3 Fights To Steal The Show At ONE Fight Night 5: De Ridder Vs. Malykhin

ONE Championship will end the year with a plethora of highly touted outings this Saturday, 3 December, at ONE Fight Night 5: De Ridder vs. Malykhin. 

While the top of the card boasts a triple-header of World Championship contests, the undercard will showcase some of the organization's top talent.

That said, here are three bouts that could steal the show at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

Roberto Soldic Vs. Murad Ramazanov

Among the recent fresh faces in ONE, Roberto “Robocop” Soldic stands out from the rest. Touted as the hottest mixed martial artist of this generation, he enters the promotion with a 20-3 record and 17 knockouts to his name.

Soldic’s fighting abilities saw him capture both welterweight and middleweight gold in Europe’s biggest promotion, KSW. In fact, his handiwork saw him ride a seven-fight winning streak into his new home, where his ferocious fighting prowess will be tested by undefeated Russian Murad Ramazanov.

With a record of 11-0, Ramazanov boasts a 3-0 record in ONE and is hoping to cement a World Title opportunity with a victory over the highly touted Croatian.

Tye Ruotolo Vs. Marat Gafurov

While Tye Ruotolo may be sharing the card with his twin brother, Kade, he enters the contest off the back of a thrilling submission victory over legendary BJJ grappler Gary Tonon in his ONE debut this past May.

From one tough opposition to the next, Ruotolo sees his next foe come in the shape of former ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov. The 38-year-old will take part in his first submission grappling contest under the ONE banner, having recently returned to the Circle in tremendous fashion to score a third-round knockout of Ariel Sexton this past July. 

This contest could prove the catalyst for an intriguing lightweight showdown. Should the Russian defeat Ruotolo, he could set himself up for competition with Ruotolo’s brother, the reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion, down the line.

Amber Kitchen Vs. Jackie Buntan

The lead card offers a contest packed with historic ramifications, as the returning Amber Kitchen battles familiar foe Jackie Buntan – a rematch five years in the making. 

Kitchen was the one who left victorious in their first meeting in 2017. Her run thus far in ONE Championship has been underwhelming. However, the Brit feels she has now settled in and it’s make-or-break time against her American adversary. 

Buntan comes into the contest following a loss to ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Smilla Sundell in April. A victory against her longtime rival will not only set the stage for a third outing between the duo, but will catapult her back into title talks.

The lead card for ONE Fight Night 5 will be broadcast live on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 6:30 a.m. India Standard Time (IST) on Saturday, December 3. The main card will follow on Disney+ Hotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 8:30 a.m. IST.

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