ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade Preview and Predictions

On Friday, Nov. 3, ONE Championship returns to “The Mecca of Muay Thai,” also known as Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, for their sixteenth Amazon Prime Video event, which features two world championship matchups.

In the main event, history will be made as a two-sport world champion will be crowned, barring a draw or no-contest. The legacy-building opportunity has been offered to Jonathan Haggerty, the bantamweight Muay Thai world champion, and Fabricio Andrade, the bantamweight MMA world champion, with the vacant bantamweight kickboxing world title on the line.

As for the ONE Fight Night 16 co-main event, Tye Ruotolo looks to extend his promotional submission grappling record to 5-0. There will be added stakes in this match, as the winner will be crowned the inaugural welterweight king. Standing in Ruotolo’s way is promotional newcomer Magomed Abdulkadirov.

ONE Fight Night 16 also features several other intriguing matchups, including Jeremy Miado vs. Lito Adiwang in the strawweight MMA division, Zhang Peimian vs. Rui Botelho in the strawweight kickboxing division, and the return of Muay Thai great Seksan.

The event airs live on Amazon Prime Video starting at 8 p.m. ET. The fighters hit the scales on Thursday, Nov. 2. Check below for full weigh-in results. Let’s take a look at the preview and predictions.

Jonathan Haggerty and Fabricio Andrade square off over the vacant bantamweight kickboxing championship; which fighter becomes a two-sport champion?

Anyone who frequently watches ONE Championship knows that Jonathan Haggerty vs. Fabricio Andrade is going to be an action-packed war. It also helps that both fighters are coming off life-changing wins to become world champions.

Haggerty officially moved up to bantamweight after leaving the flyweight division earlier this year. Haggerty’s decreased weight cut and aggressive forward pressure led to a stunning first-round knockout win to dethrone Nong-O Hama.

Meanwhile, Fabricio Andrade fought John Lineker in a rematch to settle their no-contest from last year. Andrade wouldn’t be denied the vacant bantamweight MMA title again, as he battered Lineker to secure a fifth-round TKO.

At first glance, Haggerty should have a significant advantage due to his experience in Muay Thai and kickboxing. With that said, Andrade’s confidence is through the roof right now, and he shouldn’t be overlooked as he continues evolving into a superstar.

When push comes to shove, Haggerty should be able to break down Andrade and utilize his superior technique to become a two-sport world champion with a third-round or fourth-round finish.

ONE Championship will crown another submission grappling champion with the inaugural welterweight title on the line in the co-main event; can Tye Ruotolo score the win and join his brother Kade as a ONE world champion?

Tye Ruotolo has been waiting for an opportunity to become a ONE world champion, similar to his twin brother Kade. After four wins under the ONE banner, Tye has a chance to accomplish his goals, but it could be his toughest promotional test thus far.

Magomed Abdulkadirov doesn’t have the submission grappling accolades that his upcoming opponent has. With that said, Abdulkadirov possesses a physically demanding style that has given Ruotolo some trouble in the past.

The bottom line is that Ruotolo should win this match. Abdulkadirov could give him a run for his money, but Ruotolo’s fundamental advantage should lead to more catches, a.k.a. dangerous submission attempts, that are scored heavily by the judges.

Therefore, Ruotolo should emerge victorious by unanimous decision.

Johan Estupinan makes his ONE debut in a catchweight Muay Thai contest against Seksan Or Kwanmuang; can the 21-year-old make a statement on the big stage?

Johan Estupinan has a chance to skyrocket his marketability by securing the most important win of his fighting career. Unfortunately, he must pull off a shocking upset, as Seksan is a legend who continues to age like fine wine.

Seksan made his ONE Championship debut in Jan. 2023. Since then, the multiple-time Muay Thai world champion has won six consecutive fights, including two inside the distance. He now looks to continue building momentum by taking out Estupinan.

It’s no secret that Muay Thai is a young man’s sport. Yet, the 34-year-old Seksan hasn’t been stopped thus far. Unless Estupinan can land a shocking knockout blow, Seksan will likely dominate before getting a finish in the second or third round.

Which fight is the sleeper matchup on this card?

The ONE Fight Night 16 sleeper matchup is a strawweight MMA bout between Lito Adiwang and Jeremy Miado.
In Mar. 2022, Adiwang and Miado fought at ONE X, with the latter winning by a second-round knockout. The “Thunder Kid” has been eyeing revenge since that night, which he plans to obtain after knocking out Adrian Mattheis in 23 seconds on Sep. 22.

Regardless of who wins, Adiwang and Miado maintain warrior spirits with a relentlessly aggressive striking approach. Therefore, the matchup between strawweight MMA contenders shouldn’t be missed by fans on Friday.