Ferrari Fairtex Looks to Enter ONE Championship Muay Thai Rankings
Ferrari Fairtex has already earned a spot in the ONE Championship bantamweight kickboxing rankings. That is a nice honor. But there is more on the table for Fairtex. When he headlines the ONE Friday Night Fights at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, he hopes to earn financial prosperity by winning a Muay Thai matchup with Mavlud Tupiev.
Online boxing news shows that the winner of this fight will be on their way to earning a six-figure contract with the promotion. Ferrari has flashed plenty of potential but has spent the previous few fights rebuilding his reputation. During 2023, Ferrari was as active as any fighter.
He fought four times at Lumpinee Stadium, but struggled to maintain consistency. Ferrari lost his first two fights of the year against Fabio Reis and Fariyar Aminipour. However, Ferrari has rebounded from that and is now on a three-fight winning streak.
Mavlud Tupiev is a stronger fighter out of Uzbekistan. Tupiev has won three of his past four fights. Most of Tupiev’s recent fights have gone to decision. It’s the same with Ferrari.
But the main event is only part of the show with these ONE Friday Night fight cards. Each ONE event can feature up to four sports on the card. This week’s edition will feature plenty of Muay Thai with some MMA mixed in. Here’s a quick look at what to expect.
Puengluang Baanramba Looks to Continue Winning Streak
Ferrari won’t be the only fighter seeking an opportunity to grab a raise in pay. Puengluang Baanramba has shown that he fits in well with the other Muay Thai fighters under ONE’s banner. To start his career in the promotion, Puengluang has ripped off five straight victories.
Now, the 24-year-old is hoping to impress the organization’s brass. Puengluang’s opponent for his Muay Thai flyweight was Dentungtong Singha Mawynn.
Dentungtong has put together a 3-1 record during his time in ONE. During his previous two fights, Dentungtong has done enough to come away with the decision. However, his last fight against Petsirichai was nearly too close to call and he had to settle for a split decision according to the latest boxing news online.
Kritpetch PK.Saenchai Attempts to Right the Ship
Kritpetch PK.Saenchai has found that his time in ONE Championship isn’t what he hoped it could be. Saenchai came into the organization with some hype behind him but then was knocked out 75 seconds into the fight against Kongchai Chanaidonmuang back in February of 2023.
Saenchai took some time off to clear his head. However, Saenchai’s second outing was also a disappointment. He lost by unanimous decision last September and has now lost three straight fights overall.
Saenchai will be desperate to get back on the right side of the ledger. He will attempt to do so against another struggling fighter. Belgian Jelte Blommaert is another experienced fighter in the ONE Championship. But much like Saenchai, he has earned the kind of experience you’d rather forget.
Blommaert has lost three of his four fights in ONE. His lone victory came with a dynamic knockout thanks to a thunder knee. However, Blommaert has been on the wrong side of two decisions since then.
Yodkritsada Sor Sommai Looks to Enhance Reputation
Yodkritsada Sor Sommai enters Lumpinee Stadium with some accolades already behind him. With his Muay Thai career well underway, Yodkritsada has picked up the title at the Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai championship. But life in the ONE Championship Muay Thai circuit hasn’t been as kind to Yodkritsada.
The 32-year-old fighter has lost his last three fights. Yodkritsada’s last loss was especially tough. He suffered a second-round KO loss to Suriyanlek Por Yenying.
Before that, Yodkritsada had a pair of close decision losses to Theptaksin Sor Sornsing, according to the best MMA news sites.
Pair of Undefeated MMA Fighters Ready for Action
There is nothing more challenging in combat sports than defending an undefeated record. For fighters attempting to climb the rankings, still being unbeaten can make things easier. More opportunities come to fighters who show they can handle whatever challenge gets thrown their way.
Russian fighter Changy Kara-Ool hopes to continue his dominant run in his career in a strawweight fight with Chinese fighter Sanlang Gexi. Kara-Ool has impressed during his run so far.
He is 4-0 and has won three of his first four fights via stoppage. Kara-Ool also hasn’t been stacking his record by fighting subpar fighters with poor records. After fighting a fellow debuting fighter in his first bout, Kara-Ool has won his next three fights against opponents with a combined record of 10-4.
Pakistani fighter Rizwan Ali, who is 7-0, will also be trying to protect his record in a bout against Russian fighter Mikhail Gritsanenko in a featherweight contest. Ali’s record is a little more spotty than Kara-Ools. Ali has won four of his career fights against fighters making their debut.
None of his victories have come against fighters who have a winning record. Gritsanenko is a fighter who had to figure out how to weather adversity before he could win fights. He debuted with a loss on the regional scene.
But once Gritsanenko figured things out, it got ugly quickly for his opponents. Gritsanenko has picked up four straight wins, and all four have come back knockouts. This will be a real test for Ali. If he can beat the Russian fighter, Ali can show he has something. A loss may lead people to question if Ali’s record was padded by weak opposition.
Here’s a look at the other fights on the card not mentioned above:
- Muay Thai catchweight (117 pounds), Tonglampoon FA Group vs. Kongsurin Sor Jor Lekmuangnon
- Muay Thai catchweight (112 pounds), Sungprab Lookpichit vs. Yodpayak Sor Jor Lekmuangnon
- Muay Thai catchweight (140 pounds), Furkan Karabag vs. Hiroyuki Ihara
- Muay Thai atomweight, Rak Erawan vs. Shuto Sato
- Muay Thai flyweight, Sonrak Fairtex vs. Masaya Katsuno
- Muay Thai catchweight (118 pounds), Kaenlek Sor Chokmeechai vs. Ryuto Oinuma
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By Dean McHugh.