ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams Preview and Predictions

On Friday, Mar. 24, ONE Championship returns to the Amazon Prime Video platform for their eighth event associated with their North American expansion. ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video features 10 bouts spread across four martial arts disciplines – MMA, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and submission grappling.
The main event was supposed to feature a heavyweight MMA unification bout between interim title holder Anatoly Malykhin and reigning champion Arjan Bhullar. Unfortunately, the matchup has been postponed due to “broadcaster commitments.”

As a result of Malykhin vs. Bhullar being postponed, Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Superlek Kiatmoo9 was moved to the main event. Bad luck struck again, as Rodtang pulled out during fight week due to an injury, leading to Danial Williams stepping in on short notice. Williams was scheduled to fight on the preliminary card before getting a massive step up-in competition.

Superlek became the flyweight kickboxing king in January by defeating Daniel Puertas, who stepped up after Ilias Ennahachi vacated the throne. Meanwhile, Williams fought in MMA for his last four fights. “Mini T” does have an impressive striking background, making him worthy of the short-notice opportunity.
In the co-main event, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues returns to regain undisputed champion status in the women’s atomweight Muay Thai division. She became the champion in Aug. 2020 with a split decision win against Stamp Fairtex.

Rodrigues hasn’t fought since giving birth to her first child. While the Brazilian world champion was away, American Janet Todd secured the interim title by defeating Lara Fernandez. Rodrigues and “JT” were scheduled to fight in Dec. 2022, before the latter tested positive for COVID.

ONE Fight Night 8 also features the return of Zhang Peimian, the submission grappling debut of Mikey Musumeci’s sister, Tammi, an MMA atomweight showdown between Ham Seo Hee vs. Itsuki Hirata, and more. The lead card airs live on the ONE website starting at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the main card on Amazon Prime Video starting at 8 p.m. ET. Let’s take a look at the preview and predictions.

The main event changed during fight week with Rodtang Jitmuangnon pulling out due to injury; does short notice replacement Danial Williams have what it takes to pull of the massive upset?

The harsh reality is that Danial Williams defeating Superlek Kiatmoo9 would be a shocking upset. Williams hasn’t fought in a kickboxing bout under the ONE banner. With that said, Mini T has a Muay Thai background and an aggressive fighting style that can throw off his opponent’s game plan.

Shoutout to Williams for saving the main event, but Superlek should be able to defend the flyweight kickboxing world championship inside the distance. The reigning champion has brutal leg kicks, world-class composure, and the fight IQ to stay out of trouble. Anything can happen in combat sports, but Mini T isn’t on the same level as Superlek.

Gold is also on the line in the co-main event with Allycia Hellen Rodrigues defending her atomweight Muay Thai championship against interim champion Janet Todd; does the Brazilian remain champion or will her American opponent breakthrough and become undisputed champion?

If inactivity wasn’t a factor, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues would likely be a clear favorite against Janet Todd. Rodrigues’s only fight with ONE was an impressive split decision win against Stamp Fairtex. While the Brazilian world champion has been away, Todd has fought three times, including the interim title fight.

There are several factors separating Rodrigues and Todd. JT does a solid job of mixing up her approach between counter-striking and pressure striking. On the contrary, Rodrigues tends to focus on counter-striking, which can be a problem on the scorecards if her opponent continues moving forward.

Another factor to keep an eye on is Rodrigues’ dangerous body kicks. She uses them to control distance, score points, and break down her opponents. Although JT will find success moving forward, the 24-year-old Brazilian should be able to land more with her faster and cleaner technique, leading to a split decision win.

Ham Seo Hee has won eight straight mixed martial arts fights; does she make it nine consecutive wins by defeating Itsuki Hirata?

Ham Seo Hee vs. Itsuki Hirata is a matchup between a seasoned veteran and a rising title contender. Ham has fought high-level competition in RIZIN, UFC, and now ONE. After defeating Denice Zamboanga in back-to-back fights, “Hamzzang” is potentially one win away from a women’s atomweight title shot.

Hirata has several hurdles to overcome if she plans to emerge victorious against Ham. Firstly, “Android 18” needs to make weight and pass hydration after failing to do so in Nov. 2022. Secondly, the Japanese-born fighter has proven to have world-class grappling skills for the division, but her striking could be a problem against Hamzzang.

Hirata has a bright future in ONE, but she’s going to learn some valuable lessons in this fight. The 23-year-old will struggle if the fight stays standing. Ham has too much experience and momentum for Android 18 to overcome, leading to a unanimous decision win for the South Korean-born fighter.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

The sleeper match-up is a strawweight kickboxing bout between two young fighters. Zhang Peimian returns to the Circle after losing against Jonathan Di Bella for the inaugural strawweight kickboxing world championship. The 19-year-old looks to get back on track against promotional newcomer Torepchi Dongak, a 23-year-old Russian.

There isn’t much footage of Dongak, but the match-up will be intriguing nonetheless. The “Fighting Rooster” has emerged as one of the young superstars in ONE Championship. He’s locked in on earning another world championship opportunity, which should lead to an electric performance at ONE Fight Night 8.