The world’s largest martial arts organization will return with its final event of the year when ONE Fight Night 38 goes down live in U.S. primetime on Friday, December 5, from Bangkok, Thailand.
The headline attraction will see reigning and undisputed ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade put his coveted gold on the line against surging #4-ranked contender Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu.
In the co-main event, submission specialists collide as Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis battles Japan’s Daiki Yonekura for the vacant ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Title.
Andrade has carved out a reputation as one of the most dangerous strikers in MMA. His dynamic Muay Thai and killer instincts overwhelmed opponents like Mark Abelardo, Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw, and Kwon Won Il en route to his first crack at ONE Championship’s gold.
That World Title opportunity came after Brazilian rival John “Hands of Stone” Lineker was stripped of his bantamweight crown for missing weight at ONE on Prime Video 3 in October 2022, leaving Andrade as the lone man eligible to win the vacant throne.
Their encounter ended in a no contest when Andrade’s accidental knees to the groin forced the bout to an unceremonious ending in the third round, but not before the Brazilian gave the durable veteran one of the worst beatings of his career.
Five months later at ONE Fight Night 7, Andrade left no doubt in their rematch. “Wonder Boy” resumed the assault on “Hands of Stone”, marking up his senior with pinpoint jabs, crushing body kicks, and endless flurries. That left Lineker’s corner no choice but to intervene after four punishing rounds.
The technical knockout victory crowned Andrade the new bantamweight MMA king.
Although his attempt to capture a second belt in a second sport against current ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty fell short, Andrade rebounded in emphatic fashion.
In his first bantamweight MMA World Title defense at ONE 170 this past January, Andrade demolished Kwon in their rematch, finishing the South Korean in just 42 seconds with a vicious liver shot that reaffirmed his status as one of the most feared strikers in the sport.
Across from him now stands Baatarkhuu, who has surged into World Title contention with a suffocating ground game and an iron will.
The Road To ONE: Mongolia winner started his tenure in the world’s largest martial arts organization with three consecutive victories, including a win over highly touted Filipino standout Jhanlo Mark “The Machine” Sangiao via second-round kimura at ONE Fight Night 13 in August 2023.
Baatarkhuu’s momentum was briefly halted in the following bout, but he rebounded spectacularly with three more wins.
First, the 36-year-old snatched victory from the jaws of defeat just before the final bell at ONE Fight Night 24, locking up an arm-triangle choke on Carlo Bumina-ang and forcing the previously unbeaten Filipino to surrender with just a second left on the clock.
Riding that momentum, Baatarkhuu ventured up to featherweight at ONE Fight Night 27, and needed barely a round to clamp a wrenching kimura on Aaron “Tommy Gun” Cañarte, showing that his grappling dominance transcends divisions.
When he returned to bantamweight at ONE Fight Night 29, the Mongolian veteran showcased the same suffocating pressure over three rounds, neutralizing Jeremy Pacatiw to earn a unanimous decision.
Those victories cemented the 36-year-old as a relentless contender now entering the biggest fight of his career.
And before that headline clash unfolds, the co-main event promises a storm of its own.
Diogo Reis, a two-time ADCC World Champion, is already considered one of the most accomplished grapplers of his generation.
He introduced himself on the global stage of ONE earlier this year at ONE Fight Night 29 with a dazzling display against Shoya Ishiguro, where he chained together a head-scissor choke into a kimura to earn a slick submission finish.
Known for his creative grappling and relentless pursuit of the tap, the 23-year-old Brazilian now looks to claim ONE gold in just his second promotional appearance.
Waiting for him from across the ring is Yonekura, a fellow black belt and one of Japan’s most dangerous submission specialists.
A gold medalist at the 2024 IBJJF Pan Pacific Championship and the 2024 ADCC Sydney Open, Yonekura is widely regarded as a pound-for-pound force in the 135-pound division. He has also built a reputation for lightning-fast leg locks and the ability to finish elite opposition in seconds.
Against Reis, he now has the opportunity to capture his first World Title on the biggest stage of all.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for more news about ONE Fight Night 38.