IN LESS than two weeks, the largest event in ONE Championship history will ignite the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.
The promotion will hold ONE: A NEW ERA on Sunday, 31 March, and the spectacle will feature 16 bouts in mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
Ahead of this mega show, Malaysia’s Gianni Subba picked three bouts he is looking forward to watching the most.
#1 Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs Hakim Hamech
The Malaysian feels this encounter will be Muay Thai at its best.
Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon is coming off two successful outings and will have his eyes on a hat trick of victories in this ONE Super Series Muay Thai flyweight battle.
“Rodtang has displayed why he’s a top athlete,” the 26-year-old explained.
“I’ve followed the ONE Super Series for quite a bit, and I feel that he’s the best guy to showcase Muay Thai in Japan. He’s young and explosive, and hits really hard. I don’t see this going the distance, but even if it does, it should be a very entertaining match.”
#2 Kevin Belingon vs Bibiano Fernandes
The first of four ONE World Title matches is none other than the trilogy bout between Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon and Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes.
Both athletes hold one win apiece, and Subba admitted that it’s hard to pick a winner in this ONE Bantamweight World Championship contest.
“We have two of the best bantamweights in ONE taking on each other again. It’s going to be back and forth, but I see Bibiano landing some shots in the early rounds,” he said.
“I can’t pick a winner, but the champion will be the athlete who has the heart to win. If Bibiano has the desire, he can win. Likewise, if Belingon has heart, he can defend his belt.”
#3 Aung La N Sang vs Ken Hasegawa
The rematch of the Bout of the Year for 2018 — and arguably, the greatest World Title contest ever held inside the ONE cage — makes the Malaysian’s must-watch list.
Subba, however, feels that Hasegawa’s second attempt to claim the ONE Middleweight World Title might end in similar fashion.
“It’s hard not to see how these two goes for it again. Aung La has a good chin, and he has a very good knockout power in the final round,” he said.
“Hasegawa is good, and the key to victory would be if he could last until the final round again. Aung La is getting better every day, and he knows what he’s doing whenever he’s in the ONE cage. I see him taking the win.”
