Martin Nguyen Previews Some Of The Biggest Matchups At ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp Vs. Ham
Add Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen to the list of ONE Championship superstars who can’t wait to see how the action unfolds at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on Prime Video.
The former two-division ONE World Champion is looking forward to the entire U.S. primetime card this Friday, September 29, but a few particular matchups have caught his attention.
With three World Title fights and plenty of elite contenders on the bill, “The Situ-Asian” offered up his thoughts on the battles that stand out for him at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Stamp Fairtex Vs. Ham Seo Hee
The main event will see Stamp Fairtex face Ham Seo Hee in a clash for the ONE Interim Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title, with longtime divisional queen “Unstoppable” Angela Lee taking an indefinite hiatus.
Nguyen is a huge fan of Lee and would love to see her return, but he respects that the well-being of her loved ones must come first.
He told onefc.com:
“I really like Angela and her style and the way she’s been dominating, so it’s a shame that she’s not headlining the card.
“Obviously, I know family circumstances are involved. I really, really hope she doesn’t hang up the gloves because she’s one of the best out there. But I do understand if she does.”
For now, Nguyen is excited to see #1-ranked Stamp and #2-ranked Ham duke it out for the interim gold.
Both women are in peak form, and “The Situ-Asian” knows there won’t be a smooth route to victory for either of them. Still, he’s backing the Fairtex megastar to earn the victory in a tough contest between elite strikers.
He offered:
“Stamp is a strong [fighter] and Ham is a very strong, very game opponent. And so that fight is going to be fireworks for sure.
“Stamp’s my girl, so I can’t go against her, but Ham is not an easy opponent for her.”
Smilla Sundell Vs. Allycia Hellen Rodrigues
Another fascinating battle will feature a pair of reigning ONE World Champions, as atomweight Muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues is stepping up to challenge Smilla “The Hurricane” Sundell for the ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title.
While Rodrigues will have a size disadvantage, Nguyen has been impressed with her performances so far – including a victory over Janet Todd in March – and thinks she’ll be a stern test for the Swedish teen prodigy.
He said:
“Allycia is very, very tough. Obviously, she beat Stamp, and she walked through Janet [Todd], who I thought was one of the most legit fighters on the roster.
“But man, Smilla, at that age and with the length and the power she’s got, she’s another level.”
“The Situ-Asian” doesn’t have a horse in the race for this one. Instead, he’s just looking forward to an epic World Champion vs. World Champion battle in Singapore.
He offered:
“Who would I like to win? Either, or. They’re both great fighters, but yeah, anyone. I’ll be happy with that. That’s a great fight.”
Eduard Folayang Vs. Amir Khan II
The third matchup on Nguyen’s radar is the lightweight MMA rematch between old foes Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Amir Khan.
Former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Folayang successfully defended the belt against Khan five years ago, but he’s only managed one MMA win since. In a bid to change his fortunes, the 39-year-old recently severed his career-long association with Team Lakay and formed his own gym, Lion’s Nation MMA.
For his part, “The Situ-Asian” is curious to see if the Filipino legend will bring any significant developments to the Circle this time:
“Obviously, Folayang is an exciting fighter, but I’m very intrigued to see what he’s like after he left the Team Lakay guys. Has he changed, or is he the same fighter? We don’t know. So this is the test, right?
“If he had told me that he went to an American gym to train and he’s upgrading his wrestling, then I would have been like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s definitely going to be a different fighter.’ But he started his own gym with the same teammates that came over.
“Is it going to be the same training? Is it not going to be the same training? Are you going to stick to something that you’re used to, just with a different atmosphere? You never know.”
Meanwhile, Khan is looking to make an impression in his long-awaited return from injury, and he’s a dangerous opponent for anybody on the right day.
So, while Nguyen would love to see Folayang get back on track, he doesn’t think it will come easily against the Singaporean knockout artist.
He added:
“I’d like Folayang to win, definitely. I hope for the best for him.
“What a tough fight to put him in, up against Amir. He’s very dynamic and has knockout power, as well as dangerous elbows and knees.
“It’s a good fight. I’m very intrigued. We’ll see what happens. May the best man win.”
