ONE Championship is putting Muay Thai front and center on Friday, December 8, with ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video.
The eight-bout card will feature nothing but the ancient striking art, and it will spotlight how it has become the single most exciting combat sport spectacle thanks to ONE’s global rule set, which includes using four-ounce MMA gloves.
Before the enthralling show kicks off, we’ve broken down four reasons to check out ONE Fight Night 17.
Heavyweights In Four-Ounce Gloves
Roman Kryklia has dominated the light heavyweight kickboxing division since arriving in ONE in 2019. After claiming the divisional crown, he moved up in weight and won the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix.
But at ONE Fight Night 17, the Ukrainian behemoth will take on a new challenge when he goes for a second ONE World Title in a new sport and division.
With the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title on the line, Kryklia welcomes Australia’s Alex Roberts to the global stage. And the striking world is waiting with bated breath to see what he can do in four-ounce gloves.
Two beasts wearing small leather should have any combat sports fan excited to see what happens. After Kryklia’s devastating run of finishes, it will be fascinating to see him unconstrained.
There are few guarantees in martial arts, but this heavyweight showdown promises to have an explosive result one way or the other. There is simply too much power and too much skill involved.
American Muay Thai Takes Center Stage
“The art of eight limbs” has grown in popularity in the United States over the last year. And on December 8, two athletes will look to carry the flag and boost the sport further.
Luke Lessei makes his promotional debut against “Smokin” Jo Nattawut at ONE Fight Night 17, and he’ll be hoping to throw a wrench in his Thai foe’s plans of rising further through ONE’s stacked featherweight division.
Lessei is an undeniable draw, but most eyes will likely be on 17-year-old Johan Ghazali.
The Malaysian-American wowed audiences at ONE Friday Fights to earn his way onto ONE’s biggest stage. He’ll meet former World Title challenger Edgar Tabares this weekend and could become the face of Muay Thai in America with another thrilling win.
Bidding For A Rematch With Rodtang
Both Walter Goncalves and Jacob Smith have gone to war with ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon and come out with an L on their slates.
At ONE Fight Night 17, they’ll square off against each other with the aim of taking another step closer to a rematch with the Thai superstar, and fans should hold onto their hats when they do.
Goncalves may be best known for his incredible three-round war with Rodtang that ended in a split-decision ruling. After a brief dip into the MMA pool earlier this year, the Brazilian is back in Muay Thai and ready to remind the world how dangerous he is.
Smith debuted against “The Iron Man” in May 2022 and showed himself well, though he couldn’t do enough to score the win. After nearly 18 months away, the British star finally returns to show what he can do against another tough competitor.
This will be an entertaining slugfest regardless of the outcome, but it’s difficult not to imagine the winner moving closer to the division’s upper echelon. High stakes are at hand, which should only deliver more incredible action.
Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat Returns
Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat has been away from ONE since 2019. Thanks partly to COVID and travel restrictions, Duy Nhat wasn’t able to capitalize on the momentum he built before the global pandemic.
Back in action on Friday, Duy Nhat can immediately reestablish himself against Denis Puric in their flyweight Muay Thai matchup.
Puric has seen the best of the best recently, and he overcame Tagir Khalilov to put his name on the striking map in ONE. Facing him will be a perfect chance for Duy Nhat to pick up where he left off, and a win could even push him into the World Title picture.
ONE Fight Night 17 airs live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on Friday, Dec. 8. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.