ONE on TNT IV will be broadcast live this Wednesday (US time). The event is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium and sees Aung La Nsang take on Reinier de Ridder after a last minute reshuffle.
La Nsang was originally supposed to fight Vitaly Bigdash in a middleweight fight but the Russian has COVID-19. Instead he finds himself defending his light heavyweight strap against de Ridder who saw a welterweight title fight with Kiamrian Abbasov fall through a couple of weeks ago.
Another late alteration sees Shinya Aoki matched with Eduard Folayang in a lightweight trilogy bout. The Japanese veteran had originally been scheduled to face Sage Northcutt who is suffering from the lingering effects of COVID-19.
The card also sees Eddie Alvarez back in action for the second time this month. He faces Ok Rae Yoon in a potential lightweight title eliminator.
Here’s my preview:
Colbey Northcutt vs. Courtney Martin (Flyweight)
Colbey Northcutt (1-1) was underwhelming on her promotional debut. The karate specialist could not put away a far smaller opponent, even if she did win the decision by a comfortable margin.
Debutant Courtney Martin won the GAMMA World Championships as a bantamweight and holds an 8-1 amateur record. The Australian will be making her pro debut but looks set to be a real test for Sage Northcutt’s older sister.
Muay Thai: Jackie Buntan vs. Ekaterina Vandaryeva (Strawwweight)
Jackie Buntan looked outstanding against Wondergirl Fairtex last time out. Her boxing was on point and her friend and team mate Jackie Todd has already beaten this opponent in an atomweight fight.
Ekaterina Vandaryeva’s main claim to fame is a win over Joanna J?drzejczyk during her kickboxing career. She has not fought since 2019 and has moved up in weight after giving birth last year.
Shinya Aoki vs. Eduard Folayang (Lightweight)
Shinya Aoki (46-9-0-1) is a southpaw with a solid left kick. But he is one of the greatest submission fighters in MMA history and is only ever one takedown away from victory, as Folayang found out to his cost in the rematch.
Eduard Folayang (22-10) needs to fight the perfect fight. The Filipino cannot afford to get taken down unless there is very little time remaining in the round and needs to make every strike count, no-one has beaten Aoki by decision since 2010 so he probably needs a KO.
Oumar Kane vs. Kirill Grishenko (Heavyweight)
Oumar Kane (3-0) has some ferocious slams as you would expect from a fighter with a background in Senegalese wrestling. He also lit up seasoned kickboxer Patrick Schmid with punches last time out and looks a real prospect in the heavyweight division.
Kirill Grishenko (3-0) appears to come from a wrestling background. He did catch one opponent with a spinning back fist in a previous fight but is quite stiff with his striking and is clearly taking a step up here.
Eddie Alvarez v. Ok Rae Yoon (Lightweight)
Eddie Alvarez (30-8 ) was disqualified in the first round at ONE on TNT. That fight with Iuri Lapicus finished very fast and he has been handed a quick turnaround. The American will bring his trademark aggression, expect him to push the pace with punches and takedowns right from the bell.
Ok Rae Yoon (14-3) uses his height and reach to attack with low kicks and straight punches but lacks any sort of killer instinct. It’s difficult to see him finding a way to finish Alvarez so he probably needs to try and keep the former UFC and Bellator champion at bay with his jab while circling away and avoiding the right hand.
Aung La Nsang (c) vs. Reinier de Ridder (For light heavyweight title)
Aung La Nsang (26-11-0-1) has a crisp Muay Thai style and likes to stay behind a high guard and attack with punches and low kicks. He will want to keep this one standing having already been submitted by de Ridder once.
Reinier de Ridder (13-0) is a BJJ black belt and the 6”4 Dutchman uses his long limbs to very good effect. Striking isn’t his specialty but one takedown is all it takes, as La Nsang found out to his cost in the first fight.
The entire ONE on TNT IV 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 live on TNT.