ONE: ‘Mark of Greatness’ preview (Pt. 2)

ONE: “Mark of Greatness” is set for the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur this Friday and the card is headlined by two kickboxing title fights. In the main event Alaverdi Ramazanov faces Zhang Chenglong for the inaugural bantamweight belt while Sam-A Gaiyanghadao and Wang Junguang face off for the right to be called the first ever strawweight champion.

Local heroes Jihin Radzuan, Agilan Thani and Muhammad Aiman will all be in action while there will also be an intriguing strawweight clash between Ryuto Sawada and Bokang Masunyane.

Here is my preview of the last seven fights (for part one of our preview click here):

Ryuto Sawada vs. Bokang Masunyane (Strawweight)

Ryuto Sawada (12-4-1) comes from a wrestling background but joined Evolve MMA earlier this year. The Japanese fighter has won three bouts in a row by first round submission but faces a step up here.

Bokang Masunyane (6-0) burst onto the scene with some spectacular slams and suplexes on his Pancrase debut. He will have to be careful not to fall foul of the ONE Championship ruleset here.

Muay Thai: Lerdsila Champairtour vs. Elias Mahmoudi (Flyweight)

Lerdsila Champairtour must be very close to a title shot having won four out of four for the ONE Super Series. He celebrates his 39th birthday soon but remains extremely elusive and is good with sweeps and trips.

Elias Mahmoudi was handed a title shot on his ONE Championship debut but ended up leaving the ring on a stretcher after an accidental low blow. The French fighter will be hoping this bout ends on a better notw.

Gurdarshan Mangat vs. Reece McLaren (Flyweight)

Gurdarshan Mangat (15-2) is a submission specialist who hails from Canada but looks set to star in ONE Championship’s Indian expansion. He went the distance with an Indonesian last time out and faces a step up against McLaren

Reece McLaren (12-7) is a fan favourite and has scored some big upsets during his ONE Championship career. The Australian is very good on the ground and will be looking to bounce back after a controversial split decision defeat at the hands of Danny Kingad.

Agilan Thani vs. Dante Schiro (Welterweight)

Agilan Thani (9-4) massively enhanced his reputation by going the distance with Yoshihiro Akiyama and Yushi Okami, beating the former. He’s a strong wrestler with a good ground game.

Dante Schiro (6-0) accepted this fight at late notice and is something of an unknown quantity. It is a big opportunity for the undefeated American who could instantly establish himself as a title contender with a win here.

Jihin Radzuan vs. Denice Zamboanga (Atomweight)

Jihin Radzuan (5-1) comes from a background in wushu and amateur Muay Thai but submissions are her specialty. Her grappling has been key in all four of her ONE Championship victories to date.

Denice Zamboanga (5-0) has spent here entire career competing with the URCC and has yet to be matched with an opponent who has a win on their record. This is a big step up for the Filipina.

Kickboxing: Sam-A Gaiyanghadao vs. Wang Junguang (For Inaugural Strawweight Title)

Sam-A Gaiyanghadao has never competed in a kickboxing bout before but is one of the best Muay Thai fighters of the decade. The Thai won’t be able to use his elbows here but he has a fast left kick and likes to fight from mid range so that shouldn’t be a problem.

Wang Junguang is much more experienced in kickboxing terms and went the distance with Takeru in 2017. He will need to pressurize Sam-A and prevent the Thai veteran from dictating the pace of the fight.

Kickboxing: Alaverdi Ramazanov vs. Zhang Chenglong (For Inaugural Bantamweight Title)

Alaverdi Ramazanov has looked extremely impressive in his ONE Super Series career and was unfortunate to drop decisions to Kongsak Sitboonmee and Saemapetch Fairtex. He’s aggressive and dangerous with both push kicks and punches.

Zhang Chenglong has yet to taste defeat on the ONE Super Series winning three fights out of three. He’s a southpaw with good footwork who likes to lunge in which helps him land some big punches but can also leave him open for counters.

The entire ONE: “Mark of Greatness” fight card will be available to view live and free in some territories using the newly launched app which you can download here.

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