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| (Image Source: Overtime Heroics/ONE Championship) |
A pair of undefeated heavyweight behemoths will headline ONE Championship’s second show of 2022, and the winner will walk away with gold around his waist. Russian juggernaut Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin will square off against Belarusian dynamo Kirill Grishenko for the ONE Interim Heavyweight World Title in the main event of ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE, which will be broadcasting live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on January 28, 2022. But before that titanic matchup goes down, the global fan base will be treated to 11 fiery bouts that are guaranteed to get the night started on the right foot.
Reigning ONE Heavyweight World Champion Arjan “Singh” Bhullar was previously offered to defend his belt, but the Indian star and his management team passed on the opportunity. That led to the main event showdown for the interim gold. “Arjan and his management team have declined multiple offers to defend the ONE Heavyweight World Championship under his current contract. While this plays out, the show must go on in our heavyweight division, so we will be crowning an interim World Champion between top contenders Anatoly Malykhin and Kirill Grishenko," said ONE Championship Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Chatri Sityodtong.
Malykhin has quickly become one of the most destructive forces in the heavyweight division. The Russian grappler had a flawless 2021, scoring a pair of first-round knockout victories over former ONE World Title challenger Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado and Iranian superstar Amir Aliakbari. Now, the charming fan-favorite looks to kick off the new year by winning ONE World Title gold. On the other hand, Grishenko was equally impressive during his rookie year on the global stage. The Belarusian phenom also earned a pair of victories in 2021, as he ripped through two unbeaten rising stars. First, he defeated Senegalese wrestling sensation “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane via second-round TKO, and then he overwhelmed Canadian destroyer Dustin Joynson to take a unanimous decision. Those fantastic showings proved that the reserved European is truly an elite heavyweight and rightfully lined him up for a crack at the richest prize in the sport.
In the co-main event, #1-ranked featherweight mixed martial arts contender “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong will collide with #4-ranked Tang Kai. Kim is coming off a pair of stellar performances, having defeated Japanese veteran Tetsuya “MMA Fantasista” Yamada via second-round TKO and former ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen via first-round knockout. This dominance has earned the South Korean phenom a future title shot at Thanh Le’s ONE Featherweight World Championship. But instead of waiting, Kim wants to remain active – and because of that, he gambles his golden opportunity and spot in the rankings against one of the division’s most dangerous competitors. Tang has established himself as a true force in the weight class. The Chinese knockout artist is riding an eight-bout winning streak, which includes massive victories over blue-chip talent “The Big Heart” Yoon Chang Min, well-respected veteran Ryogo Takahashi, and Southeast Asian sensation Keanu Subba. If Kim beats Tang, he will further solidify his position and guarantee his date with destiny. However, if the Chinese star emerges victorious, he will snatch away the title shot and top-ranked spot from “The Fighting God.”
Aside from featherweight mixed martial arts action, the show will also feature the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix semifinals – and each matchup is coincidentally a trilogy bout. Top-ranked featherweight kickboxing contender Marat Grigorian will look to showcase his dominance against #4-ranked Chingiz “Chinga” Allazov and pull ahead in their heated series. But the Azerbaijan native looks to even the score 1-1-1 and move into the tournament finale. Meanwhile, #3-ranked Sitthichai “Killer Kid” Sitsongpeenong will look to make it a clean sweep and go 3-0 against Davit Kiria. However, the Georgian slugger would love to get one back against the Thai dynamo and move into the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final.
In addition to those exciting battles, several of ONE Championship’s most beloved heroes will make their returns. American star Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks, heavyweight kickboxing bruiser Rade Opacic, former welterweight king Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam, and explosive featherweight strikers Smokin’ Jo Nattawut and Dovydas “Rimkenzo” Rimkus are all scheduled for action. Here is the full lineup of bouts for ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE.
ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE Main Card
• Anatoly Malykhin vs. Kirill Grishenko (ONE Interim Heavyweight World Title)
• Tang Kai vs. Kim Jae Woong (mixed martial arts – featherweight)
• Marat Grigorian vs. Chingiz Allazov (Kickboxing World Grand Prix semifinal)
• Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong vs. Davit Kiria (Kickboxing World Grand Prix semifinal)
• Ruslan Emilbek Uulu vs. Zhang Lipeng (mixed martial arts – lightweight)
• Rade Opacic vs. Françesko Xhaja (kickboxing – heavyweight)
ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE Lead Card
• Hiroba Minowa vs. Jarred Brooks (mixed martial arts – strawweight)
• Smokin’ Jo Nattawut vs. Dovydas Rimkus (Kickboxing World Grand Prix semifinal alternate)
• Tatsumitsu Wada vs. Wang Shuo (mixed martial arts – flyweight)
• Hiroyuki Tetsuka vs. Zebaztian Kadestam (mixed martial arts – welterweight)
• Anderson Silva vs. Paul Elliott (mixed martial arts – light heavyweight)
• Diandra Martin vs. Smilla Sundell (Muay Thai – catchweight of 58 kilograms)
Catch ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE on January 28, 2022 (Friday) live from inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium on One Sports (analog free TV channel 41, SKYcable channel 59, Cignal channel 6), One Sports+ (Cignal SD channel 91 and HD channel 261), ONE Championship's YouTube channel and the ONE Championship Super App. For more ONE Championship news and updates, visit ONEFC.COM and @ONEChampionship on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
