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ONE Championship returns on February 24 with a stacked lineup as the promotion returns to the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. ONE Fight Night 7 on Prime Video will feature a slew of must-watch fights, all headlined by a ONE bantamweight world title rematch between former champion John Lineker and No. 1 ranked contender Fabricio Andrade.
In the co-main event of the evening, the ONE featherweight Muay Thai world championship is on the line as Tawanchai PK.Saenchai defends his gold against Turkish striker Jamal Yusupov. Ahead of the massive 10-fight card, we take a look at three of the evening's fights that you absolutely cannot miss.
#3. Danielle Kelly vs. Ayaka Miura
Every Danielle Kelly match is a can’t-miss event, but her February 24 matchup with Judo black belt Ayaka ‘Zombie’ Miura will be unlike any submission grappling showdown she’s had before. Miura will enter the bout with an impressive 11-4 record in mixed martial arts. Not known for her BJJ skills, ‘Zombie’ has impressed inside the circle thus far, earning four submission victories and boasting a 100% finish rate.
It will be a unique challenge for Kelly, who goes into the catchweight bout giving up size to the bigger and arguably stronger Miura. With a win, Kelly could find herself on the cusp of becoming the promotion's first female submission grappling world champion, but the submission grappling sensation is not the type to count her chickens before they hatch.
Thus far, Danielle Kelly is undefeated inside the circle and is coming off of her best performance yet, submitting Sambo world champion Mariia Molchanova in just over two minutes last November.
#2. Martin Nguyen vs. Shamil Gasanov
Martin Nguyen vs. Shamil Gasanov is a high-stakes matchup for each fighter, though for very different reasons. Gasanov entered the promotion undefeated and stayed that way following an impressive first-round submission of Kim Jae Woong in his promotional debut in October. The victory immediately thrust the Russian standout into the No. 5 spot in the featherweight rankings and could very well earn a title opportunity with another dominant win inside the circle.
For Martin Nguyen, the stakes are high, but for vastly different reasons. Having made history as the promotion’s first-ever two-division world champion, ‘The Situ-Asian’ found himself dropping two of his last three bouts, all by way of knockout. With his back against the wall, Nguyen desperately needs a win not only to stay relevant in the division but to ensure that he still has a home under the ONE Championship banner.
Nguyen’s Kill Cliff FC teammate Aung La N Sang recently clawed his way back from a similar hole, rattling off back-to-back first-round knockouts against Yushin Okami and Gilberto Galvao. ‘The Situ-Asian’ hopes to steal some of his friend’s momentum and deliver an upset over the undefeated Russian on February 24.
#1. Fabricio Andrade vs. John Lineker II
It’s no surprise that the rematch between Fabricio Andrade and John Lineker is the most anticipated fight of the night. After their highly entertaining affair in October, the world is ready to see the two Brazilian heavy hitters scrap once again with 26.4 pounds of gold on the line.
Their first meeting was an edge-of-your-seat thriller that unfortunately ended in anticlimactic fashion after an accidental low blow from Andrade resulted in the bout being called off and ruled a no-contest. Up until that point, both fighters peppered one another with brutal blows. Visibly upset following the stoppage, Fabricio Andrade has every intention of making a statement in the sequel and will break out every weapon he has in order to stop Lineker before he can get started.
On the flip side, John Lineker received something of a silver lining after losing the ONE bantamweight title on the scale hours before his first meeting with Andrade. With the throne now sitting empty, ‘Hands of Stone’ will have the chance to once again claim the crown and solidify himself as the best bantamweight fighter in the world.
ONE Fight Night 7 takes place on February 24 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and streams on Amazon Prime in U.S. prime time for North American subscribers.
