Rodtang, Garry Tonon, Roman Kryklia and More: 3 Fights to Make After ONE 165

This past weekend, ONE 165: Superlek vs Takeru delivered on the excitement it promised with an explosive main event and pivotal bouts yielding decisive conclusions. Reigning kings Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Kade Ruotolo once again proved to the world why they are the best at what they do following impressive wins against top-caliber opponents.

Elsewhere on the card, some fighters also claimed important wins that could lead them to a shot at gold in their next respective outings. With the dust finally settling from the event, here are three matches that we would love to see happen next time around.

Rodtang vs. Takeru

ONE 165 initially had Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa clashing in the main event.

Unfortunately, the match fell through following an injury suffered by “The Iron Man” during training. As a result, Superlek, who was also without an opponent after Elias Mahmoudi pulled out of their matchup in an earlier event, stepped in to produce the monumental main event we saw this past weekend.

While fans would no doubt want to see Superlek and Rodtang have another go in a five-round match, seeing “The Iron Man” take on Takeru would be by no means a downgrade.

Both Rodtang and Takeru have shown that they are in a class of their own, and getting back in the win column would surely earn them a shot at a rematch against Superlek.

Garry Tonon vs. Thanh Le

Garry Tonon got his wish of fighting Martin Nguyen, who he called the “toughest fighter in the division,” and picked up an impressive first-round submission win. Now, he’s hopeful that his next two wishes will be granted – for Thanh Le to win a World Title unification bout against Tang Kai and to get a rematch against Le for the gold.

To date, “The Lion Killer” only has one loss on his professional MMA record – a first round knockout against the Vietnamese-American star. He has since bounced back with three straight wins, including his latest masterpiece against Nguyen.

Now unquestionably the top contender in the featherweight MMA division, the American wants another shot at gold. While he has no qualms about testing his skills against Tang, he said in the post-fight interview that he wants Le to win the division’s top prize so that he can take it from him.

Considering the build-up to their previous encounter, the expected back-and-forth for their rematch and their actual match would be one for the ages.

Also read:“It Will Be Sweet Revenge” – Garry Tonon Hopeful for Thanh Le to Reclaim Featherweight Gold as He Seeks Rematch

Rade Opacic vs. Roman Kryklia

Iraj Azizpour and Rade Opacic put on a brilliant clash of titans in their heavyweight kickboxing match at ONE 165, with Opacic claiming the all-important win. In defeating Azizpour, the Serbian has taken out the only man to beat two-sport World Champion Roman Kryklia in six years and has proven that he is ready for his shot at glory.

Kryklia, who won the ONE Heavyweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix at the expense of Azizpour at ONE 163 in November 2022, will be looking to claim the World Title in the division soon. Now that Opacic has emerged as a legitimate contender, it will only be a matter of time before we see these powerhouses collide.

Interestingly, Opacic has a bone to pick with Kryklia, having previously lost via TKO in their initial meeting in 2019. He has grown leaps and bounds since then, claiming five knockouts in seven wins inside ONE, and he will certainly look to show his improvements in their rematch.

Also Read: Martin Nguyen Explains Why Garry Tonon Is the “Right Fight” to Fuel His World Title Ambitions