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ONE Fight Night 25: Nicolas vs. Eersel II on Prime Video is packed with intrigue from top to bottom.
With a card featuring a must-see World Championship main event and several other bouts that could determine the next World Title challengers in multiple divisions, fans won’t want to miss a second of the action when it goes down live in U.S. primetime this Friday, October 4.
But in addition to that, there are several established veterans and rising stars who are trying to forge their own paths forward on the global stage, and, with so much at stake, the combat sports landscape could shift dramatically by the time the event is over.
That said, here are three burning questions that will be answered at ONE Fight Night 25 in Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.
#1 Will Regian Eersel Reclaim His Belt And Hand Alexis Nicolas His First Loss?Regian “The Immortal” Eersel felt he’d done enough to retain his ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Title when he faced Alexis “Barboza” Nicolas in April, but a second-round knockdown from the Frenchman proved to be the difference-maker.
Nicolas took the crown via unanimous decision, extending his perfect record to 24-0 in the process, but the Dutch-Surinamese striker is convinced he can get redemption in their rematch.
The undefeated French kickboxer’s strong start seemed to shock “The Immortal” in their first encounter, but he’ll have more of an idea about what to expect when they meet again.
However, that’s not a one-way street, and the defending king also knows Eersel’s game better after their five-round war. Plus, he’ll enter the ring with confidence knowing he has a win over the division’s most dominant figure.
Eersel says his hunger has returned in defeat, and he vows to settle the score and put the first blemish on “Barboza’s” record. But has “The Immortal” figured out a way to reverse his fortunes against Nicolas?
#2 Can John Lineker Repeat His Magical Performance In Second Muay Thai Bout?John “Hands of Stone” Lineker has shown his devastating striking in MMA time after time, but he proved it was just as good in Muay Thai when he dispatched Asa “The American Ninja” Ten Pow at ONE 168: Denver last month.
Lineker’s debut in “the art of eight limbs” was a dominant one, as he punished the slick American with his power en route to a second-round knockout victory.
The former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion clearly enjoyed his foray into the all-striking world, and now, he returns to face Alexey Balyko in his second Muay Thai battle.
If Lineker can let it rip with his heavy hands, then he will be a threat regardless of the rule set. But following his Muay Thai debut, Balyko will have a better idea of what to expect from the Brazilian, and as a stand-up purist, he may be able to make the adjustments to engineer a different outcome.
The Russian also hits hard, but will he try his luck going blow for blow against “Hands of Stone,” or would that lead to disaster?
#3 Which Athletes Could Emerge As The Next World Title Challengers?There are major World Title implications in some of the matchups at ONE Fight Night 25.
As the #2-ranked MMA strawweight, Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane has a good platform to launch his offensive on the division’s gold. The South African’s only defeat came to now-reigning interim king Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks, but he’s rectified some of his mistakes and got back on the winning track with two wins in a row.
At #5, Mansur Malachiev is also operating at the top end of the stacked rankings, and he could jump the queue by taking out a rival who’s a few spots ahead of him.
But those aren’t the only folks with World Title gold in their sights.
Amy Pirnie made a huge statement in the atomweight Muay Thai division when she knocked out Hong Kong’s Yu Yau Pui in just 49 seconds. Rising star Shir Cohen is 2-0 in the world’s largest martial arts organization and has also enjoyed a good start, but this is a big step up for the Israeli.
Whoever leaves the ring victorious could knock on Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ door and possibly challenge for her ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship.
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