Author: James Goyder

ONE 158 is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday. With the fight between Jarred Brooks and Joshua Pacio falling through, the card will now be headlined by a Muay Thai bout.

In total there are 13 fights on a card which will consist primarily of MMA fights.

Kim Kyung Lock vs. Edson Marques (Lightweight)

Kim Kyung Lock will be making his MMA debut. He competed once in Muay Thai for ONE Championship and was knocked out.

Edson Marques (9-2) came into ONE Championship with a 9-0 record and a big reputation. But he has been knocked out in both of his bouts for the promotion and stylistically this could be a bad matchup for the Brazilian.

Jenelyn Olsim vs. Julie Mezabarba (Atomweight)

Jenelyn Olsim (5-3) comes from a wushu background and has the classic Team Lakay style. Her losses have all come against opponents who have either outgrappled or outwrestled her.

Julie Mezabarba (9-2) comes from a kickboxing background and dominated Mei Yamaguchi on her ONE Championship debut. She tried to take Stamp Fairtex down and it will be interesting to see whether that is the strategy here.

Duke Didier vs. Jasur Mirzamukhamedov (Heavyweight)

Duke Didier (8-1) made his debut in 2011 but has not fought regularly. He is a BJJ black belt who has won numerous submission grappling competitions.

Jasur Mirzamukhamedov (5-0) hails from Uzbekistan and is undefeated. I couldn’t find any footage of his fights.

Odie Delaney vs. Mehdi Barghi (Heavyweight)

Odie Delaney (3-0) needed 66 seconds to win his ONE Championship debut. He was an NCAA Division 1 wrestler so no prizes for guessing what his skillset is.

Mehdi Barghi (4-3) also comes from a wrestling background. He was knocked out on his ONE Championship debut and this looks like a difficult match for him.

Yodkaikaew Fairtex vs. Gurdarshan Mangat (Bantamweight)

Yodkaikaew Fairtex (7-4-1) is a Muay Thai veteran so it was a huge shock to see him knocked out in the opening exchanges of his last fight. It is possible he was overconfident with his striking but he surely won’t make the same mistake twice.

Gurdarshan Mangat (16-3) has a huge advantage in terms of MMA experience. He is a southpaw who is confident in his striking but he is not afraid to shoot for takedowns and that will surely be the strategy here.

Adrian Mattheis vs. Alex Silva (Strawweight)

Adrian Mattheis (10-5) knocked out Alex Silva at the start of the second round last time they fought but there as some controversy over the stoppage. He knocked the Brazilian down but the referee stepped in instantly and didn’t give him any time to recover.

Alex Silva (11-7) is the former strawweight champion but has lost six out of his last ten fights. Mattheis survived a round on the ground with the BJJ black belt last time out and he will want to be more ruthless here.

The entire ONE 158 fight card will be available to view free in some territories using the newly launched app which you can download here.

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For part one of our preview click here.

ONE 157 is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday and the card consists primarily of Muay Thai and submission grappling bouts. There are only four MMA bouts on the 16 fight card.

Kickboxing: Rade Opacic vs. Guto Inocente (Heavyweight)

Rade Opacic has clearly established himself as the best heavyweight kickboxer on the roster. The heavy handed Serbian comes forwards and throws heavy punches and kicks, he has stopped his last three opponents in the second round.

Muay Thai: Jonathan Haggerty vs. Walter Goncalves (Flyweight Grand Prix 1/4 Final)

Jonathan Haggerty is on a three fight win streak after his last loss to Rodtang Jitmuangnon. He will be looking to use his explosive power and dangerous elbows against the young Brazilian

Waltert Goncalves has a tricky style to come up against, using fast footwork to move in and out and effortlessly switching between orthodox and southpaw. His movement gave Rodtang problems and he will be looking to use the same tactics here.

Marcus Buchecha vs. Hugo Cunha (Heavyweight)

Marcus Buchecha (2-0) is a decorated grappler who has made an undefeated start to his MMA career. He has had no issues getting opponents down and once that happens the Brazilian tends to submit them quickly.

Hugo Cunha (6-1) also holds a BJJ black belt but he was also on the Brazilian national wrestling team and is more experienced in MMA terms. Stamina seems to be an issue and he did not look impressive on his ONE Championship debut.

Submission Grappling: Shinya Aoki vs. Kade Ruotolo (Lightweight)

Shinya Aoki is regarded as one of the best grapplers in MMA history. He holds black belts in BJJ and Judo but has been more focused on MMA throughout his career.

Kade Ruotolo competed in submission grappling 14 times last year, winning 12 of them. The teenager only earned his BJJ black belt in December so this pits the recent experience of the Hawaiian against the decades of experience the Japanese veteran has.

Submission Grappling: Garry Tonon vs. Tye Ruotolo (Lightweight)

Garry Tonon was a multiple time no gi grappling world champion before transitioning to MMA. So this isn’t exactly a step into the unknown but Tye Ruotolo has been competing in submission grappling tournaments every other month.

The Hawaiian earned his BJJ black belt last December but competes every other month and has a very good record against purple belts and brown belts. He has only competed once since earning his black belt and won by submission.

Muay Thai: Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Jacob Smith (Flyweight Grand Prix 1/4 Final)

Rodtang Jitmuangnon comes into this contest as a strong favourite. He has an aggressive, walk forwards fighter who will apply non stop pressure and look to finish fights.

Jacob Smith is coming to prove a point and pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets in the sport. He is guaranteed to take the fight to Rodtang which could make for some entertaining exchanges.

Muay Thai: Prajanchay PKSaenchaigym vs. Joseph Lasiri (For strawweight title)

Prajanchay PKSaenchaigym has very fast kicks and teeps and has transitioned seamlessly between professional boxing and Muay Thai in recent years. He is also extremely elusive and should have too much for Joseph Lasiri.

Joseph Lasiri never fought at the top level in Thailand and lost his first four ONE Championship fights. He is coming off an impressive win over Asahi Shinagawa but looks to be outmatched here.

Muay Thai: Petchmorakot Petchyindee (c) vs. Jimmy Vienot (For featherweight title)

Petchmorakot Petchyindee has a reputation for being a clinch hand knee fighter but ONE Championship rules make it difficult for fighters with that style. He had adjusted well and has also embarked upon a successful boxing career.

Jimmy Vienot makes his ONE Championship debut but is a former Lumpinee middleweight champion. He is an experienced southpaw with a solid left kick.

The entire ONE 157 fight card will be available to view free in some territories using the newly launched app which you can download here.

www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder

ONE 157 is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday and the card consists primarily of Muay Thai and submission grappling bouts. There are only four MMA bouts on the 16 fight card.

Muay Thai: Panpayak Jitmuangnon vs. Josue Cruz (Flyweight Grand Prix Alternate Bout)

Panpayak Jitmuangnon needs no introduction to Muay Thai fans having already competed several times on ONE Championship, dropping a decision to Superlek Kiatmoo9. A slick southpaw and former three times sportswriters of Thailand fighter of the year he is clearly the strongest of the four alternates.

Josue Cruz is making his ONE Championship debut and is seen as a strong up and coming prospect. He is an aggressive, walk forward fighter with strong hands and will be looking to test the chin of the Thai legend right from the opening bell.

Muay Thai: Sherzod Kabutov vs. Denis Puric (Flyweight Grand Prix Alternate Bout)

First of the Muaythai tournament alternative bouts, sees Sherzod Kabutov of Kyrgyzstan face Denis Puric from Canada/Bosnia.

Sherzod Kabutov is based out of Thailand and has completed regularly on the Thai circuit and also in Myanmar under Lethwei rules. He has an aggressive style and likes to incorporate some eye catching spinning kicks into his arsenal.

Denis Puric at 37 is the oldest fighter in the tournament and has competed in the past on Kunlun fight and Bellator. He has experience in kickboxing and MMA as well as Muay Thai.

Elipitua Siregar vs. Robin Catalan (Strawweight)

Elipitua Siregar (4-2) comes from a wrestling background but is based at Bali MMA. All four of his wins have come on the ground, either through submissions or ground and pound.

Robin Catalan (9-7) comes from a wushu background and has a whole arsenal of kicks as Gustavo Balart discovered to his cost. He has been submitted several times and will want to keep this one standing.

Wondergirl Jaroonsak vs. Zeba Bano (Strawweight)

Wondergirl Jaroonsak is making her MMA debut but has been training in BJJ for several years and holds a blue belt. She is a seasoned Muay Thai veteran with some devastating knees.

Asha Roka (6-0) has an impressive looking record but the bouts all appear to have taken place in her gym. She comes from a wushu background and could turn out to be well out of her depth here.

Kickboxing: Davit Kiria vs. Mohammed Boutasaa (Featherweight)

Davit Kiria keeps a tight guard and is happy to stay in the pocket soaking up punishment while looking to land a combination of punches. He is not afraid to go to war with opponents but hasn’t been stopped since 2015.

Mohammed Boutasaa is an up and coming Dutch Moroccan prospect who can switch stances throughout a fight. He faces a big step up against the hard hitting Kiria.

Muay Thai: Savvas Michael vs. Amir Naseri (Flyweight Grand Prix 1/4 Final)

Amir Naseri making his ONE Championship debut, but comes with solid credentials. He is one of only three foreign fighters to win a prestigious Omnoi stadium title and is also a former Thai Fight Kings Cup tournament champion.

Michael Savvas hasn’t had the best of fortune fighting on ONE Championship, picking up a nasty arm injury in his match against Thai legend Lerdsila Chumpaetour back in 2019 and getting dropped in a decision loss to Taiki Naito last year. He likes to go forward and look for the knockout, as does his opponent, making this a ‘fight of the night’ contender.

Muay Thai: Superlek Kiatmoo9 vs. Taiki Naito (Flyweight Grand Prix 1/4 Final)

Superlek Kiatmoo9 challenged Ilias Ennahachi for the flyweight kickboxing title last time out and was very unfortunate to lose by decision. He has won two back to back on the stadium circuit since then and, along with Rodtang Jitmuangnon, is one of the tournament favourites.

Taiki Naito is an unorthodox fighter but has had something of a mixed bag of results on ONE Championship. He surprised a few people with his strong win over Savvas Michael, where he dropped the Cypriot fighter on route to a clear win but was dropped twice by Jonathan Haggerty and is the underdog here.

Alyse Anderson vs. Asha Roka (Atomweight)

Alyse Anderson (5-2) is primarily a grappler but she did drop Itsuki Hirata in her ONE Championship debut. She fights out of American Top Team and, if she can get this down, it is unlikely Roka will be able to handle her on the ground.

Asha Roka (4-2) hasn’t fought for two years and lost her first two ONE Championship fights. She comes from a wushu background but her takedown defence looks extremely limited .

The entire ONE 157 fight card will be available to view free in some territories using the newly launched app which you can download here.

www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder

A lot of people are watching ONE Championship on social media. At least according to Nielsen who released a report documenting how many views the world’s biggest sports properties are receiving on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Tik Tok.

Leading the way

According to Nielsen the two sports properties leading the way globally, at least according to this metric, are ONE Championship and the NBA. The Champion’s League is in third, followed by the NFL and the UFC.

The UFC is ahead of ONE Championship in several metrics. The American promotion has 82 million followers across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube while its Asian rival has 42.7mn although that gap does appear to be closing.

Bellator also appears to be slowly but surely gaining online followers. There are 20mn people following the promotion across the three main social media platforms, an increase of 20% from 2020.

Most popular

The UFC is by far the most popular MMA promotion on Tik Tok with 10mn. ONE Championship has 2.2mn while Bellator does not feature at all on this list.

Totally transformed

The last decade has totally transformed the way in which people view sport. Television is no longer the only source of broadcast content but according to Nielsen ‘the strength of TV as a primary source of content consumption still endures’.

Interestingly it is events that take place once per year, or less, that lead the way in terms of TV reach. ONE Championship reached 406mn people in 2022, the UFC reached 259mn and Bellator reached 11mn but it is worth noting that the data excludes non metered channels.

Moving away

The report confirms that audiences are increasingly moving away from traditional linear TV in favour of ‘over the top’ and streaming services. But it does note that ‘TV broadcast remains strong and continues to deliver high viewership but growth is largely driven by digital and social video consumption’.

The UFC got well ahead of this trend by launching Fight Pass in 2013. ONE Championship also appears to have benefitted from a slick social media strategy with more people watching MMA across more different platforms than ever before.

ONE: “Reloaded” is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday. There are currently 16 fights on the card.

Here’s my preview of the fights on the second half of the card (click here for part one):

Yosuke Saruta vs. Gustavo Balart (Strawweight)

Yosuke Saruta (21-10-3) is a former strawweight champion. He wants to fight on the ground and it will be interesting to see whether he wants to, or needs to, adjust that style against an opponent with impressive wrestling credentials.

Gustavo Balart (9-4) might just be the shortest fighters in the entire sport. He will be giving away just four inches here but the Cuban is used to taking on bigger opponents and mixes punches and takedowns to very good effect.

Namiki Kawahara vs. Danial Williams (Strawweight)

Namiki Kawahara (7-4-2-1) was knocked out by Lito Adiwang last time out. He has a very wide stance, hangs his hands low and likes to jump in and out to land strikes which leaves him exposed to counters.

Danial Williams (4-1) is coming off an impressive win over Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke. He also went the distance with Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a Muay Thai fight and is clearly very confident on his feet, we haven’t seen much of his submission game so far.

Muay Thai: Liam Harrison vs. Muangthai PKSaenchaigym (Bantamweight)

Liam Harrison is an aggressive fighter with very strong low kicks who has been in with some of the top Thais. He is highly experienced and fighting in the smaller gloves suits him.

Muangthai PKSaenchaigym was a top fighter in Thailand before the pandemic. But he didn’t fight at all last year and wasn’t impressive on his ONE Championship debut, his elbows are among the best in the entire business though.

Jarred Brooks vs. Bokang Masunyane (Strawweight)

Jarred Brooks (18-2-0-1) is a UFC and Bellator veteran who has been competing at the very top level of the sport for over five years. He was a state wrestling champion in high school, which gives you an idea of his skillset and started competing in MMA since 2010.

Bokang Masunyane (8-0) is also a wrestler who won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. He won his last fight with a head kick but Brooks is clearly the best opponent the South African has ever faced.

Muay Thai: Jackie Buntan vs. Smilla Sundell (For inaugural strawweight title)

Jackie Buntan looked outstanding against Wondergirl Fairtex on her ONE Championship debut. But she barely got out of first gear in her last two fights and will need to be much more active against an opponent who is guaranteed to apply pressure.

Smilla Sundell is based at Fairtex and has a front foot, walk forwards style which is popular in Thailand. She will look to overwhelm Buntan but could leave herself open to counters from the hard hitting Fil-Am fighter.

Kickboxing: Regian Eersel (c) vs. Arian Sadikovic (For lightweight title)

Regian Eersel has been imperious since signing for ONE Championship. He has the classic Dutch kickboxing style and likes to attack with punches and low kicks.

In his last fight Arian Sadikovic devastated Mustapha Haida with knees, kicks and punches to the midsection. He looked more impressive against the Moroccan than Eersel did, although both men went the distance, which could bode well for this contest.

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

www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder

ONE: “Reloaded” is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday. There are currently 16 fights on the card.

Here’s my preview of the MMA fights on the first half of the card:

Keanu Subba vs. James Yang (Featherweight)

Keanu Subbu (7-5) hasn’t won a fight since 2018. He broke out onto the scene as an amateur a decade ago and has a wide stance and good foot movement.

James Yang (1-0) was also a success on the amateur scene before signing with ONE Championship, although in the US rather than Malaysia. He trains with Matt Hume at AMC Pankration but has a background in traditional Chinese martial arts.

Agilan Thani vs Jin Tae Ho (Welterweight)

Agilan Thani (10-6) has been in with some of the biggest names in the division and aside from a one sided defeat to ben Askren he has held his own. The Malaysian is very strong on the ground and will look to get this fight down as soon as possible.

Tae Ho Jin (10-5) earned his ONE Championship contract on the back of a five fight winning streak in his native Korea. He is a bit of a brawler who will hit and get hit.

Abraao Amorim vs Dae Sung Park (Lightweight)

Abraao Amorim (8-3) has not fought since 2018 and is making his ONE Championship debut. He is a BJJ black belt and a decorated grappler so will want to take down an opponent who likes to swing for the fences.

Dae Sung Park (11-2) is riding a five fight winning streak and has beaten BJJ black belts before. He is a southpaw who likes to go toe to toe with opponents but will also shoot for takedowns during these exchanges and look to switch the onslaught to ground and pound.

Ayaka Miura vs Dayane Souza (Strawweight)

Ayaka Miura (11-4) is an armlock specialist but her striking is very limited. But if she can’t secure her trademark submission the Japanese fighter tends to struggle.

Dayane Souza (8-1) arrives in ONE Championship with a very impressive record. Based on the very limited footage available the Brazilian appears to be more of a grappler but she has beaten some solid opponents.

Chen Rui vs Song Min Jong (Bantamweight)

Chen Rui (13-4) is a veteran of seven ONE Championship fights and has won four of them. He has been in some real wars and looks to counter strike but is not afraid to stay in the pocket and trade.

Song Min Jong (12-8) is a former Road FC flyweight champion. The Korean southpaw is confident in his striking but will take the fight down if an opportunity arises.

Windson Ramos vs Woo Sung Hoon (Flyweight)

Windson Ramos (4-1) is a no gi grappling world champion who is returning to MMA after a two year absence from the sport. He had no interest in striking during his previous fights and it will be interesting to see if he has improved since.

Woo Sung Hoon (9-2) is a hard hitting Korean whose last five wins have all come inside the distance. He needed just 18 seconds to knock Yodkaikaew Fairtex out last time around so this looks like a straight up striker vs grappler matchup.

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

www.twitter.com/jamesgoyder