In the semi-final round of the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix, former WBC and A1 Muay Thai World Champion Samy “AK47” Sana of France takes on former 2-time Russian Challenge and 2-time TNA Kickboxing World Champion Dzhabar “Genghis Khan” Askerov of Russia. Sana shocked the world last April when he defeated Muay Thai legend Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex to advance to the tournament semi-finals. Sana was aggressive and assertive, as he put together the performance of a lifetime to score the upset. Askerov, on the other hand, dominated previous opponent Enriko Kehl to bag a unanimous decision victory and advance in the tournament. Askerov is known for his crisp combinations and thunderous kicks, which he will look to utilize in a high-stakes showdown with Sana. This promises to be an action-packed striking extravaganza that fans will surely not want to miss. Looking to string together two victories in ONE Championship, Vietnamese-American rising star and former LFA Featherweight Champion Thanh Le returns to action against Japanese veteran and former ONE Lightweight World Champion Kotetsu “No Face” Boku. Le burst onto the ONE Championship stage when he stopped dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Yusup Saadulaev with a knee last March. With a style that incorporates elements of taekwondo and boxing, Le will put his skills to the test against Boku. Boku, meanwhile, is no stranger to facing the best talent ONE Championship has to offer, having taken on legends such as Shinya Aoki, Eduard Folayang, and Narantungalag Jadambaa. Boku has tremendous hands and decent grappling, which should prove to be a solid challenge for Le. Thailand’s “Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym will return to the ONE Championship stage when he takes on Kenta Yamada of Japan in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest. Muangthai, who owns a professional Muay Thai record of 198-41-4, was successful in his ONE Championship debut in November of 2018 when he defeated Panicos Yusuf by unanimous decision. Already a 3-time Muay Thai World Champion, the 25-year-old is looking to further his career in the world’s most prestigious all-striking league, ONE Super Series. Yamada, a former WBC Muay Thai Japan Champion, will do his best to derail Muangthai’s progress and boost his own spot in the standings. Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Brazil is on the comeback trail looking to redeem himself following a handful of setbacks. He takes on Indonesian grappling specialist Stefer “The Lion” Rahardian in a strawweight contest. Silva, a Copa do Mundo World Champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with over 15 years of experience, has won numerous regional and national titles in Brazil and is a 3rd degree black belt. Rahardian, on the other hand, is the former ONE Jakarta Flyweight Tournament Champion, and one of the finest martial arts talents to emerge from Indonesia. Five of his eight victories have come by submission. Also seeing action in a series of competitive ONE Super Series Muay Thai bouts are some of the world’s greatest striking talents. WKN, WPMF and WMC Lightweight World Champion Lerdsila Phuket Top Team of Thailand takes on WMC Muay Thai Champion Savvas “The Baby Face Killer” Michael of Cyprus, two-division WMC Muay Thai World Champion Bangpleenoi Petchyindee Academy of Thailand faces Super Muay Thai Champion Yohann Fairtex Drai of France, and 3-time IFMA World Champion Alaverdi Ramazanov of Russia goes head-to-head with Lion Fight Lightweight World Champion Ognjen Topic of Serbia. Brazilan Jiu-Jitsu black belt and TFC Featherweight Champion Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev of Russia is set to square off against former DEEP Tournament Champion Shuya “Stealth” Kamikubo of Japan in a featherweight contest. The 34-year-old veteran Saadulaev recently made the move up to featherweight after experiencing mixed success at bantamweight. However, “Maestro” has yet to record a victory since then. He looks to turn things around, this time against Kamikubo, a formidable opponent who is currently riding a six-bout win streak. ONE Cambodia Featherweight GP Finalist and Kun Khmer specialist Chan Rothana of Cambodia will grace the ONE Championship ring with his presence, taking on Pan-American Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion Gustavo “El Gladiador” Balart of Cuba. Chinese Sanda Champion Zhao Zhi Kang faces 5-time OPMMA Featherweight Champion Paul “The Great King” Lumihi of Indonesia in a bantamweight mixed martial arts contest while former CMSL Champion Hexigetu of China battles Philippine National Kyokushin Karate Champion Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzalez in a strawweight bout. |