A trio of fighters will have extra motivation to succeed when they step into the ring at the historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, this weekend.
While a massive ONE lightweight muay Thai world title showdown between two-sport king Regian Eersel and dangerous Russian challenger Dmitry Menshikov tops the bill at ONE Fight Night 11 on Prime Video, several other bouts will feature athletes who are out to score redemption on the global stage.
Here, we look at who they are and why they will be looking for a crucial win in front of a U.S. primetime audience this Friday.
1. Superbon Singha Mawynn
For former ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Superbon Singha Mawynn, the road back to the top starts with Tayfun Ozcan.
The 32-year-old will lock horns with the Dutch-Turkish striker in his first outing since a second-round TKO loss to current divisional king Chingiz Allazov in January.
Superbon had no answer for “Chinga’s” steady attack and movement at ONE Fight Night 6, as the Azerbaijani-Belarusian star ran rampant and dropped him three times early in the second frame to take the coveted strap.
The defeat ended the Thai superstar’s 15-month reign as world champion. He is still the No. 1-ranked contender in the stacked division, however, and a win over No. 5-ranked Ozcan would be the perfect way to remind the world that he is still one of the best pound-for-pound strikers on the planet.
2. Nieky Holzken
Dutch kickboxing legend Nieky Holzken will also be looking to make another charge toward a ONE world title at ONE Fight Night 11,
“The Natural” faces tough German contender Arian Sadikovic in lightweight kickboxing, and he’ll be looking to atone for the knockout loss he suffered to two-time ONE lightweight muay Thai world title challenger Sinsamut Klinmee in March 2022.
That defeat snapped a two-fight winning streak for Holzken, and at 39 years old, the time is now to kick off a final push for divisional gold.
Holzken has twice challenged Eersel for ONE’s lightweight kickboxing strap and came up short on both occasions, but returning to the winner’s circle on Friday evening would be all the veteran needs to turbocharge a race to the top again.
3. Amber Kitchen
WBC England muay Thai champion Amber Kitchen has it all to fight for at ONE Fight Night 11.
“AK 47” is still searching for her first ONE Championship victory, having fallen short in three ultra-competitive muay Thai battles so far in her tenure.
This time out, Kitchen is tasked with spoiling the debut of four-time ISKA world champion Martine Micheletto.
A loss would leave the 24-year-old British superstar seriously considering her future in ONE, while a win would unlock another opportunity to compete and showcase her vast skill set against a high-level opponent.
