3 Stars Who Could Set the Circle on Fire at Star-Studded ONE 160 You Should Know Of

Another epic night of martial arts action will get underway at ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II on Friday, August 26, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The scintillating card will be headlined by the highly anticipated ONE Lightweight World Title rematch between superstars Ok Rae Yoon and Christian Lee, and there will be nine fascinating battles in the leadup, featuring MMA, submission grappling, and Muay Thai.

There is plenty at stake for all the athletes competing at the event, and here we break down three competitors that stand to gain the most.

#1 Tang Kai 

Tang Kai has flourished in the ONE featherweight division since his debut in 2019.

The Chinese phenom is unbeaten in the Circle, and he has taken out high-profile names like Kim Jae Woong and Ryogo Takahashi on his charge up the rankings.

With such a dominant run on the global stage, it was only a matter of time before Tang got a shot at the divisional strap, and on August 26, he goes for the gold when he challenges ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le.

With a nine-match winning streak and three back-to-back first-round finishes, fans would be wise to fancy his chances in the co-main event tussle. Tang has made his name as a knockout artist, but he can also mix it up on the canvas, making him an all-around threat.

Le will absolutely throw everything he has at the challenger, and the World Champion’s perfect 100% finishing rate and 5-0 record at The Home of Martial Arts mean that Tang will have his work cut out for him in this guaranteed barnburner.

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But if the Chinese star can fight his own way and take out the Vietnamese-American dynamo, it will represent one of the most dominant streaks of any featherweight fighter ONE has seen.

#2 Iuri Lapicus 

After sharing the Circle with some of the craftiest lightweight fighters on the ONE roster, Iuri Lapicus moves up a division to go toe-to-toe with former welterweight king Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam at ONE 160.

The Moldovian powerhouse has shown impressive skill in all areas of his game. He submitted the likes of Marat Gafurov and Shannon Wiratchai and engaged in a couple of tricky stand-up exchanges against Eddie Alvarez and Christian Lee.

Kadestam will be no different. The hard-hitting Swede is an animal in the striking department, and he has enough grappling technique in his arsenal to force a tap from Lapicus.

The 26-year-old wants to prove that he can contest for the welterweight gold in the future, and a win against Kadestam will be the perfect way for him to start his journey towards that goal.

#3 Amir Khan 

Singapore’s Amir Khan may not be enjoying his best run in ONE, but the featherweight athlete still remains one of the most dangerous fighters in the division.

The Evolve MMA athlete is only second to Christian Lee in terms of most finishes inside the Circle (11), and he recently earned a morale-boosting win over Ryogo Takahashi at ONE X.

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Standing across from him on August 26 will be Keanu Subba, another martial artist who boasts a high percentage finishing rate on the global stage.

With both men determined to stay in the spotlight, fans can expect an intense battle when these two clash.

Khan wants to get back on a healthy charge, while Subba wants to score more victories to get himself closer to the divisional gold.

Unfortunately, only one can prevail. And if Khan earns a significant win over the Malaysian fighter, he could expect to face some of the division’s top stars in the near future.

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