3 Key Takeaways From ONE Friday Fights 1

In its bid to showcase the Muay Thai to the world, ONE hosted the inaugural Friday Fights 1 on 20 January and delivered at every turn.

The iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, kicked off ONE Championship’s weekly extravaganza, which highlighted Muay Thai and MMA action throughout the card.

Looking back on Friday’s show, here are three key takeaways from ONE Friday Fights 1.

Nong-O Exceeds Expectations

ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao has been an untouchable force since arriving in ONE five years ago, and last Friday he displayed his greatest showing so far.

In true fashion, Nong-O took on his latest challenge in #2 contender Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov with fervor. The tide looked to be turning in favor of the longer, rangier, and younger Ramazanov, but the Thai legend was not to be written off.

Ramazanov stuck to his guns and, for some time, picked his way through the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion. While the Russian slugger looked confident in his striking barrages, the experience of Nong-O began to take stage.

The cardiovascular capabilities of the “Babyface Killer” waned in the third frame, and it wasn’t long until Nong-O’s flurry forced the Russian to wilt after a destructive body shot.

Ramazanov couldn’t answer the eight-count, and Nong-O successfully defended his World Title for a seventh consecutive outing in a row.

The finish also took the 36-year-old to five straight finishes, earning him US$50,000 bonus for his efforts.

Seksan And Harrison Deliver Potential ‘Fight Of The Year’ Performance

It might’ve been only 20 days into 2023, but Seksan Or. Kwanmuang and Tyson Harrison delivered a contender for fight of the year.

Over the course of three rounds, the Thai legend and the Australian scrapper went back and forth in relentless 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai action as both refused to take a backward step.

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The affair sent the crowd into a frenzy, as the cheered with every blow landed. As the dust settled, though, Seksan managed to earn the nod from two of the three judges as well as a US$50,000 bonus for the incredible outing.

Prajanchai Returns Emphatically

Former ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai PK.Saenchai got back to winning ways last Friday, using his unanimous decision win over Kompetch Sitsarawatsuer to announce his return to action.

Kompetch attempted to blitz Prajanchai in the early going, but the former king of the mountain utilized his expert offense to avoid any unnecessary encounters against the the youthful opposition.

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The victory puts Prajanchai back in title contention, as he now plans his 2023 path back to Joseph Lasiri’s throne.

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