After the epic doubleheader that was ONE: Century, fans could be forgiven for thinking that the Singapore-based promotion could be running short of ammunition for their upcoming cards.
Thankfully the lineup for ONE: Dawn Of Valor is a testament to the depth of talent on the company’s roster.
The 13-bout card is set to go down Friday, 25 October, in Jakarta, Indonesia. A pair of title fights will headline the event while former UFC bantamweight John Linekar will be making his anticipated promotional debut.
However, Linekar won’t be the only fighter making their inaugural walk to the ONE circle on Friday. Former Bellator and WSOF signee Johnny Nunez will also be competing in his first ONE Championship bout.
The prelims for ONE: Dawn Of Valor will begin at 6:00 am (EST) on on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the ONE Super App. Starting at 9:30 am (EST) the main card will be streamed on B/R Live.
Kadestam Set To Defend Welterweight Strap
Sweeden’s Zebaztian Kadestam has been steadily improving as a fighter since his 2017 second-round loss to former ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren.
The 29-year-old claimed the vacant title after stopping formerly undefeated American Tyler McGuire via a fifth-round TKO last November. In March, he forced Kazakhstan’s Georgy Kichigin to retire after the second round following a brutal elbow that rocked the challenger.
Kadestam will now face Kyrgyzstan’s Kiamrian Abbasov in the main event of ONE: Dawn Of Valor. Abbasov comes into this bout on the back of a three-bout winning streak. The 26-year-old booked his title shot after stopping Japanese MMA veteran Yushin Okami in the second-round back in March.
Kadestam is an aggressive striker who does his best work on his feet. Abbasov is unlikely to want to get into a stand-up war with the Swede and will look to take the fight to the ground where he has the advantage.
Dutch Delight
The co-main event of the card will see a rematch between ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Regian Eersel and fellow Dutchman Nieky Holzken. The pair first clashed back in May in Singapore at ONE: Enter The Dragon, where Eersel claimed the inaugural title after defeating Holzken via unanimous decision. The bout was far from a one-sided affair as Holzken had early success in the opening rounds, but Eersel came into his own as the contest progressed.
Kickboxing fans would have circled this bout as a must-watch as soon as the matchup was announced. Both men are world-class strikers, and their first encounter was a cracking contest. If high-level striking is what you crave then this is the one bout on the card you can not afford to miss.
The Arrival Of Linekar
There will no doubt be a lot of interest in John Linekar’s ONE debut. The 29-year-old Brazilian has been paired with Tajikistan’s Muin Gafurov.
Gafurov, a world champion sambo fighter, is on a five-bout winning streak, with his last loss coming against Team Lakay’s Kevin Belingon in 2016. The 23-year-old was scheduled to compete at UFC Saint Petersburg until it emerged he was still under contract with ONE.
Linekar is known for his heavy-hands but also his battles with the scales. Under ONE’s unique weight cutting policy, he should hopefully have no issues making weight.
The ONE bantamweight title race is now wide open after Bibiano Fernandes retained his title following a second-straight victory over Kevin Belingon at ONE: Century. A win here for either man could put them in pole position for a shot at the belt.
Main Card:
- Zebaztian Kadestam (c) vs. Kiamrian Abbasov (ONE Welterweight World Championship)
- Regian Eersel vs. Nieky Holzken (ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Championship)
- Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol vs. Bozhena Antoniyar (mma – women’s atomweight)
- Federico Roma vs. Wang Junguang (kickboxing -strawweight)
- John Lineker vs. Muin Gafurov (mma – bantamweight)
- Eko Roni Saputra vs. Kaji Ebin ( mma – flyweight)
Prelims:
- Adrian Mattheis vs. Stefer Rahardian (mma – strawweight)
- Mark Fairtex Abelardo vs. Ayideng Jumayi (mma – bantamweight)
- Amarsanaa Tsogookhuu vs. Antonio Caruso (mma – lightweight)
- Rudy Agustian vs. Abro Fernandes (mma – flyweight)
- Johnny Nunez vs. Kazuki Tokudome (mma – lightweight)
- Egi Rozten vs. Elipitua Siregar ( mma – strawweight)
- Alexi Serepisos vs. Taiki Naito (Muay Thai – flyweight)
- Adi Paryanto vs. Angelo Bimoadji ( mma – strawweight)
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