'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
After three wins on ONE Friday Fights, Lucas Gabriel is moving to make his name on the global stage at ONE Fight Night 31. The 25-year-old Brazilian has looked sharp on the undercard series, but now he’s stepping into deeper waters against Chinese veteran Zhang Lipeng - a fighter who has accumulated 18 finishes in a five-year period.
It’s the biggest test of his career so far, and a chance to show he belongs in the big hunting grounds.
Speaking with ONE Championship in an exclusive interview ahead of fight night, Gabriel acknowledged Zhang's strengths but iterated that he is the better fighter:
“He is dangerous both standing and on the ground, has a lot of knockout power, and has a lot of submissions in his career," he said. "He is a complete MMA fighter, just like me, but I believe I am better than him in all areas, and I will prove that in the fight.”
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
“He will be a great challenge for me” - Lucas Gabriel ready for his trial by fire against ONE veteran Zhang Lipeng
Zhang Lipeng is walking into the bout with a first-round TKO win from his last outing. He has been around, fought on big stages, and has the knockout power to end fights early. Lucas Gabriel knows this - and only thinks he's the perfect fighter to test his skills against.
“I know Zhang Lipeng is a strong and experienced opponent," he said. "He has fought in major events, so I believe he will be a great challenge for me.”
See Lucas Gabriel and Zhang Lipeng in action on May 2 at ONE Fight Night 31, taking place at 9 PM Eastern Time. Fight fans in Canada and the United States can stream the action live with an active Prime Video subscription.
