When it comes to unfinished business, John Lineker and Fabricio Andrade have plenty. This heated rivalry came to a head in October last year when the pair met for the first time, and boasted a bantamweight division. The no contest after Andrade’s stiff groin shot only threw fuel on their fire and now we can take things back again. With the world bantamweight title on the line, expect fireworks in this one.
Muay Thai master class
When Tawanchai PK.Saenchai takes on Jamal Yusupov, we’ll see two of the best in the world in action. Bantamweight Muay Thai champion Tavanchai will put his title on the line against a second-ranked fighter who grew up in the tough environment of Dagestan but now represents Turkey. Yusupov has won all three of his ONE outings, while Tavanchai is riding a three-fight winning streak that includes two impressive knockouts.
Kelly is reaching for the stars
When it comes to fighters expected to skyrocket in 2023, put Daniel Kelly in that category. The American is elite when it comes to BJJ and his catchweight bout against Akaya Miura is just the test he needs to kick off the year. She was extremely impressive, representing the world sambo champion Maria Molchanova last time, receiving a bonus of $50 thousand. Kelly wants to win the world title this year and this is the next rung on the ladder.
The legend wants to get back on track
Martin Nguyen’s legacy is already secured. The first two-division world champion in ONE is an all-time great, but will be looking to get his name back in the win column. He may have lost three of his last four, but is still ranked fourth in the featherweight division, and at 33, time is still not catching up with him. His next is Shamil Gasanov. The Russian is ranked just one spot behind Nguyen and is looking to build on his ONE debut win last October.
The challenger wants a title shot
Number one ranked bantamweight kickboxer Saemapetch Fairtex kicks off his 2023 campaign this month. 2022 certainly had its ups and downs, with a loss to rival Tavancha being the most notable of the lows, but a win last time out put him in the win column. A win over Zhang Chenglong might not be considered a statement victory (Zhang has lost his last five fights), but would add another layer of confidence as he goes on the hunt for gold in 2023.
ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker v Andrade takes place on Saturday, February 25 at 04:00 GST at the Lampini Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. This is a night not to be missed, so mark your calendars, download the ONE Super app and head over to watch.onefc.com now!