ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade is headed fans’ way on Friday, Nov. 3, via Prime Video. 10 bouts fill out the card with two world title tilts headlining the night inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
But below the marquee battle are plenty of matchups that are sure to provide excitement and have heavy implications in their respective divisions. All that means ONE Fight Night 16 is set to be a hot evening as the winter months near.
Here are five reasons to make sure you are front and center for ONE Championship’s return to Prime Video this Friday evening.
Bantamweight Glory
ONE bantamweight Muay Thai champion Jonathan Haggerty and ONE bantamweight MMA champion Fabricio Andrade are set for a massive main event for the division’s vacant kickboxing crown at ONE Fight Night 16.
That alone should capture any martial arts fan’s attention and ensure their interest when the event goes out live and free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in North America.
But the matchup itself is incredible. Andrade is not a grappler trying his hand at kickboxing. He has a legitimate kickboxing background that he has adapted to MMA. Now, he returns to his roots, and that may give him the edge over his Muay Thai foe, who will be unable to rely on elbows.
Will that play out? Or will Haggerty’s activity in the striking world give him the edge? These questions loom large and will be pivotal in crowning a new kickboxing king.
Someone is walking out with 26 pounds of gold to compliment their other world title, and the battle to get there may just be the year’s best so far.
Seksan’s Primetime Debut
If you haven’t been watching ONE Friday Fights, the most exciting martial arts event series around today, then you are in for a treat when Seksan Or Kwanmuang makes his first appearance in U.S. primetime.
“The Man Who Yields To No One” is a human highlight-reel. He has lit up ONE with six consecutive victories that have been absolutely thrilling, starting with his slugfest with Tyson Harrison at ONE Friday Fights 1 in Jan. 2023.
Seksan will meet Karim Bennoui in a 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest, and it will serve as a great introduction of the Thai star to American audiences. Seksan offers pure adrenaline when the bell rings, so strap in for his Prime Video debut.
Lightweight Landscape
Fouth-ranked lightweight MMA contender Halil Amir will return to the global stage against Ahmed Mujtaba on Friday night, and the winner will find himself in great position to compete for the divisional crown in 2024.
Although Mujtaba is coming off a quick submission loss to Sage Northcutt, rebounding against a top-five opponent would thrust him right back into the middle of the hunt for gold. But unbeaten star Amir will do everything he can to halt that attempt and claim his own clout.
More importantly, for fan’s enjoyment, this matchup should provide electricity throughout Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. Both men are motivated to finish strong and chase the World Title in 2024, and that means this will be a fast-paced affair in a talent-rich division.
Pure Power
Heavyweights mixed martial artists Kang Ji Won and Ben Tynan are slated to keep the ball rolling at ONE Fight Night 16 in the third bout of the night. And, unlike many showdowns in their weight bracket, this one should go down at a rapid pace.
Tynan has a perfect 100% finishing rate in his four MMA wins, and he wants to make a statement in his ONE debut. Likewise, “Mighty Warrior” has a pristine string of knockouts in his ONE wins, including a finish over Amir Aliakbari.
“Vanilla Thunder” may rely on his wrestling if Kang gets his hands going early, but even if the action hits the mat, he’ll look for a quick finish. This is an explosive heavyweight MMA contest, and ONE fans should get the popcorn ready for when the bell rings.
Kickboxing Speed
Before the main event, two other kickboxing matches will go down, and both are set to shock fans with speed.
“Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian takes on Rui Botelho in a strawweight affair, and Anna “Supergirl” Jaroonsak meets Cristina Morales in an atomweight showdown.
Both matches will be crucial for their respective divisions, especially in Zhang’s strawweight battle, where he hopes to punch his ticket to a rematch with ONE strawweight kickboxing world champion Jonathan Di Bella.
For fans of pure striking, these are two matches you will need to keep your eyes lock on. Because if you blink, you could miss them.
ONE Fight Night 16 airs live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Friday, Nov. 3. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.