ONE Championship will close 2023 with fireworks this Friday, Dec. 22, and it will be bang after bang after bang from the dynamic striking lineup of fights at ONE Friday Fights 46.
Three titles will be on the line, with eight additional matchups hitting Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. The global pay-per-view broadcast will bring another year to an end for ONE and set 2024 up in perfect style.
Here are four reasons you need to hit the purchase button this weekend and strap in for ONE Friday Fights 46.
Tawanchai vs. Superbon
The main event is a meeting of two of the pound-for-pound best strikers on the planet today. For that reason alone, ONE Friday Fights 46 is a must-watch for any and all martial arts fans.
Tawanchai has been heralded as a generational talent. He has done nothing but prove that to true in ONE, and he is currently on an incredible six-fight winning streak in the promotion that incudes winning the ONE featherweight Muay Thai title.
Defending his crown against Superbon would only strengthen his case to be considered at the top of any P4P list, but that will be much easier said than done.
Superbon has already enjoyed his time with that accolade, and he is looking to reclaim it. After defeating Giorgio Petrosyan to win the featherweight kickboxing crown, the Thai star faltered against Chingiz Allazov before getting back in the winner’s column against Tayfun Ozcan.
Now he steps back into the Muay Thai ranks to try to claim his second title in as many sports in ONE.
The stylistic matchup, the title on the line, and the potential legacy impact for both men makes this one of the biggest and best matches across all of martial arts in 2023.
Atomweight Supremacy
Anissa Meksen hasn’t been shy about wanting a shot at atomweight gold in ONE. After nearly three years, she finally gets her first crack at it as part of the triple-header main event.
But it isn’t an easy draw. She will face Muay Thai phenom Phetjeeja, who has been dominating her competition in ONE to date. However, she will be moving into Meksen’s world when they meet to contest the ONE interim atomweight kickboxing championship.
All of these moving parts make for an intriguing matchup. Meksen has been away from action and Phetjeeja is only 21 years old. Will youth and speed dictate the pace? Will Meksen’s accuracy and veteran savvy rule the day? How will the larger gloves affect the Thai star?
All these questions get answered when the bell rings, and one woman will get her hand raised to set-up a title unification bout with Janet Todd in the new year.
Seksan Continues To Not Yield
Seksan Or Kwanmuang made his mark on ONE Friday Fights in 2023, with six straight wins earning him a six-figure contract with ONE. “The Man Who Yields To No One” then debuted on ONE’s biggest stage in U.S. primetime in November and overcame Karim Bennoui in a punishing three-round affair.
He returns to ONE Friday Fights this weekend to battle River Daz in an attempt to continue his winning ways and prove he is ready for title consideration.
The 34-year-old could make a compelling case for Muay Thai Athlete of the Year with a victory. He’d have eight wins in one calendar year, after all, and all of those would have been thrilling encounters.
Seksan is worth the price of admission every time he steps foot inside the ring. His next challenge could be what he needs to put him in the thrill of the hunt in 2024.
ONE Friday Fights Caps Off Insane 2023
ONE developed ONE Friday Fights in January and got it started with Nong-O Hama taking care of business against Alaverdi Ramazanov. If anyone expected the hard-hitting action to slow down throughout the year, they were certainly proven wrong.
Since it’s arrival on the scene, the weekly event series has quickly become the most exciting martial arts product in the industry, with fast-paced, devastating action going live from Lumpinee every Friday.
Although kickboxing and MMA enjoy time on the lineups, Muay Thai is what has shined, and “the art of eight limbs” in four-ounce gloves is becoming the darling of the martial arts world.
Now ONE will cap the year with an incredible lineup of action featuring three world title bouts and other matchups that are sure to deliver jaw-dropping action. ONE Friday Fights has earned its place as an event you cannot miss.
ONE Friday Fights 46 airs live on global pay-per-view on watch.onefc.com for $39.99. The action gets underway at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST.