3 Flyweight Battles to Watch Out for at ONE Fight Night 17

Fight week is upon us, and ONE Fight Night 17: Kryklia vs. Roberts promises to be a thriller when it goes down this Friday, December 8, on U.S. primetime. The all-Muay Thai event, which will be broadcast live via Prime Video from the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, will showcase eight explosive battles featuring some of the world’s best strikers.

In the headlining bout, ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion Roman Kryklia takes aim at two-sport glory when he takes on WBC Muay Thai World Champion Alex Roberts for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title. But multiple divisions will see action in “the art of eight limbs” across the evening, including the stacked flyweight bracket. Veterans and newcomers will take to the ring to work themselves into World Title contention, and we’ve broken down the three most intriguing flyweight meetings below.

Let us look at the top three matches of the night

Jacob Smith vs. Walter Goncalves 

A high-stakes battle between two tough competitors promises to be heated on Friday evening when Walter Goncalves takes on Jacob Smith. After trying his hand in MMA earlier this year, #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Goncalves returns to his bread and butter with a shot at gold in mind. 

The Brazilian star has tested his skills against the best of the best in divisional king Rodtang Jitmuangnon and kickboxing titleholder Superlek Kiatmoo9 so far in his ONE tenure, so he has every weapon needed to get back to winning ways against Smith.

But the British Muay Thai Champion will be looking to show he still deserves to hang at the top after falling short against Rodtang in his promotional debut in May 2022.

A longtime training partner of Muay Thai icon Liam Harrison, Smith won hearts with his courageous performance against “The Iron Man.” A win against Goncalves could cement him as one to watch amongst the ONE fanbase. 

Johan Ghazali vs. Edgar Tabares 

Teen striking phenom Johan Ghazali is ready for his U.S. primetime debut, and he wants to show out against former ONE World Title challenger Edgar Tabares.

The Malaysian-American was sensational across his four outings at ONE Friday Fights, scoring three finishes to earn a six-figure contract with ONE Championship. 

He steps onto the promotion’s biggest stage for the first time at ONE Fight Night 17, and if he can take out Tabares, there’ll be no denying his star quality. But the WBC International Muay Thai Champion will do everything in his power to stop Ghazali’s hype train. 

Tabares fell short when he challenged Rodtang for the flyweight Muay Thai throne in his promotional bow at ONE Fight Night 10 this past May, and he suffered a disappointing defeat against #5-ranked Elias Mahmoud in August, so he’ll be out to make a statement when he meets his young foe this Friday.

Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat vs. Denis Puric 

An unbeaten fan-favorite will return after four years away from the limelight at ONE Fight Night 17, and his bout against a European menace has the potential to steal the show. Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat, Vietnam’s most popular combat sports athlete, hasn’t been seen in action since 2019, but a pair of wins in the flyweight Muay Thai division that year has many waiting with bated breath to see what he can do against Bosnian–Canadian star Denis Puric.

With a 100 percent finishing rate in the world’s largest martial arts organization, “No.1” will undoubtedly find himself in the World Title conversation with another win, but Puric is hungry to return to form after dropping a loss in his last outing this past May.

Read More: “Always Looking for That Extra Edge” –WBA World Champion Boxer Joins Xiong Jing Nan’s Camp for Special Rule Battle Against Supergirl

“The Bosnian Menace” is a lifelong martial artist who has been gunning for a shot at Rodtang’s crown since joining ONE last year. If he can find a second promotional win by handing Duy Nhat his first loss, that dream will move closer to a reality for him.