ONE Championship has confirmed two MMA showdowns for ONE Fight Night 50 on December 19, its final event of the year, live from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Kade Ruotolo meets former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Ok Rae Yoon in the night’s marquee lightweight clash, while Maurice Abevi and Dzhabir Dzhabrailov settle their welterweight score in what promises to be an explosive contest.
The Ruotolo and Ok matchup is the kind that fight fans dream about. Ruotolo, 23, has done nothing but finish opponents since making the leap from submission grappling to MMA in June 2024. A 10-0 promotional record across both disciplines and four MMA outings into his career, the Tenore product has become one of the most exciting fighters on the roster. December 19 represents his toughest MMA test to date.
Ok, 35, knows exactly what it means to perform at the highest level in the lightweight division. The South Korean produced one of the most memorable runs toward the title in ONE Championship history, knocking out former champion Marat Gafurov on debut, defeating MMA legend Eddie Alvarez to earn a title shot, and then outworking Christian Lee across five rounds to claim the ONE Lightweight MMA World Championship in 2021.
A first-defense loss derailed his reign, and mixed results have followed since. But a motivated Ok with a point to prove is always a dangerous proposition, and Ruotolo will need to be at his best to handle the South Korean’s experience and grit.
The welterweight matchup may not last as long but could be equally spectacular. Abevi, 27, has rebuilt his ONE campaign convincingly after a tough promotional debut, stringing together three wins including a first-round TKO in under three minutes in his most recent outing. The Swiss fighter carries genuine momentum into December 19.
Dzhabrailov, 21, carries a different kind of momentum altogether. The Lions MMA Club Phuket product is 4-0 in ONE Championship with all four wins coming in round one. For Abevi, simply surviving the opening round against the Turkish finisher would be an achievement.
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