5 incredible storylines heading into ONE on Prime Video 2: Xiong vs. Lee III

Sequels often have a hard time living up to the original, but ONE on Prime Video 2: Xiong vs. Lee III might just outdo what ONE on Prime Video 1 did.

ONE on Prime Video 2 will see the culmination and, in the case of one fight, the continuation of several storylines. The event is set to air at US primetime this Friday from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

From three world title matches to the return of a former two-division king, the second ONE Championship card on Amazon Prime Video is primed to deliver martial arts drama in the truest sense of the word.

That said, here are the five best storylines that will surely put the eyes on ONE on Prime Video 2.

#5. Stamp Fairtex vs. Jihin Radzuan, the beginning of new beef?

Feuds are not uncommon in mixed martial arts. Sometimes the best of them start even before the fight begins.

Stamp Fairtex and Jihin Radzuan are two fighters you least expect to start feuding, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

The two top-ranked atomweights have exchanged scathing words heading into their match at ONE on Prime Video 2, with both martial artists shrugging off each other’s capabilities.

Stamp, the No.1-ranked women’s atomweight contender, is regarded as one of the best strikers of her generation. Jihin, however, doesn’t believe that one bit. In an interview with ONE Championship, the No.5-ranked contender called the Thai superstar the "worst of the fighters" that she’s faced.

Not one to take things lightly, Stamp launched her counterstrike. She said in an interview with ONE Championship that she plans on knocking Jihin out and collecting a sweet $50,000 bonus in the process.

#4. The return of Martin Nguyen at ONE on Prime Video 2

Martin Nguyen may have been long removed from his days as a two-division king, but his name alone still carries a lot of weight, especially in his natural featherweight division.

Despite losing the ONE featherweight and lightweight world titles, ‘The Situ-Asian’ is mounting a strong comeback. A win over the debuting Ilya Freymanov at ONE on Prime Video 2 would put Nguyen closer to the top of the 155-pound division.

The former two-division world champion is coming off a third-round knockout of Kirill Gorobets at ONE: Lights Out this past March. He wants nothing more than to dispatch Freymanov at ONE on Prime Video 2.

Ranked No.3 in the featherweight division, Nguyen could see his stock rise if he takes an emphatic win over the Russian fighter and it could just be a matter of time before the Vietnamese-Australian star is back contending for the world title he once held.

#3. Superbon’s second world title defense

It’s often said that world champions are made through their defenses and not on the win that delivered them the world championship in the first place.

That sentiment is also a haunting reminder that Superbon Singha Mawynn is trying to shake off.

The Thai superstar became the inaugural ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion when he knocked out Giorgio Petrosyan, the man considered the greatest kickboxer of all time, at ONE: First Strike in October 2021.

He has since defended the world title once against old rival Marat Grigorian, taking a dominant unanimous decision win at ONE X this past March. Still, the lingering thought of chasing enough defenses haunts Superbon.

Nevertheless, he can bolden his legacy when he faces No.5-ranked contender Tayfun Ozcan at ONE on Prime Video 2.

Ozcan, who holds an 84-9-3 record, took the fight on short notice after ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Champion Chingiz Allazov pulled out due to injury.

Although it was a sudden change, Superbon can use that predicament to further his growing legend. If Superbon beats Ozcan, then he might just well silence the critics and establish himself as the indomitable king of his division.

#2. The inaugural ONE submission grappling world champion will be crowned

ONE Championship just took its biggest step in the development of submission grappling.

The organization has long been adamant about pushing Brazilian jiu-jitsu into the broader mainstream audience. Its launch of the ONE flyweight submission grappling world championship has pushed the discipline to new heights.

Battling for the promotion’s inaugural submission grappling world title at ONE on Prime Video 2 are old rivals Mikey Musumeci and Cleber Sousa. The two grapplers faced each other back in 2017, with their head-to-head sitting at a 1-1 stalemate.

Although their first two fights happened five years ago, the aftermath of their encounters still lingers to this day. Both Sousa and Musumeci are determined to break the tie and put an end to the rivalry on their terms.

Of course, there’s always the prestige of becoming the first ONE submission grappling world champion. Both fighters would be foolish to let that opportunity at ONE on Prime Video 2 slip away.

#1. Xiong Jing Nan vs. Angela Lee reaches its trilogy

This might just be the most intriguing rivalry in the history of ONE Championship. Xiong Jing Nan and Angela Lee are the world champions of their respective divisions and yet the two are embroiled in a feud that has put the sport on notice.

Xiong, the ONE women’s strawweight world champion, and Lee, the ONE women’s atomweight world champion, have been battling for supremacy since 2019. The two fighters are 1-1 in their head-to-head series.

Their trilogy bout at ONE on Prime Video 2 marks the second time that Xiong’s world title will be defended in this series. The Chinese superstar is hellbent on retaining the gold that she’s held since January 2018.

Lee, meanwhile, will try for the second time after she failed in her first bid at ONE: A New Era in March 2019.

While the main event of ONE on Prime Video 2 is a trilogy, that doesn’t mean the feud between Xiong and Lee will reach its end. If Xiong beats Lee for the second time, she has full leverage to demand a shot at ‘Unstoppable’s atomweight crown— a gold she once tried but failed to get in October 2019.

Lee, on the other hand, can avenge her loss to Xiong and realize her dream of becoming a two-division world champion. In doing so, she would cement her place as the best female fighter in ONE Championship history.