ONE Championship returns to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, for another action-packed martial arts showcase this Friday, August 15, and a plethora of international athletes are looking to make their presence felt on the global stage.<\/p>\n
The world\u2019s largest martial arts organization will broadcast ONE Friday Fights 120<\/a> live in Asia primetime, and the card promises to deliver more unforgettable moments and breakthrough performances.<\/p>\n There will be 12 intriguing battles spread across MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing, and the show will feature some of the organization\u2019s most beloved stars. Plus, as always, there will be several bright young talents who are looking to win the life-changing six-figure contract and coveted spot on the global roster.<\/p>\n Before the first bell rings, here are five reasons why you can\u2019t miss ONE Friday Fights 120.<\/p>\n #1 Main Event Strikers Bring Fight-Ending Power<\/p>\n Flyweight Muay Thai will take center stage in the main event when Yodlekpet \u201cThe Destroyer\u201d Or Atchariya<\/a> collides with Pompet Panthonggym<\/a>, and this clash has all the ingredients for a knockout finish.<\/p>\n Both men enter the bout with momentum after scoring highlight-reel stoppages in their last outings. For Yodlekpet, it was a statement-making performance at ONE Friday Fights 113<\/a>. The Thai standout snapped a two-fight skid by dismantling surging compatriot Donking Yotharakmuaythai<\/a> in the opening round with a stinging one-two combination.<\/p>\n That result also marked his fifth stoppage win in seven victories under the ONE Friday Fights banner, cementing his status as one of the most dangerous punchers in the division.<\/p>\n Pompet, however, brings his own brand of firepower.<\/p>\n At ONE Friday Fights 111<\/a>, he floored Puengluang Baanramba<\/a> with a thunderous right hook, showing the kind of concussive force that can end a match in an instant. If he connects cleanly on Yodlekpet, the outcome could be just as emphatic.<\/p>\n With both flyweights thriving in the pocket and armed with proven weapons, this showdown is unlikely to reach the judges\u2019 scorecards.<\/p>\n #2 Itsuki Hirata\u2019s Long-Awaited Return<\/p>\n The Lumpinee crowd will also welcome back Japanese standout Itsuki \u201cAndroid 18\u201d Hirata<\/a>, who\u2019s eager to recapture the form that once had fans talking about her as a future ONE Women\u2019s Atomweight MMA World Title challenger.<\/p>\n Hirata made her debut on the global stage at just 19, immediately turning heads with her suffocating grappling, powerful ground-and-pound, and slick judo throws. That combination carried her to four straight wins inside ONE, and she looked set for a rapid climb up the ranks.<\/p>\n The last few years, however, have tested her. Three defeats in a row halted her momentum, forcing her to reassess and rebuild. <\/p>\n Now, she steps back into the ring determined to show she\u2019s still a force in the atomweight MMA division.<\/p>\n Standing across from her is Arti Khatri<\/a>, an undefeated promotional newcomer at 5-0 with an 80 percent finishing rate to her name. Khatri has made it clear she plans to use this matchup to make her own mark among ONE\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n With both women capable of ending a fight inside the distance, this bout has all the makings of a fast-paced, high-pressure battle.<\/p>\n #3 Myanmar\u2019s Finest Out To Make A Statement<\/p>\n Myanmar will be well represented at ONE Friday Fights 120. Not only will Thant Zin<\/a> make his return, but the card will also feature the promotional debuts of undefeated lethwei star Soe Naung Oo<\/a> and seasoned veteran Har Ling Om<\/a>.<\/p>\n Thant Zin has built a reputation as an all-action flyweight Muay Thai competitor.<\/p>\n Bursting onto the ONE Friday Fights scene last year, the 20-year-old scored back-to-back knockouts over Thai opposition before stunning Japanese megastar Takeru \u201cNatural Born Krusher\u201d Segawa<\/a> with a first-round knockdown at ONE Friday Fights 81<\/a>. Though he ultimately fell in the second frame, that showing raised his stock considerably.<\/p>\n More recently, he suffered a setback against Suriyanlek Por Yenying<\/a> at ONE 170<\/a>. Now, with his back against the wall, Thant Zin is aiming to reignite his momentum against Thai hard-hitter Gingsanglek Wor Kumchamnarn<\/a> in a fight that\u2019s guaranteed to deliver fireworks.<\/p>\n Soe Naung Oo arrives to Lumpinee Stadium with a pristine 15-0 slate, and he\u2019ll try to keep that spotless record intact and make some noise in his 128-pound Muay Thai battle against Omar El Halabi<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Har Ling Om will square off against Jurai Ishii<\/a> in a 120-pound Muay Thai clash, bringing his veteran experience to the global stage.<\/p>\n #4 Undefeated Records On The Line<\/p>\n Beyond the debut of Soe Naung Oo and the first promotional appearance of Arti Khatri, several other unbeaten athletes will attempt to defend their flawless records at ONE Friday Fights 120.<\/p>\n Khasan \u201cWolf\u201d Salomov<\/a> will meet Brazil Aekmuangnon<\/a> in a 126-pound Muay Thai tilt. The 14-0 Uzbek striker already owns a victory in ONE Friday Fights and will aim to keep his streak alive against dangerous opposition.<\/p>\n In flyweight MMA, Jang \u201cSirius\u201d Seon Gyu<\/a> and Sardor \u201cGolden\u201d Karimboev<\/a> will face off in a battle between two fighters with 4-0 slates. With only one able to leave the ring with his record intact, fans can expect urgency and intensity from the opening bell.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The South Korean made an instant impact in the world\u2019s largest martial arts organization, edging David Cooke<\/a> via split decision in his promotional debut last year. He then followed that up with a body-shot knockout against Katsuaki Aoyagi<\/a> in the third round at ONE Friday Fights 100<\/a> this past March.<\/p>\n Karimboev has been just as clinical.<\/p>\n In his lone promotional appearance, the Uzbek talent showcased his grappling prowess, submitting Roman Popov<\/a> with a slick triangle armbar in the first round of their June showdown at ONE Friday Fights 113<\/a>.<\/p>\n #5 Another US$100,000 Contract Winner Could Be Unearthed<\/p>\n ONE Friday Fights has consistently produced memorable performances that led to athletes securing a lucrative US$100,000 contract with the promotion and global roster spot.<\/p>\n With proven finishers like Yodlekpet, Pompet, and undefeated Salomov all competing this Friday, the stage is set for another martial artist to leave the \u201cMadison Square Garden of the East\u201d with a life-changing contract.<\/p>\n These strikers have already shown their ability to finish their opponents in emphatic fashion, and another dazzling stoppage win at Lumpinee Stadium could earn them more than just another victory on their records.<\/p>\n As always, spectacular finishes and dominant performances will be under the spotlight \u2013 and any one of these names on the card could walk away as the night\u2019s biggest winner.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"ONE Championship returns to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, for another action-packed martial arts showcase this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":64168,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,785,85],"class_list":["post-64167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64167","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=64167"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/64167\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/64168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=64167"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=64167"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=64167"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}