Nattawut steps in to face Allazov at ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE
The latest developments on two original participants for One: Only The Brave on 28 January prompted changes to the event’s main and lead cards.
Smokin’ Jo Nattawut will now compete in the One featherweight kickboxing World Grand Prix semifinals to replace top-ranked contender Marat Grigorian, who withdrew due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
The Thai faces No.4 ranked Chingiz “Chinga” Allazov in the co-main event.
Nattawut has a 71-8-2 career Muay Thai and kickboxing record and is coming off a victory over Armenian-Russian Yurik “Mee Khao Jomhot” Davtyan at One: Nextgen II.
Meanwhile, Allazov scored a first-round knockout over French-Algerian Samy “AK47” Sana at One: First Strike in October to book a semifinal slot in the Grand Prix.
In the main event, No.3 ranked Sitthichai “Killer Kid” Sitongpeenong will also slug it out with Davit Kiria for a place in the kickboxing World Grand Prix final.
The 30-year-old Thai is on a two-fight win streak after edging both Tawanchai PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym and Tayfun “Turbine” Ozcan via split decision.
Kiria might be the underdog in this pairing. Still, he’s coming in confident after knocking out Enriko “The Hurricane” Kehl in round one of their quarterfinal bout at One: First Strike.
Former One welterweight World Champion Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam will no longer participate on the card as well because of a non-COVID-related sickness. Instead, Brazilian Edson “Panico” Marques gets the call to compete versus Hiroyuki “Japanese Beast” Tetsuka.
Marques has a 9-1 mixed martial arts record and an impressive 77 percent finishing rate. Tetsuka also improved his record to 10-4 after a knockout victory over Agilan “Alligator” Thani.
Nattawut’s original opponent, Lithuanian sensation Dovydas “Rimkenzo” Rimkus, will now trade blows with Russian hard-hitter Ivan Kondratev.
Rimkus owns an 8-0 Muay Thai and kickboxing record and won his One debut opposite China’s Zhang “Bamboo Sword” Chunyu. On the other hand, Kondratev is a two-time Russian kickboxing champion with a 20-4-1 career slate.
Finally, the lead card will feature a bantamweight MMA contest between the debuting Brazilian Micael De Jesus and Mongolian Purev “The People’s Kid” Otgonjargal, who remains undefeated after two fights in One.
Download the One Super App to catch all the action from One: Only The Brave this Friday, 28 January, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
You can also watch the fights live, beginning with the lead card on AIS Play at 5:30 p.m. Indochina Time (ICT). Thairath TV32 will also air a same-day delay at 10:40 p.m. ICT.
