ONE Championship will deliver 11 martial arts contests to your television on Friday, May 3, when ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video goes down live inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The lineup features some of the best athletes across the promotion’s kickboxing, MMA, Muay Thai, and submission grappling ranks, and the diversity of martial arts is only topped by the variety of competitors.
But what stands out on the lineup for ONE Fight Night 22? Here are four key reasons to tune in this Friday night.
A Teenage Hurricane
Smilla Sundell is a teen menace in the best way possible. The Swedish striker is worth every bit of attention fans can give her, and she’ll look to continue building her remarkable resume in the ONE Fight Night 22 main event.
Sundell is set to meet Russia’s Natalia Diachkova, who has the chance to do something Jackie Buntan, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues, and others have failed to do – defeat the 19-year-old superstar.
“The Hurricane’s” length is matched by her skill and heart. She throws excellent combinations, touches up her opponents, and always seeks a finish.
While her voice outside the ring may not match her ferocity inside it, everyone who has faced her has worn the story of the fight on their face at the final bell.
Fans of the striking arts would be wise not to miss this teenage phenom throwing down on Friday.
Lightweight Muay Thai War
Regian Eersel may have lost the lightweight kickboxing crown in his last outing, but he still owns the division’s Muay Thai gold. And two of his former opponents are dead set on earning another crack at “The Immortal” this weekend in Bangkok.
Sinsamut Klinmee and Dmitry Menshikov will go for broke in their lightweight Muay Thai clash, and their respective performances since facing Eersel should be enough reason for fans to tune in.
Both are on a two-fight winning streak and have thrown fire to get there. If fans want an explosive striking match that will surely end with someone on the canvas, this is the one to watch.
Undefeated Featherweights Collide
ONE Featherweight MMA Champion Tang Kai will be watching ONE Fight Night 22 closely as Akbar Abdullaev and Halil Amir are scheduled to collide in a battle of unbeaten stars seeking a shot at the divisional crown.
Abdullaev has looked solid in ONE so far, with back-to-back first-round finishes that pushed his professional slate to 10-0.
But this will be his biggest test to date – in both stakes and size of his foe. After amassing a 3-0 run at lightweight to go 10-0 overall, Amir has chosen to drop down to featherweight as he believes he will find a new gear there.
If the talented Turk retains his power, the division will be put on notice. But should Abdullaev turn him away, he will prove he is ready for the next level. Big questions will be answered in this clash, and a title hopeful will emerge.
The Return Of Akimoto
After more than a year away, Hiroki Akimoto returns to action at ONE Fight Night 22. The former bantamweight kickboxing king will welcome China’s Wei Rui to ONE Championship on Friday, and their battle promises to produce striking greatness.
Akimoto is one of the premier kickboxers on the planet. And his return, alongside the addition of Takeru Segawa and Masaaki Noiri to ONE over the past year, means Japan is standing strong in the organization’s striking ranks.
But Wei will be out to make his mark immediately on Friday, and he is far from a slouch. He has multiple K-1 titles to his name, and his 20-fight winning streak proves he can get the job done.
Fans should have their popcorn ready for this matchup.
ONE Fight Night 22 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, May 3. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.