ONE Championship is just days away from its second event ever on U.S. soil.
ONE 168: Denver goes down live from Ball Arena in downtown Denver on Friday, Sep. 6, and it’s loaded with thrilling martial arts action from top to bottom.
Ahead of the much-anticipated event, let’s take a look at the four biggest reasons to tune in this Friday night.
Haggerty vs. Superlek
Title matches are almost always a must-watch because of the elite talent involved. Even still, it’s rare to see pound-for-pound greats square off against each other for gold.
However, that is exactly what fans will get to see this Friday when Jonathan Haggerty defends the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title against Superlek Kiatmoo9.
Haggerty is a two-sport king, with both bantamweight Muay Thai and kickboxing titles to his name. Since moving to bantamweight, “The General” has been on another level with incredible finishes under his belt.
Meanwhile, Superlek has devastated the kickboxing and Muay Thai divisions at flyweight, including winning a non-title win over Rodtang Jitmuangnon last year and defending the ONE flyweight kickboxing championship against Takeru Segawa in January.
Now the two step under the bright lights to fire everything in their arsenal at each other in the United States. This is a treat, and the winner will likely lay claim to being the best striker on the planet.
Insane Muay Thai
Outside of the main event, there are four other Muay Thai matchups. All of which feature incredible talents.
Liam Harrison vs. Seksan Or Kwanmuang may be the easy choice for “Fight of the Night” at ONE 168. The two striking veterans have bottled their adrenaline and are ready to uncork it on the world. It is almost guaranteed to be explosive from the opening bell.
Former ONE bantamweight MMA champion John Lineker has been known for his crushing power, and he’s set to bring it to Muay Thai for the first time when he meets Asa Ten Pow. The American star has a chance to make a big leap in his career with a win over Lineker, so fans can bet he’ll show up with all his weapons sharpened.
It is also worth mentioning Johan Estupinan. The Colombian has taken the Muay Thai world by storm, and he’ll look to further his stock when he takes on Sean Climaco in a flyweight firefight.
Teen Stars
ONE 168 will see two teenage stars making the walk to the Circle.
Striking phenom Johan Ghazali is coming off the first loss of his young career against Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat at ONE 167, but the learning experience against a crafty veteran could prove to be exactly what he needed.
“Jojo” has been incredibly exciting since arriving on the scene and this will be his first time competing in front of extended family in the States. He will have a lot to fight for as he tries to recapture some of the magic that made him one to watch when he takes on Mexico’s Josue Cruz in flyweight Muay Thai action.
Directly after that, Adrian Lee will return to ONE, following his professional debut at ONE 167.
The highly-touted prospect from the famed Lee fighting family will get a quick turnaround when he takes on local powerhouse Nico Cornejo, and his brother Christian will be in his corner to help him out.
MMA Firepower
Outside of the incredible Muay Thai lineup, MMA will offer a slate of high-octane matchups.
Flying under the radar is a welterweight slugfest between Hiroyuki Tetsuka and Isi Fitikefu. Tetsuka has been a consistent finisher lately and one of the most exciting athletes to watch in ONE. But Fitikefu’s power could be what is needed to stop “Japanese Beast” in his tracks.
Former two-division champion Aung La N Sang will return to the U.S., as he remains on the brink of earning another shot at the title. The Myanmar superstar will take on Shamil Erdogan, who is undefeated in his professional career, in a middleweight battle.
Also on the card, Alyse Anderson is set to meet Victoria Souza in an atomweight clash that could elevate the winner into the top five of the division. There is a lot to fight for at ONE 168 and these two women should go right after it when the bell rings.
ONE 168: Denver airs live on Prime Video at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Friday. Sep. 6. The event is free for all U.S. and Canadian Amazon Prime members.