Amir Aliakbari Vs. Dustin Joynson Heavyweight MMA Clash Added To ONE Fight Night 12

A colossal mixed martial arts showdown has been added to ONE Fight Night 12 on Prime Video, and the winner could potentially become the first challenger for new undisputed ONE Heavyweight World Champion Anatoly Malykhin.

On Friday, July 14, surging Iranian behemoth Amir Aliakbari will go head-to-head with Canadian star Dustin Joynson in a pivotal three-round clash at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

After a rough start to life in the world’s largest martial arts organization, Aliakbari brilliantly flipped the script and turned his career around.

The former Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion knocked out former ONE World Title challenger Mauro Cerilli in August 2022 and defeated former heavyweight king Brandon Vera via first-round TKO that December – the final bout of Vera’s decorated career.

Now with a 12-3 record and a 75 percent finishing rate, the 35-year-old Iranian aims to secure another high-profile victory and then challenge for the gold with the hope of becoming the Middle East’s first MMA World Champion.

Joynson, however, intends to foil his rival’s grand plans.

Like Aliakbari, the Canadian didn’t have an ideal beginning to his ONE Championship tenure, suffering his only career blemish at the hands of former ONE World Title challenger Kirill Grishenko in October 2021.

But Joynson returned four months later and narrowly edged out then-unbeaten Brazilian juggernaut Hugo Cunha via split decision to elevate his record to 7-1 (1 NC).

If the 37-year-old British Columbia native can upset Aliakbari on July 14 in front of a U.S. primetime audience, it would be the biggest win of his MMA career and put him in the World Title conversation.

And with Malykhin now living in Phuket, Thailand, perhaps he will make the short trip to Bangkok’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium to watch this heavyweight MMA bout live.

Stay tuned to onefc.com for more news about ONE Fight Night 12.