Elbrus Osmanov Injured, Yod-IQ To Rematch Alexey Balyko At ONE Friday Fights 137 On December 19
The highly anticipated year-end spectacle ONE Friday Fights 137 has undergone a late shakeup ahead of its December 19 explosion at Bangkok, Thailand’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium.
Elbrus “The Samurai” Osmanov has withdrawn from his scheduled bantamweight Muay Thai clash with Thailand’s Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri due to injury.
As a result, the surging Thai standout will move up to featherweight to face Alexey Balyko – the lone fighter to defeat him in the Asia primetime weekly series.
Their first meeting took place at ONE Friday Fights 33 in September 2023, when Balyko delivered a fight that altered his career trajectory. The Russian cracked Yod-IQ with a thunderous left hook in the second round, scoring a knockdown en route to a unanimous decision victory.
For the Thai phenom, however, that defeat ended up becoming a turning point rather than a setback.
Since then, the 23-year-old PK Saenchai Muaythaigym product has been on a relentless run, putting together an eight-fight winning streak that began against Ilyas Musaev at ONE Friday Fights 44 two months after his defeat.
Most recently, Yod-IQ turned in one of the most complete performances of his career, methodically breaking down Italian knockout artist Alessio Malatesta over three rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory at ONE Friday Fights 117 this past July.
That stretch has lifted his ONE Championship record to 10-1, while his overall slate now stands at 125-36.
With momentum firmly on his side, Yod-IQ now gets the chance to erase the lone blemish on his ONE resume. A statement victory could also push him closer to the coveted US$100,000 contract and a place on ONE Championship’s global roster.
Across from him stands a motivated Balyko, who is eager to halt his recent skid and close out the year on a high note.
After defeating Yod-IQ, the 32-year-old Tiger Muay Thai affiliate enjoyed a strong run, scoring two stoppage victories in the span of six months.
He first stunned former three-division Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Suakim Sor Jor Tongprajin with his trademark left hook to earn a third-round knockout at ONE Friday Fights 47.
Then, at ONE Fight Night 23, that same weapon produced another emphatic finish, shutting down Irish standout Stefan Korodi in the opening frame.
The momentum didn’t last, however. Balyko has since run into a brutal stretch, dropping his last three bouts against elite opposition.
Now, he sees a familiar opponent as a chance to regain traction.
A second win over Yod-IQ would not only snap his slide, but also place him back in the conversation for ONE Championship’s six-figure contract.
