Virtually all of the big names on the roster were involved in the centenary event earlier this month, so ONE: “Dawn of Valor” represents a return to normality. There are still two title fights as well as the promotional debut of UFC veteran John Lineker.
Unfortunately, Vitaly Bigdash has been forced to pull out of his fight with Leandro Ataides due to a staph infection, robbing the card of one of its marquee matchups. The action takes place this Friday (Oct. 25, 2019) inside Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Here’s my preview of the last five fights:
Adrian Mattheis vs. Stefer Rahardian (Strawweight)
The final all-Indonesian strawweight bouts pits together two promotional veterans who have enjoyed contrasting fortunes of late. Adrian Mattheis (9-4) has won four in a row heading into this bout.
By contrast Stefer Rahardian (8-4) has lost his last four and has seen some limitations exposed in those matches. He is primarily a grappler but doesn’t come from a wrestling background so struggles to control where the fight takes place.
John Lineker vs. Muin Gafurov (Bantamweight)
Muin Gafurov (16-2) tried to sign with the UFC, apparently forgetting he had a contract with ONE Championship. It probably wasn’t the smartest career move but he’s been rewarded with a fight against a Brazilian who made his name in the octagon.
John Lineker (31-9) was one of the most entertaining fighters on the UFC roster but struggled to make weight. He will be looking to make a devastating impact on ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, and has the tools to do just that.
Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol vs. Bozhena Antoniyar (Atomweight)
Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol (6-4) is primarily a a grappler and has plenty of experience. This will be her tenth ONE Championship fight and the last five have all gone the distance.
Bozhena Antoniyar (3-1) comes from a boxing background and easily outstruck Bi Nguyen in her last fight. The Burmese fighter has spent time training at Bali MMA but will probably be at a significant disadvantage if this fight goes to the ground.
Kickboxing: Regian Eersel (c) vs. Nieky Holzken (For Lightweight Title)
In the first fight Regian Eersel scored a late knockdown and was able to use his superior height and reach to good effect. He has the classic Dutch kickboxing style and likes to attack with punches and low kicks.
Nieky Holzken bring some serious power and has legendary status in the kickboxing world. He needs to stay on the outside and pick his shots, if Eersel is able to close the distance and use his knees this could play out like he first fight.
Zebaztian Kadestam (c) vs. Kiamrian Abbasov (For Welterweight Title)
Zebaztian Kadestam (12-4) started his MMA career in Thailand and quickly earned a reputation for being a devastating striker. He uses all the Muay Thai weapons and was known for his head kicks before signing with ONE Championship.
It is worth noting that Kadestam has stopped every single opponent he has faced in his ONE Championship career, apart from Ben Askren. Kiamrian Abbasov (21-4) looked distinctly unimpressive on his ONE Championship debut but has won his last three, he will want to get this one to the ground.
The entire ONE: “Dawn of Valor” part two fight card will be available to view live and free in some territories using the newly launched app which you can download here.