3 Underdogs Who Could Snag Huge Wins at ONE on Prime Video 5

This Friday, December 2, ONE on Prime Video 5 will bring North American primetime audiences no shortage of combat sports superstars. The blockbuster event boasts nine high-stakes matchups, and naturally, fans and media alike will circle their favorites – those being the fighters they expect to emerge victorious.

But what about the underdogs? Here, we look at three athletes who could score a career-defining upset at ONE on Prime Video 5.

#1 Anatoly Malykhin

Even though he is the current ONE Interim Heavyweight World Champion, sports a perfect 11-0 record, and owns a 100 percent finishing rate, many fans are picking Anatoly Malykhin to lose to defending light heavyweight king Reinier de Ridder in their main event clash.

The Russian has devastating knockout power, but he lacks the grappling prowess and championship-level experience of De Ridder, making him a slight underdog.

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If “Sladkiy” is able to keep the fight standing and batter the undefeated Dutchman with his ruthless boxing, Malykhin could become a two-division World Champion and knock off one of the sport’s biggest stars in the process.

#2 Matheus Gabriel

Elite BJJ competitor Matheus Gabriel will be thrown into the fire in his promotional debut when he faces defending ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo in the co-main event.

A multiple-time IBJJF Black Belt World Champion in his own right, Gabriel hopes to put a stop to Ruotolo’s red-hot streak that has seen him win the 2022 ADCC World Championships and capture his ONE World Title, winning each match by submission.

The Brazilian, however, is a live underdog. With his complex open guard and dangerous armbars and triangles from top position, the Checkmat representative has proven to be one of the best pound-for-pound jiu-jitsu stylists on the planet.

A win here would earn Gabriel 26 pounds of gold, as well as bragging rights over a true grappling phenom.

# 3 Eduard Folayang

It may seem odd to include a former ONE Lightweight World Champion among the underdogs, but Filipino superstar Eduard Folayang finds himself with his back against the wall after losing his last four MMA bouts.

“Landslide” hopes to get back on track this weekend in the feature fight of the lead card, where he’ll meet Brazilian knockout artist Edson Marques. Despite his losing skid in MMA, Folayang comes into this tussle following a Muay Thai victory over Australian legend John Wayne Parr.

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Riding that momentum, the former champ could get back into the win column in front of his hometown crowd and prove that, at 39 years old, he still has plenty of gas left in the tank.