ONE Championship has added an exciting lightweight MMA clash to May 3's ONE Fight Night 31 card, pitting veteran Zhang Lipeng against Lucas Gabriel at Bangkok's legendary Lumpinee Stadium.
The intergenerational battle will go down in U.S. primetime, as both fighters look to make their case as contenders in ONE's competitive lightweight division.
Zhang, 35, brings a wealth of experience to the cage. Since joining ONE in 2021, the Chinese fighter has lived up to expectations, beginning his promotional tenure with an impressive decision victory over former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Eduard Folayang.
Though the Chinese star's ONE career has seen him alternate between wins and losses as of late, his reputation for delivering action-packed fights remains unblemished. His most recent performance demonstrated his finishing prowess when he stopped welterweight contender Hiroyuki Tetsuka by TKO in the first round.
Back-to-back victories on the global stage strengthened Zhang's position in his quest for gold.
Standing across from the veteran will be 25-year-old Gabriel, who has been nothing short of spectacular in his ONE career. The Nova Uniao Phuket representative holds a perfect 3-0 record in the promotion and an impressive 9-1 mark overall.
Gabriel's last outing showcased both his resilience and submission skills when he rallied from early trouble to secure a third-round submission victory over previously undefeated Russian powerhouse Gadzhimurad Amirzhanov.
The matchup presents a classic stylistic clash between generations: Zhang aims to prove he remains relevant against the division's emerging talent, while Gabriel hopes to use this global platform to announce himself as a legitimate title threat.
With both men looking to make noise in the lightweight division, the match could yield fiery results that could steal the show in Bangkok.
ONE Fight Night 31: Kongthoranee vs. Nong-O II will be broadcast live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Select 2 at 5:30 a.m. India Standard Time (IST) on Saturday, May 3.
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