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ONE: "Pride of Lions" is set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium this Friday night (Nov. 13, 2015) and will feature two title fights with welterweight champion Ben Askren rematching Luis Santos in the main event and Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke making the first defense of his 115-pound strap against Yago Bryan.
The nine fight card also features a rearranged featherweight bout between former ONE 155-pound champion Kotetsu Boku and up-and-coming contender Major Overall. The first four fights are all available to view via the ONE Championship Facebook page while the entire card costs $9.99 on PPV.
Here's my preview of the final four match ups (for part one click here):
115 lbs.: Angela Lee vs. Natalie Gonzalez Hills
Angela Lee (2-0) is the half Korean, half Singaporean star who has taken Asian mixed martial arts (MMA) by storm. She's won two fights out of two for ONE Championship but in truth, the 19 year old has not been unduly troubled by either of the Egyptian opponents she has faced in her pro career to date.
Gonzalez Hills (2-2) should offer more of a challenge because she has a background in boxing and Muay Thai and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt in her corner. It will be an interesting test for Lee and how she copes against a well trained, well rounded opponent will tell us much about her potential and prospects.
145 lbs.: Major Overall vs. Kotetsu Boku
This is an intriguing match up between a veteran who has been competing in the wrong division for virtually his entire career and an up-and-coming contender who has provided more than his fair share of entertainment. Major Overall (6-1) is coming off two hugely impressive stoppage wins inside the ONE cage.
Kotetsu Boku (22-10-2) will always be remembered for the KO which won him the inaugural ONE 155-pound belt but he's a veteran of the sport who has decades of experience and devastating KO power. This fight is unlikely to go the distance but it should be fun and the winner will be up there with the top contenders in ONE's highly competitive featherweight division.
115 lbs.: Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirchoke vs Yago Bryan (for Dejdamrong's 115-pound belt)
Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke (5-0) has taken the Asian MMA scene by storm with his world class striking and surprisingly sophisticated ground game. The Thai strawweight has run through five separate opponents so far but has never faced anyone of the calibre of Yago Bryan.
Bryan (3-0) is a Shooto South American Champion who fights out of the renowned Nova Uniao camp and is regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound prospects in all of Brazil. He has the words "Muay Thai" emblazoned across his chest but will probably be looking to utilize his wrestling and ground game in this match up.
Dejdamrong is a former Lumpinee champion and a veteran of nearly 100 Muay Thai matches who, in striking terms at least, is vastly superior to anyone else in the division. However, he didn't event start training MMA until 2014 and if he has holes in his game then Bryan is bound to expose them.
170 lbs.: Ben Askren vs Luis Santos (for Askren's 170-pound belt)
On paper this looked like a routine assignment for Ben Askren (14-0-0-1) who has made a career out of beating opponents of Luis Santos' calibre. However, the Brazilian proved in the short amount of time they spent inside the cage together in their first fight that he could be more than a match for the two-time NCAA Division-1 wrestling champion.
Santos (61-9-1-0-1) is a BJJ black belt and a Judo black belt but boasts 35 KO/TKO wins. He has better credentials than Askren in every area except, of course, for wrestling but succeeded in stuffing every single takedown attempt in the first fight until getting poked in the eye.
Santos showed he can outclass Askren in certain areas and match him in others, but the question is what will happen when the Brazilian does finally get taken down? His striking might be better than the American's and he might even be better on the ground, but if the US Olympian gets top position, which he inevitably will, then he has the tools to capitalize ruthlessly.
The first fight should have given Santos plenty of confidence but it will also have taught the undefeated champion a valuable lesson. If Askren can utilize his wrestling and get the takedown then he will dominate, but if the Brazilian can succeed in keeping the fight standing, an upset could well be on the cards.
ONE: "Pride of Lions" will be broadcast live by FOX Sports Asia and its various other networks across the world. The entire card can be purchased for $9.99 right here.