ONE Championship’s tenth-anniversary event, ONE Championship: X, is loaded from start to finish, and two important matchups in the kickboxing featherweight division are set to take place that night.
The final of the ONE featherweight kickboxing grand prix will take place on the first section of the star-studded event, and the ONE featherweight kickboxing championship title tilt will kick off the ONE X: Grand Finale.
Here is a brief look at the two key featherweight kickboxing battles happening at ONE Championship: X.
Chingiz Allazov stunned Samy Sana in just 39 seconds of their quarterfinal matchup. The Azerbaijani-Belarusian athlete crushed the Frenchman and shut him down to claim the victory. Then in January of this year, he stunned the world again with a first-round, head-kick knockout against Smokin’ Jo Nattawut.
Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong’s road to the final was a little more treacherous. The Thai star edged out Tayfun Ozcan by split decision in their October matchup and then went the full three rounds against Davit Kiria in Jan. 2022.
While the roads were different, the two stars are set to merge at the same point on Mar. 26. If Allazov can continue his knockout run, it will be a superstar-making moment. But Sitthichai will make a point of stifling his rival’s comeuppance and become one of the best pound-for-pound strikers on the planet.
Whoever can claim that final win will punch their ticket to challenge for the gold against whoever gets their hand raised later in the evening.
Superbon stunned the martial arts world with an unforgettable head-kick knockout over Giorgio Petrosyan to claim the inaugural ONE featherweight kickboxing title in a moment that will live on in highlights forever.
Just before that, in the co-main event, Grigorian retired Andy Souwer with a second-round TKO to advance to the ONE featherweight kickboxing grand prix semifinals. However, COVID-19 health and safety protocols prevented him from continuing onward. Even without the tournament, though, Grigorian’s status within the sport makes him a worthy challenger for the gold.
It was a title matchup that always felt like it was on the cards. Superbon vs. Grigorian always needed to happen. So, it’s fitting that it goes down on the greatest card of all time.
ONE Championship: X airs on Saturday, Mar. 26. The ONE featherweight grand prix final will air on ONE X: Part I at 1 a.m. ET on the ONE Championship website. The ONE featherweight championship bout airs on the ONE X: Grand Finale on pay-per-view, beginning at 8 a.m. ET.