Singapore-based MMA promotion ONE Championship will close out their busy 2021 schedule on Friday when presenting “Winter Warriors 2.” The pre-taped nine-fight card is mostly MMA-focused but also includes Muay Thai and kickboxing on the prelims.
Here’s a preview of everything that is expected to air on Friday.
Click here to skip to a preview of the main card.
Lead Card (6:30AM EST / 7:30PM SGT) (Bleacher Report App / Youtube)
Bout 1: Joseph Lasiri vs. Asahi Shinagawa (125 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)
Joseph Lasiri will make his return in the opening bout when facing Asahi Shinagawa in a Muay Thai bout.
Lasiri has fought in ONE Championship since 2018. He last appeared in late 2020, where he earned a close decision win over Rocky Ogden. He has since competed outside of the promotions once in Thailand, losing a bout in April.
Shinagawa will be making his flagship ONE Championship debut. He fought once on their “Japan Series” back in 2019, earning a win there. He is joining the ONE roster after a long series of wins in the Japanese Muay Thai organization Battle of Muay Thai.
Bout 2: Fabricio de Andrade (5-2) vs. Li Kai Wen (10-4) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Rising featherweight Li Kai Wen will compete for the first time in over two years when facing Fabricio de Andrade.
Li is a veteran of ONE, having been on their roster since 2014. He was on a hot run in the promotion before his absence, scoring four consecutive finish wins between 2018 and 2019. Still only 26 years old, Li is returning after a long layoff but likely still has lots of fighting left in his career.
De Andrade has been successful in both of his ONE Championship appearances thus far. He defeated veteran Shoko Sato early this year, beating him on scorecards.
Bout 3: Mustapha Haida vs. Arian Sadikovic (170 lbs) (Kickboxing Bout)
Mustapha Haida will attempt to return to the win column when facing ONE newcomer Arian Sadikovic on the prelims.
Haida has been unsuccessful in his last two ONE bouts. He challenged for a belt earlier this year, losing a decision to Regian Eersel.
Sadikovic has fought twice in notable kickboxing promotion GLORY, attaining a win and a loss in 2019.
Main Card (7:30AM EST / 8:30PM SGT) (Bleacher Report App / Youtube)
Bout 4: Jhanlo Mark Sangiao (3-0) vs. Paul Lumihi (7-5) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)
After the short three-fight prelims, ONE Championship will air a six-fight main card that is all MMA bouts. It will begin with a fight between undefeated Jhanlo Mark Sangiao and ONE veteran Paul Lumihi.
Sangiao is making his ONE Championship debut after attaining three wins on the regional scene in the Philippines.
Lumihi has failed to win in the ONE Championship cage through four appearances. His last fight was in February, where he was stopped by prospect Tial Thang.
Bout 5: Stephen Loman (14-2) vs. Yusup Saadulaev (20-5-1) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Former Brave CF Champion Stephen Loman is set to compete in the ONE Championship cage for the first time when facing Yusup Saadulaev on this card.
Loman held Brave CF’s bantamweight belt for a long time, first obtaining it in 2017 and defending it four times in later years. He last fought in late 2019, where he went five rounds against Louie Sanoudakis for a decision win.
Saadulaev also enters this fight with a fair amount of momentum, having won his last three fights in ONE Championship. His last fight, a late 2020 appearance, saw him hand Troy Worthen his first pro loss.
Bout 6: Zebaztian Kadestam (12-6) vs. Murad Ramazanov (10-0) (185 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Undefeated middleweight Murad Ramazanov will return on Friday’s main card, fighting Zebaztian Kadestam.
Ramazanov has preserved his flawless record since joining ONE last year. His last fight was a year ago, defeating Hiroyuki Tetsuka on scorecards.
Kadestam is currently on a two-fight losing streak. This includes a first-round submission loss he suffered against Gadzhimurad Abdulaev early this year.
Bout 7: Vitaly Bigdash (10-2) vs. Fan Rong (14-2) (209 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Former champion Vitaly Bigdash will make his first appearance in over three years on Friday’s main card, fighting Fan Rong at a catchweight of 209 pounds.
Bigdash’s last fight dates all the way back to December 2018, when he snapped a two-fight skid with a win over Yuki Niimura. He was a champion a year-and-a-half before then, having defeated Aung La N Sang to take a belt in early 2017. He later lost the title in a rematch.
Fan has picked up two consecutive wins in ONE Championship. His last fight came in November of last year, where he beat pro newcomer Yuri Simoes.
Bout 8: Kevin Belingon (20-8) vs. Kwon Won Il (10-3) (145 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Experienced ONE Championship fighter Kevin Belingon will attempt to break the longest losing streak of his career when fighting Kwon Won Il in the co-main event.
Belingon, a fighter who has competed in ONE for nearly an entire decade, is currently on a three-fight losing streak. This includes the final two fights he had in a three-fight trilogy against featherweight champion Bibiano Fernandes.
Belingon’s last appearance was in late 2020, where he was stopped by former UFC fighter John Lineker.
Kwon is yet another tough test for Belingon, as he enters the cage with the momentum of two consecutive finish wins. He last competed in January, stopping Chen Rui in the third round with punches.
Bout 9: Danny Kingad (14-2) vs. Kairat Akhmetov (27-2) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)
Experienced bantamweights Danny Kingad and Kairat Akhmetov will fight in the main event of Friday’s show.
After being in the promotion’s flyweight title mix between 2017 and 2018, Akhmetov has strung together a trio of wins. His most recent of the victories was last year when he fought three rounds against Kim Dae Hwan for a scorecard win.
Like many fighters on this card, Kingad will be competing for the first time in quite a while. His last fight came in early 2020, as he beat Xie Wei at “Fire & Fury.” That put him back to his winning ways after losing to former UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson just three months before.
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