ONE Championship: Lights Out Preview

In ONE Championship’s final event before their massive 10th-anniversary card, the promotion will see their top bantamweight and featherweight competitors in the cage.

In the main event of “Lights Out,” Thanh Le will look to defend his 155-pound belt for the first time when facing undefeated grappling ace Garry Tonon. And before that fight, a much-anticipated matchup between Bibiano Fernandes and John Lineker will take place.

All of the fights are set to go down at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore. Here’s a full preview of the show.

Click here to skip to a preview of the main card.

Lead Card (6:00AM EST / 7:00PM SGT) (Bleacher Report App / Youtube)

Bout 1: Lin Heqin vs. Milagros Lopez (125 lbs) (Kickboxing Bout)

There are numerous kickboxing and Muay Thai fights on this card, leaving the total of MMA bouts at just five overall. In the first of three kickboxing fights, Lin Heqin and Milagros Lopez will compete.

Lin will be competing under ONE’s kickboxing rules for the first time. Her three previous appearances in ONE since 2019 have all been under the MMA ruleset. This includes her last win, which was a unanimous decision victory over Bi Nguyen last month.

Lopez is fighting for her first ONE victory. She lost her debut in 2020, getting stopped within a round by Supergirl Jaroonsak Muaythai.

Bout 2: Liam Nolan vs. Kim Kyung Lock (174 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

Liam Nolan will return against debuting Kim Kyung Lock in the next fight.

Nolan has fought in ONE a trio of times, although his last appearance was over two years ago when he defeated Brown Pinas.

There is little information about Lock, who is appearing in ONE for the first time.

Bout 3: Iman Barlow vs. Daniela Lopez (125 lbs) (Muay Thai Bout)

Iman Barlow will make her ONE debut in the next fight, facing Daniela Lopez in a three-round bout.

Lopez is fighting to bounce back from a decision loss she took to Jackie Buntan last year. That fight was Lopez’s ONE debut after a recent run on the Muay Thai scene in Thailand.

Bout 4: Eko Roni Saputra (5-1) vs. Chan Rothana (7-4) (135 lbs) (MMA Bout)

The prelims will wrap up with the first MMA fight of the evening. In that bout, Eko Roni Saputra and Chan Rothana will battle.

Saputra has been on a strong run up the ONE ranks since 2019. He picked up his fifth consecutive win in his last appearance, stopping Liu Pengshuai in just 10 seconds in 2021. Win or loss, Saputra has yet to exit the first round as a pro.

Rothana is a veteran of ONE, having fought on their roster since 2014. He had a three-fight winning streak snapped in his last appearance, getting finished by Xie Wei in late 2020.

Main Card (7:30AM EST / 8:30PM SGT) (Bleacher Report App / Youtube)

Bout 5: Josh Tonna vs. Zhang Peimian (125 lbs) (Kickboxing Bout)

Former ONE title challenger Josh Tonna will return on the main card when facing Zhang Peimian.

Tonna’s last appearance saw him challenge Sam-A Gaiyanghadao for the promotion’s 125-pound Muay Thai bout. In that appearance, he was stopped in the second round after getting knocked down numerous times.

Zhang will be making his first appearance in the ONE cage. There is not much information online about him, except for the fact that he has previously competed in the Chinese promotion Kunlun Fight.

Bout 6: Alex Silva (11-6) vs. Adrian Mattheis (9-5) (125 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Appearing for the first time in a few years, Adrian Mattheis will meet Alex Silva on the main card.

The entire pro career of Mattheis, which started in 2016, has taken place in ONE Championship. He had a strong four-fight winning streak broken in his most recent fight, losing to Stefer Rahardian in October 2019.

Silva has kept active in that time, competing five times over the past few years. He is coming off a successful 2021, securing two wins in the second half of the year. His most recent victory was a quick armbar win over Rene Catalan.

Bout 7: Ismael Londt vs. Iraj Azizpour (265 lbs) (Kickboxing Bout)

The final kickboxing bout on the card will see Ismael Londt and Iraj Azizpour compete.

Londt is a former GLORY Kickboxer, having fought five times for the promotion from 2016 to 2017. His appearance on Friday is his first time competing since securing two wins in late 2019.

Azizpour is fighting for his second victory in the promotion. He scored his first win in October 2021, defeating Anderson Braddock Silva on scorecards.

Azizpour was at one time set up to face champion Roman Kryklia in a fight last year. However, that fight ended up not happening.

Bout 8: Martin Nguyen (13-5) vs. Kirill Gorobets (11-1) (155 lbs) (MMA Bout)

Former titleholder Martin Nguyen will fight to return to the win column when facing Kirill Gorobets.

Nguyen was ONE’s 155-pound champ for a few years, gaining the belt in 2017 and defending it three times as a champ. He eventually lost the title in 2020, getting finished in a fight by Thanh Le.

Appearing for the first time since the end of his title reign, Nguyen was finished quickly by Kim Jae Woong last year. Nguyen has a chance to end his current slump on Friday night.

Nguyen is facing Gorobets, who will be making his ONE debut in the fight. He enters the promotion with an impressive nine-fight winning streak over the past few years.

Bout 9: Bibiano Fernandes (24-4) vs. John Lineker (34-9) (ONE MMA Bantamweight Championship) (145 lbs)

In the first of two title bouts, Bibiano Fernandes and John Lineker will meet. This bout was previously targeted for December 2021 and later attempted in February, although COVID-19-related decisions forced both of those bookings to not happen.

Fernandes is currently on his second run as champion. He first dropped his belt in 2018, losing a split decision to Kevin Belingon. However, a second and third fight against Belingon was successful for Fernandes, securing his champion status and putting an end to their rivalry.

Lineker, a former UFC fighter, is getting the title opportunity after scoring three wins from 2019 to 2021. His last victory was a quick stoppage win, defeating Troy Worthen in April 2021.

Bout 10: Thanh Le (12-2) vs. Garry Tonon (6-0) (ONE MMA Featherweight Championship) (155 lbs)

Undefeated grappler Garry Tonon will get his first chance at an MMA championship on Friday night when he meets Thanh Le in the main event of “Lights Out.”

The fight marks Tonon’s first appearance since becoming champion. He took the belt in October 2020, scoring a third-round finish win over long-time reigning champ Martin Nguyen. This was Le’s fourth consecutive finish win since joining ONE Championship in 2019.

Tonon is best known for his strong grappling background, competing in high-level contests for over a decade. He has been slowly cultivating wins in MMA since he signed with ONE in 2018. He cemented himself as one of the division’s top names in late 2020, working to a unanimous decision win against Koyomi Matsushima. Now, Tonon has the chance to claim a championship in his seventh appearance as a pro.

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