5 reasons to watch ONE: NextGen this Friday

#2. Clash of undefeated ONE heavyweights

Speaking of heavyweight matchups in ONE, this MMA clash may even be better than its kickboxing counterpart.

Undefeated heavyweight Kirill Grishenko will meet Canadian Dustin Joynson. Both fighters sport spotless pro records.

Grishenko made his ONE Championship debut in April, dominating and finishing Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane in two rounds. It was an impressive performance by the 30-year-old from Minsk, Belarus, and one that he wants to build upon.

Joynson, on the other hand, is a former Dana White’s Contender Series entrant. He appeared on the third season, but his fight ended in a no-contest after being inadvertently eye-poked by opponent Ben Sosoli. Joynson has four finishes, including three knockouts and one submission. He now finds himself in ONE Championship, ready to make his mark among the best fighters in the world.

Don’t look away from your screen because both men have the ability to end matters abruptly with their finishing skills. Nevertheless, it’s a battle of the unbeaten, and somebody’s ‘0’ has got to go.

---

#1. The ONE women’s atomweight world Grand Prix semifinals

Undeniably, the main attraction of ONE: NextGen is the historic ONE women’s atomweight world Grand Prix.

The tournament brought together eight of the world’s best atomweights competing for the Grand Prix belt and a chance to face Angela Lee for the ONE women’s atomweight world championship.

Now, only four fighters remain - No. 3-ranked atomweight Stamp Fairtex, her opponent Julie Mezabarba, No. 4-ranked atomweight Ritu Phogat, and her opponent, Grand Prix alternate Jenelyn Olsim.

The Phogat-Olsim matchup offers fans the classic striker versus grappler showdown, with the Indian wrestling phenom Phogat taking on wushu champion Olsim.

Phogat defeated highly regarded Chinese veteran Meng Bo to advance to this round of the competition. At the same time, Olsim got her entry as an alternate after Phogat’s original opponent, Itsuki Hirata, pulled out of the tournament due to a non-COVID-19-related illness.

Meanwhile, Stamp trounced rival Alyona Rassohyna to make it to the semifinals. After original opponent Seo Hee Ham fell out due to injury, Mezabarba stepped in to take the South Korean’s place. Both Stamp and Mezabarba are capable strikers, but only one will make it to the final round.