3 Fighters Who Stand to Gain the Most at ONE Fight Night 9

There will be plenty up for grabs for the stars competing at ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs. Haggerty this Friday, April 21.

Featuring four Muay Thai battles and six mixed martial arts contests, the stacked bill seems destined to produce another night of exciting action inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Each bout will be high-stakes for the competitors involved, but some stand to gain more than others if they leave the Ring with a win.

With all eyes on the Thai capital this Friday night, we break down why ONE Fight Night 9 is particularly important for three fighters.

Jhanlo Mark Sangiao

Returning for his third promotional outing, Filipino phenom Jhanlo Mark “The Machine” Sangiao has plenty to prove when he takes on debuting star Matias Farinelli in the night’s curtain-raiser.

First, the 20-year-old will be hoping to use this fight to push himself closer to a spot in the bantamweight rankings. After striding to a 2-0 slate in the promotion, another victory could see him matched up against a ranked contender next.

And second, after the departure of his Team Lakay stablemates over the past two months, the young star will be eager to show that he and his gym still have the juice.

Read more: 3 of the Best Finishes From the Stars Competing at ONE Fight Night 9

A win for Sangiao at ONE Fight Night 9 could have major implications for him and the whole bantamweight MMA division.

Julie Mezabarba

With two losses from three promotional appearances, Brazil’s Julie Mezabarba is in need of a big win in Lumpinee Boxing Stadium this weekend.

And there’s no better opponent for the atomweight mixed martial artist to face than #3-ranked divisional contender Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga.

The Filipina fighter will be another tough test for Mezabarba, given how well-rounded she is in all aspects of her game.

But if the RD Champions representative can take out her ranked opponent, she could find herself knocking on the door of the top five, with four of the best atomweights in the world ready to take her on.

Jonathan Haggerty

Jonathan “The General” Haggerty arrives at the Thai capital with a huge mission – to steal Nong-O Hama’s ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title.

As such, no other athlete stands to gain more than the Londoner at the April 21 event.

Following some issues with meeting the flyweight weight mark, Haggerty decided to move up into the bantamweight Muay Thai ranks.

And his first task there will be to hand the division’s king his first loss in ONE.

Read more: Jonathan Haggerty Praises ‘Idol’ and ‘Legend’ Nong-O, but Vows to Break Thai’s Rhythm

Nong-O has been simply unstoppable thus far, and he seems to be improving with every fight. This will be the Thai icon’s eighth World Title defense in his 10-0 run, and he scored a finish in the last five fights in a row.

But if “The General” can put his elite stand-up skills to good use inside the Ring on Friday, he could score a win and kick off his tenure at bantamweight as the new divisional king.