ONE: “Masters of Destiny” is set for the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur on Friday night. The event is headlined by a featherweight kickboxing Grand Prix quarterfinal rematch between Giorgio Petrosyan and Petchmorrakot Petchyindee.
It also features former champion Angela Lee, who will be looking to get back to her winning ways after suffering the first defeat of her entire career at ONE: “A New Era.”
To see part one of our preview click here.
Troy Worthen vs. Chen Rui (Bantamweight)
This bout pits two undefeated bantamweights together. Troy Worthen (4-0) is an American wrestler who was selected to join Evolve MMA after a recent tryout.
Chen Rui (7-0) made short work of Roman Alvarez in March. The majority of his wins have taken place fighting for international promotions and he is 3-0 for ONE with all three wins coming inside the distance.
Dae Sung Park vs. Kimihiro Eto (Lightweight)
This is a rematch of a bout that first took place under the ONE Warrior Series banner. Dae Sung Park (8-2) won the first fight but has only appeared once since, beating Filipino journeyman Trestle Tan by decision in this venue.
By contrast Kimihiro Eto (16-4-2) has fought three times since their first meeting. He submitted all of his subsequent opponent and finished Tan in under a minute, which should give him plenty of confidence going into the rematch.
Jihin Radzuan vs. Jomary Torres (Atomweight)
Jihin Radzuan (4-1) suffered her first defeat last time out. The Malaysian was well beaten by experienced atomweight Gina Iniong, and is going up against another Filipina here.
Jomary Torres (4-3) has tended to come up short against top level opposition so this will be an opportunity for Radzuan to prove she belongs in that category. She trains under the Catalans but looks like a grappler.
Abro Fernandes vs. Gurdarshan Mangat (Flyweight)
Abro Fernandes (7-1) made his name fighting on One Pride MMA but his ONE Championship debut didn’t exactly go to plan. He was stopped in the second round by Chan Rothana.
The bad news for the Indonesian is that he faces a significant step up in terms of opposition here. Gurdarshan Mangat (14-2) is an experienced submission specialist who will want to get this to the ground.
Ev Ting vs. Daichi Abe (Lightweight)
Ev Ting (16-6) is coming off back to back losses for the first time in his career. They both came at the expense of elite lightweights but the Malaysian born fighter, who is very dangerous with high kicks, will be desperate to get back to winning ways here.
Daichi Abe (6-3) comes from a judo and kickboxing background but has lost his last three. He’s dropping down to lightweight for the first time in his career and should have a size advantage against Ting, who has fought as a featherweight in the past.
Angela Lee (9-1) vs. Michelle Nicolini (Strawweight)
Angela Lee (9-1) was stopped by body shots in the fifth round last time out. This bout is only scheduled for three, and her opponent has very limited striking so we definitely won’t see a repeat of that result.
Michelle Nicolini (5-2) is a multiple time BJJ champion. But her striking is limited and there are question marks over her cardio, so the Brazilian will probably need to win with an early submission here.
Kickboxing: Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Petchmorrakot Petchyindee (Featherweight Grand Prix Quarter Final)
This fight promises to play out very differently from the first meeting. Giorgio Petrosyan was completely outclassing Petchmorrakot Petchyindee until the Thai fighter started clinching, which ultimately caused his decision win to be overturned.
Petchmorrakot’s camp have stated they will not use the same tactics in the second fight, but it’s difficult to see the Thai fighter finding a strategy to win that doesn’t involve tying Petrosyan up and relentlessly attacking with knees.
The Armenian is a master technician and a far superior boxer to Petchmorrakot. If he can keep the fight at mid range he should win comfortably, the Thai needs to find a way to get on the inside and throw knees without breaking the rules.
The entire ONE: “Masters of Destiny” fight card will be available to view live and free in some territories using the newly launched app which you can download here. In the U.S. it will be streamed on B/R Live.