Fight fans are in for a treat when ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian goes down this Friday, August 4, with exciting matchups promised from top to bottom.
Along with the two World Titles being contested at the event, some of the planet’s finest athletes in MMA, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and submission grappling will showcase their skills for everyone watching live inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and around the world.
Not only will the action be hot and heavy, but it also carries with it some huge questions that many are very interested to get answers to, so we’ve decided to break down five of the biggest.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Can Allazov Stay On Top Of The Kickboxing World?
ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Chingiz Allazov claimed the World Title and his spot as the planet’s pound-for-pound best striker when he knocked out Superbon Singha Mawynn this past January. It extended his incredible winning streak to four, which includes his winning run in the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix. However, staying at the top may not be as straightforward as reaching it, and he’s got a significant threat to his reign in his first defense of the coveted throne this Friday evening.
“Chinga” will meet old rival Marat Grigorian in the main event of ONE Fight Night 13, and he’ll be looking for redemption after the Armenian star defeated him when they last clashed 10 years ago.They may not be the same fighters as they were back then, but no amount of accomplishments can erase the fact that Grigorian has beaten him once before, and he certainly has the skills to launch a significant challenge this time out.
Will Brooks Hold His Own Against Musumeci?
“Confident” is a word that best describes strawweight MMA king Jarred Brooks, and nothing will ever take that away – not even a shift to a different sport.”The Monkey God” ran through his division on the way to claiming the World Title last December, and he is still waiting for his first challenger. While he does, he has found a way to become a challenger himself by calling out ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci, who he’ll take on in Friday’s co-main event. Much like Brooks, “Darth Rigatoni” has been dominant in his domain, defeating everyone that has been put in front of him.
With his current run and grappling pedigree, it’s hard to imagine that Brooks will be the man to put an end to his reign. However, the former state wrestling champion is approaching his upcoming match the same way he has his previous four performances – by consistently proclaiming that he’ll beat Musumeci. He even posted a parody video about their clash on his Instagram page. Whether or not Brooks’ claims will come true remains to be seen, but one thing is certain – he is fired up at the chance of taking out a grappling great to claim his second World Title.
Will Tawanchai’s Dominance Carry Over To Kickboxing?
ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai has designs on becoming a double World Champion, and like a true warrior, he has chosen to prove himself in a new sport. As deadly as he has been in ONE’s Muay Thai ranks, Tawanchai’s ability to reign supreme may be limited by the kickboxing rule set he’ll compete under against Davit Kiria at ONE Fight Night 13. With heavier gloves and elbows not being allowed, the Thai superstar will certainly be out of his comfort zone, and his opponent won’t go easy on him when they square off.
Kiria is a former KLF Kickboxing Champion and Glory Kickboxing World Champion with 40 career wins to his name. The Georgian star will be out to prove himself on the global stage after struggling to string a run of wins together in The Home Of Martial Arts. Tawanchai may prove that he is an all-around threat in ONE’s striking sports, or his first venture into kickboxing may serve to break his dominant streak. Either way, fans are in for a treat.
Does Lineker Still Have What It Takes?
John Lineker arrived in ONE like a wrecking ball in 2019, and he destroyed everyone in his path on his way to claiming the ONE Bantamweight World Championship in 2022. However, his destructive run ended dramatically when he met his Brazilian compatriot, Fabricio Andrade. In back-to-back battles with “Wonder Boy,” Lineker found himself on the wrong end of some brutal punishment. While he technically never lost the World Title in a fight – he was stripped of the belt after failing to make the weight limit ahead of their first meeting–the way he lost their second tie planted seeds of doubt surrounding his ability to compete at the very top.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
On August 4, he’ll face another finisher in his return to action. Divisional newcomer Kim Jae Woong has never been afraid to mix it up with the most hard-hitting fighters in the promotion, and his recent move from featherweight to bantamweight means he’ll be hungry to make a name for himself against the former divisional king. Lineker has always been good for the stacked MMA division, but whether or not he’s still able to battle with the best of the bantamweights will no doubt be apparent when he takes on Kim this Friday evening.
Who Will Continue To Rise In The Heavyweight Division?
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida and “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane are two heavyweights hot on the rise towards a World Title opportunity.”Buchecha” has utilized his legendary grappling prowess to take out all four of his opponents so far in ONE in the first round. Meanwhile, Kane has won four of his five matches while displaying enough monstrous strength and striking ability to keep the division on notice.
When these two forces collide, one has to fall, and the victor will emerge as a heavy favorite to be the first challenger to Anatoly Malykhin’s newly unified ONE Heavyweight World Title. Fans can expect this one to play out on the ground, but they shouldn’t be surprised if both men utilize their heavy hands to get the job done. Fans across North America can watch the action go down live and free on Prime Video with an Amazon subscription on Friday, August 4.
