Zhang Lipeng Vs. Lucas Gabriel Lightweight MMA Tilt Added To ONE Fight Night 31
An intriguing lightweight MMA clash between the old and new guards is heading to ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II on Prime Video at Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
On May 2 in U.S. primetime, respected Chinese veteran “The Warrior” Zhang Lipeng will square off with surging Brazilian rising star Lucas Gabriel.
Both athletes will be looking to make a statement and stand out as a contender to watch in the division.
The 35-year-old Zhang owned a wealth of world-class experience when he made his ONE debut back in 2021. He quickly lived up to the lofty expectations by picking up a decision victory over former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Eduard Folayang in his first appearance.
Since then, “The Warrior” has alternated wins and losses but has never been in a boring fight.
In his most recent outing, he showcased his elite finishing skills and terrifying power, finishing welterweight MMA contender Hiroyuki Tetsuka with a flurry of ground strikes in the first round.
Zhang undoubtedly knows that a second straight stoppage win would move him much closer to a crack at gold.
Standing in his way, though, will be one of the most talented MMA fighters to come out of Brazil in recent years.
Still just 25 years old, Gabriel has been flawless through a trio of appearances at ONE Friday Fights and boasts a 9-1 career record.
The Nova Uniao Phuket representative impressed in his last fight, as he battled back from adversity to score a sensational third-round submission victory over the highly touted Gadzhimurad Amirzhanov, handing the Russian powerhouse his first pro defeat.
While Gabriel hopes to keep his momentum going in his much-anticipated U.S. primetime debut, Zhang will try to derail his foe’s hype train and prove he can compete with the new crop of mixed martial artists taking ONE by storm.
