight winning streak on the line against Filipino-American star Sean Climaco. The Thai striker is rapidly emerging as one of flyweight Muay Thai’s most exciting young names, and a highlight-reel statement win here would only accelerate that upward trajectory.
For all three men, July 17 is the ultimate opportunity to announce themselves as undeniable World Title contenders.
