3 Must-Watch Muay Thai Fights at ONE Fight Night 23

ONE Championship’s next event on U.S. primetime promises to be another action-packed showcase of combat sports across multiple disciplines, but Muay Thai could be the star of the night.

ONE Fight Night 23 will go live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, July 5, and it is set to feature some of the promotion’s best striking talent up and down the card. With that in mind, here are three Muay Thai battles that fans should not miss at the jam-packed show.

Nico Carrillo vs. Saemapetch Fairtex

In a battle of ranked bantamweight contenders, Nico “King of the North” Carrillo and Saemapetch Fairtex are expected to deliver fireworks when they clash.

Top-ranked Carrillo is undefeated in three appearances in ONE, and he has won all of them via knockout. His latest victory came against former longtime bantamweight Muay Thai king Nong-O Hama last December, and he’ll be hoping to continue his blistering form against another hard-hitting Thai at ONE Fight Night 23.

However, Saemapetch certainly has the skills and experience to stop the Scottish slugger in his tracks. The #4-ranked contender is known for his powerful offense, and it has helped him claim four knockouts in his nine wins in ONE.

Both fighters are hungry to prove they deserve a crack at the coveted World Title, so fans should expect them to go all-out when they meet in July.

Luke Lessei vs. Bampara Kouyate

Speaking of fighters out to prove themselves, the featherweight Muay Thai meeting between Luke “The Chef” Lessei and Bampara Kouyate has star-making potential written all over it.

Through two bouts in ONE, “The Chef” has shown he is an electrifying performer from bell to bell. He stood toe-to-toe with “Smokin” Jo Nattawut in a hard-fought debut match that didn’t go his way at ONE Fight Night 17. But the American striker rebounded quickly to pick up a win against Eddie “Silky Smooth” Abasolo two months later, earning him the #5-ranked position in the stacked featherweight Muay Thai division.

His foe, Kouyate, saw similar misfortune in his ONE debut last October, but he has an accomplished professional resume. The 29-year-old is a reigning WMC European Muay Thai Champion and former French National Muay Thai Champion, and he also claimed a medal in the 2023 IFMA Muay Thai World Championships. Most recently, he added a WMC Muay Thai World Title to his collection.

With still much to showcase in their respective tenures in ONE Championship, Lessei and Kouyate will leave nothing on the table when they collide. A new star may emerge in the talent-laden featherweight Muay Thai division when the smoke settles on this one.

Aliff Sor Dechapan vs. Ellis Badr Barboza

Another fight fans could be talking about after the curtain comes down on ONE Fight Night 23 is Thai sensation Aliff Sor Dechapan’s strawweight Muay Thai battle with British brawler Ellis “El Jefe” Badr Barboza.

Aliff made his way to ONE’s biggest stage after four stellar performances in the ONE Friday Fights series earned him a six-figure contract with the promotion. He picked up three knockouts and a decision win before his impressive run was ended by former World Title challenger Zhang “Fighting Rooster” Peimian at ONE Friday Fights 58 last April, so he’ll be out to get back on track against Barboza.

For his part, “El Jefe” will be looking to remind the world of his skills after spending seven months on the sidelines. The Fairtex Training Center athlete was dominant in his promotional debut against Thongpoon PK Saenchai at ONE Fight Night 17 last December, though that bout was later ruled a no-contest.These two young stars will jostle for divisional relevance when they meet in Lumpinee, and they’ve both proven they can get the job done, so a finish is likely.