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ONE Championship made a magnificent return to its home base at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last weekend with the fireworks display that was ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams on Prime Video.
In the main event, ONE flyweight kickboxing ruler Superlek Kiatmoo9 announced his place among the best strikers on the planet with an earth-shattering knockout of the gutsy Danial Williams.
Meanwhile, comeback queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues legitimized her reign as the undisputed ONE atomweight Muay Thai world champion. She did so by unifying the belts with a five-round beatdown of previous interim world titleholder Janet Todd.
A lot of questions were answered in the promotion’s third marquee card of the year live in US primetime.
Then again, this also opens up more doors concerning the futures of these sensational warriors. Let’s take a look at what’s in store for the biggest winners of ONE Fight Night 8.
#5. How impressive was Akbar Abdullaev and who could he fight next?
Akbar Abdullaev proved his hype is real with a 44-second starching of Oh Ho Taek, putting the entire featherweight division on notice.
The Kyrgyzstani national made it look easy and should be due for a step up in competition.
The promotion’s 155 ranks, of course, is stacked to the brim with talent at the moment, with divisional king Tang Kai at the top of the heap.
There are plenty of interesting matchups for ‘Bakal’ with anyone from the top five. A date with the fifth-ranked Shamil Gasanov should present another classic striker vs. grappler matchup.
If the promotion deems a top-five foe is too early for the 25-year-old KO artist, then a tiff with veterans like Amir Khan or Honorio Banario should be a good test for him.
#4. What’s Zhang Peimian’s ceiling?
The sky’s certainly the limit for Zhang Peimian. Fans and pundits alike are both high on the Chinese prodigy after he displayed prodigious skills despite his young age.
The 19-year-old’s hype train, however, was stopped in its tracks by Jonathan Di Bella in their ONE strawweight kickboxing world title match last year. Truth be told, that stinging defeat might just be the best thing that has ever happened to him at this stage of his career.
‘Fighting Rooster’, after all, has been invincible for a long time and needed a taste of what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
Sure enough, Zhang came back with a vengeance against Torepchi Dongak and reminded everyone that he was still a force to be reckoned with.
While he already called for a rematch with Di Bella following that amazing performance, maybe a fight or two against other contenders is the right play for him instead of running it back with the world champion right away.
#3. Who does Ham Seo Hee face for the atomweight belt?
There’s a dark cloud of uncertainty hovering above the promotion’s women’s atomweight division. It still remains unclear when or if Angela Lee will return after the shocking passing of her sister late last year.
However, the division must go on and ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong teased a possible interim belt.
Ham Seo Hee has already cliched her spot after dismantling Itsuki Hirata. The only question that remains, though, is the identity of her opponent.
The promotion’s head honcho also confirmed that the winner of the ONE Fight Night 10 matchup between Stamp Fairtex and Alyse Anderson will set a date with ‘Hamzzang’.
The first-ranked Stamp, of course, is the favorite after her valiant effort against Lee in her first MMA world title shot last year. Anderson, on the other hand, could disrupt the balance of power if she can record an upset win in Colorado.
Meanwhile, Ham already paid her dues by going 3-0 inside the circle, and it will be interesting to see if she can hoist that massive 26-pound golden belt before this year ends.
#2. Is Janet Todd’s kickboxing gold next for Allycia Hellen Rodrigues?
After returning from an almost three-year hiatus, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues did not waste time and called for a shot at two-sport supremacy.
The proud Brazilian mom-champ wants to run it back with Janet Todd, this time with the American’s atomweight kickboxing crown hanging in the balance.
Sityodtong also addressed Rodrigues’ wish and admitted he was considering it. Then again, the ONE leader also pointed out that she must defend her atomweight Muay Thai throne as well.
A rematch with Stamp Fairtex is a possibility, while a Rodrigues vs. Anissa Meksen bout is a matchup fight fans would love to see.
#1. Will Superlek and Rodtang ever meet in the ring?
The short answer is yes, they should. Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Rodtang Jitmuangnon are the two best flyweight strikers in the world today. Their contrasting days make this a must-happen fight.
It’s the only bout that makes sense for both sides, to be honest.
After defending his flyweight kickboxing world title, ‘The Kicking Machine’ also expressed his desire to trade leather with Rodtang. This time, however, he wants it under Muay Thai rules for the flyweight Muay Thai gold.
Superlek appears to be in a position to make some demands, especially after that godly performance against Danial Williams.
However, we might have to exercise patience for this one since Rodtang is already booked to fight in ONE’s US on-site debut this May at ONE Fight Night 10 against Edgar Tabares.
