Suablack Seeks Redemption And Irvine Chases Stardom At ONE Fight Night 45

Three fights. Six fighters. All of them with something significant to prove. ONE Championship has confirmed a trio of Muay Thai matchups for ONE Fight Night 45: Lessei vs. Rabah on Prime Video on 17 July at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand — headlined by Suablack Tor Pran49 versus Stephen "El Matador" Irvine in flyweight action.

Suablack's ONE journey has been one of sharp contrasts. Six consecutive wins on arrival, a six-figure contract, then a venture into kickboxing that produced two defeats including a first-round KO loss to Hyu at ONE Fight Night 41. The 28-year-old has seen enough. He returns to Muay Thai, where his explosive instincts and knockout power are at their most dangerous.

Irvine represents everything an opposite trajectory looks like — steady, ascending, and peaking. A 7-1 record across the ONE Friday Fights series, a spectacular first-round finish of Rambong Sor Therapat, and a US$100,000 contract later, the Scottish standout trained alongside Nico Carrillo makes his main roster debut. The flyweight division should pay attention.

Suakim Pongsuphan PK very nearly walked away from fighting altogether. A global pandemic tested his resolve, but the three-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion found his passion again under the ONE banner and has not stopped winning since — seven consecutive victories, the latest a clinical dissection of Vladimir Kuzmin at ONE Fight Night 42.

Kovtun represents the sternest test of that revival. The Russian is riding back-to-back wins and makes no secret of his intention — stop Suakim, earn a shot at bantamweight world champion Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon. Two motivated, improved fighters with genuine divisional stakes. This bantamweight clash has all the ingredients for the night's hardest-fought contest.

Black Panther has won five straight since finding his rhythm at Team Mehdi Zatout, most recently grinding out a breathtaking split decision over Diego Paez. Climaco arrives desperate to reverse a losing run — the Filipino-American is 2-2 in ONE Championship and knows a statement performance against the in-form Thai technician could change everything.