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| (Image Source: International Business Times/ONE Championship) |
ONE Championship will close the book on 2021 with help from one of the most talent-rich gyms on the planet. The largest mixed martial arts (MMA) organization in Asia will premiere ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II on Friday, 17 December, and the mixed martial arts show will feature four Team Lakay athletes on the bill.
In the main event, #2-ranked flyweight contender Danny “The King” Kingad will finally square off against former ONE Flyweight World Champion and current #4-ranked flyweight contender Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov. The two were originally scheduled to meet in the 2019 ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix semifinals, but Akhmetov was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. In the years that followed, the bout was postponed multiple times but now the global fan base will finally get to watch the long-awaited showdown, which emanates from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. One of those spectators will certainly be ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes, who could potentially defend his belt against the winner at some point in 2022. Both men have history with the Brazilian kingpin, so expect Kingad and Akhmetov to be extra motivated to achieve the victory in “The Lion City.”
Also, the co-main event will feature Kingad’s Team Lakay stablemate, former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon. Belingon, who is also the #2-ranked bantamweight contender, believes he can make one more run at the gold. But in order to kick-start that run and maintain his reputation as one of the division’s most lethal knockout artists, Belingon must defeat explosive South Korean striker “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il, who is eager to take the Filipino’s spot in the rankings. Those aren’t the only Team Lakay members on the card. The Philippines-based gym will also showcase bantamweight phenom Mark Stephen “The Sniper” Loman and 19-year-old sensation Jhanlo Mark “The Machine” Sangiao, who make their promotional debuts against #3-ranked bantamweight contender Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev and Paul “The Great King” Lumihi, respectively. In addition to that, former ONE Welterweight World Champion Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam takes on undefeated Russian juggernaut Murad Ramazanov, and former middleweight titleholder Vitaly Bigdash collides with “King Kong Warrior” Fan Rong.
