ONE Championship is ready to delight martial arts fans around the world with ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II on Prime Video this Friday, Jun. 7.
The 11-bout card features big names, fascinating prospects, and exhilarating matchups that are sure to thrill. It is unquestionably one of the year’s best cards from top to bottom.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at four huge reasons to watch ONE 167 this Friday.
Muay Thai Spotlight
Four Muay Thai contests will go down in Bangkok, but the two at the top have all the makings of classics.
British star Liam Harrison will return to ONE after battling injury to meet Katsuki Kitano in bantamweight action on Friday night. “Hitman” has long been one of the most exciting strikers on the planet, and he’s reporting that he feels better than ever ahead of his comeback.
In terms of pure fun, this one is must-see entertainment.
And then there’s the main event.
Tawanchai PK Saenchai and “Smokin” Jo Nattawut will rematch in four-ounce gloves after their exciting 2023 kickboxing affair.
Given the nail-biting action that went down last time and the fact that Tawanchai’s featherweight gold will be on the line, there may not be a more unmissable Muay Thai matchup going down this summer.
Rodtang’s Big Return
ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon will finally step back inside the Circle on Jun. 7.
The last time fans saw Rodtang in action, they were treated to a supreme Muay Thai battle between him and flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 – one that “The Iron Man” lost.
Injury has plagued Rodtang since, leading to him withdrawing from a battle with Takeru Segawa in Jan. But he’s now back on form, and with Superlek surging and a possible meeting with Takeru still floating out there, ONE 167 is a massively important moment for him.
His kickboxing contest with Denis Puric will not be easy, given the Bosnian-Canadian has been calling for a shot at the Thai superstar since his arrival in ONE two years ago.
With every win he has claimed, Puric has named Rodtang his next opponent, so fans can bet he’ll have every weapon sharpened for this bout that could easily steal Fight of the Night.
Ruotolo Debuts In MMA
Kade Ruotolo has been on a tear in the grappling world, and on Friday night, the world will learn if he can translate his skills to MMA.
The lightweight submission grappling king’s first foe in the all-encompassing art will be Blake Cooper, who is well aware that he can steal Ruotolo’s thunder.
However, Cooper’s wrestling-heavy game plan will need to be tweaked to account for his American compatriot’s bread and butter, so it will be fascinating to see how they figure each other out.
The pair may decide to trade blows on the feet or take things to the canvas right away.
With either approach, fans are guaranteed to witness something special when this one kicks off.
Stars of the Future
ONE 167 will feature a wave of rising talent looking to burst onto the global scene live on Prime Video, and fans would be wise not to miss what could be the crowning of several future superstars.
Johan Estupinan had a tremendous ONE debut at ONE Friday Fights 64 this past weekend, and he’ll step up to the promotion’s biggest stage in a quick-turnaround battle against Zafer Sayik. With another win, the unbeaten Colombian could make himself an instant threat in the bantamweight Muay Thai division.
Teen sensation Johan Ghazali will also return to the spotlight against his toughest opponent to date. Vietnamese veteran Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat will try to end the young gun’s hype train when they collide in flyweight Muay Thai early on the card.
The event will also see the debut of Adrian Lee. The youngest of the famed Lee family, which includes former ONE atomweight MMA queen Angela and reigning two-division MMA titleholder Christian, put together a decent amateur slate, but he’ll be taking a step up when he meets Antonio Mammarella in flyweight MMA action on Friday.
ONE 167 airs live on Prime Video on Friday, Jun. 7, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free to all U.S. and Canadian Amazon Prime subscribers.