ONE Fight Night 33: Rodrigues vs. Persson Preview and Predictions

From the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, ONE Championship will hold ONE Fight Night 33: Rodrigues vs. Persson. The main event is a clash with atomweight Muay Thai gold on the line as reigning champion Allycia Rodrigues welcomes Johanna Persson into her first ONE Championship appearance and it is a title fight. Rodrigues looked as talented as she ever has in her last fight, notching a doctor’s stoppage victory to retain her belt. Persson is looking to make a good appearance on the big stage and she will look to prove that she can not only compete, but defeat, the best in the world.

The co-main event is a featherweight Muay Thai showdown between two experienced, though still young, fighters. Shadow Singha Mawynn was becoming the face of ONE Friday Fights and now that he got the contract to fight under the main promotional banner he will look to be just as recognizable to the broader fans as he is to the niche audience who saw him compete on Friday Fights. Mohamed Younes Rabah is another star on the rise, who got the call as a short notice replacement to take on Saemapetch Fairtex in his promotional debut. He shocked the world by winning that fight and will look to maintain his reputation by taking out Shadow Singha Mawynn.

The event airs live on Amazon Prime Video starting at 9 p.m. ET. Let’s take a look at the preview and predictions.

Allycia Rodrigues stopped Marie McManamon in her last title defense; will she hand the same fate to Johanna Persson?

Yes. Allycia Rodrigues looked as good as ever in her last fight. She was precise the entire time and wore down Marie McManamon until she was able to get the win after a doctor’s stoppage. She will get another stoppage this week but it will be a flurry of strikes that ends the fight, it won’t be in between rounds. Over her career, she has been basically a decision machine but at 27 years old she is finding her power and putting it together nicely. Her Muay Thai skills will shine against Johanna Persson.

Persson only started solely focusing on her combat sports career two years ago when she left her job as a teacher. She is talented, no doubt, but she will not be able to overcome the experience difference in this one. Rodrigues will have better pacing and be able to wear down Persson by the championship rounds. Fatigue, coupled with the speed of Rodrigues, will be the downfall of Persson in this one.

Shadow Singha Mawynn has won his last five fights as part of the ONE Friday Fights series; can he continue that success under the promotion’s big league banner?

Yes. Shadow Singha Mawynn is going to be a star under the ONE banner. In those five fights under ONE Friday Fights, two wins came by knockout. In the big show, he will find just as much success. It is a tough test, taking on Mohamed Younes Rabah. Both of these guys are under 30, so expect this fight to be fought at a fast pace. They will exchange thunderous leg kicks, mostly to the thigh given their backgrounds, and both men will have moments with their hands. This one probably goes the distance, not because they aren’t finishers but because each rising star is incredibly durable. I see Shadow Singha Mawynn keeping the streak alive and scoring win number six in a row.

Pedro Dantas is undefeated heading into his ONE debut; can the Brazilian striker keep his perfect record intact and defeat Ibragim Dauev?

There is a combined one professional loss between these two fighters. They both could be the future face of the promotion so it is paramount that they both win this weekend. It is a short notice bout with Dauev taking the place of Ilya Freymanov on just a week’s notice.

Dantas is a second generation fighter who has been around martial arts his entire life. He may only have six professional fights but he has a wealth of experience in gyms for the majority of his life. Dauev hasn’t lost since 2019 and he has eleven professional fights. Basically, this fight puzzles me because of the short notice in which it came together. I will say Dantas comes into the fight in better shape and can outlast Dauev in a grinding affair but it wouldn’t shock me to see Dauev get the fight to the mat and score a submission win or a stoppage due to ground and pound.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

With this many debutants and fighters with low profiles, I would say that all the fighters could be considered sleepers. While many fans might not know the fighters by name, I think it is worth tuning in early to see Jhanlo Mark Sangiao and Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg clash in a bantamweight bout. The high pace and pressure from both men will make it entertaining for as long as it lasts.