In just a few short days, ONE Championship returns to the limelight with ONE: TRIBE OF WARRIORS on 20 Feb at Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Headlined by a contest between 61-fight winner Luis Santos and 40-fight winner Rafael Silva, there is much on the line for all 10 fighters on the card.
Here’s a look at what’s at stake for each fighter scheduled to compete:
Luis Santos vs. Rafael Silva
For Santos to stick around near the top of title contention, he’ll need to solve Silva. It’s a good opportunity to get the fans back in his favor after the fallout of his last two title challenges as well.
These two have been around the block a few times, so nothing will surprise either competitor. While all the pressure remains solely on the shoulders of “Sapo”, Silva knows a win here on this stage could do wonders for a career resurgence in ONE Championship.
Kotetsu Boku vs. Vincent Latoel
When you have reached the pinnacle like Boku and secured ONE World Championship gold, the road back can be a difficult one. He has amassed wins in two straight and three of his last four, meaning this one vs. Latoel is critical to his quest to become ONE’s first titleholder in two weight divisions.
Latoel sits on the other end of the spectrum, as a victory over a former titleholder would lift him into the upper-echelons of the rankings.
Mario Satya Wirawan vs. Yohan Mulia Legowo
In all honesty, it will be almost impossible for Wirawan to improve upon his most recent ONE fight. That is because it ended in record-breaking fashion with a 6-second knockout in December of Chan Heng. However, to continue his rapid rise, the former university soccer player will need to defeat Legowo to get his sixth pro win.
Legowo has a background in Kung Fu and boxing, and has the added motivation of wanting to be the one to stop the Wirawan hype train before it picks up too much steam. Neither can claim to be the best fighter in Indonesia without defeating the other too.
Anthony Engelen vs. Rocky Batolbatol
Engelen might not be from Indonesia, but his father is, and now that he’s relocated his training there, you can bet the fans will be rooting for him. He will need that added boost after suffering his first career loss in December to Bruno Pucci in his ONE debut.
Batolbatol suffered the same fate in his first fight for the Asian-based promotion, falling to Martin Nguyen via submission in 2014. This is his first fight since, and we should see improvement from the former boxing standout.
Alexandre Machado vs. Marcin Prachnio
We have not seen Machado inside a cage since a 2013 submission while competing for Guarus Combat. While he is a stellar 7-1 in his career, the two-plus years away from active competition make this a make-or-break contest for the Brazilian.
Prachnio, meanwhile, competed four times last year and won all four bouts. He has also developed into a finishing machine, earning eight of his nine wins via stoppage. Adding a fighter the caliber of Machado to that list would do wonders for his career with ONE.
Andrew Leone vs. Koetsu Okazaki
An American who now trains at Bali Muay Thai and MMA, Leone has skyrocketed up the ranks on the heels of wins over Geje Eustaquio and Shinichi Kojima. This will be yet another tough test for the New York-born fighter, but one that just might land him a shot at the ONE Bantamweight World Championship should he prevail.
His opponent, Okazaki, knows what it feels like to face current ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes, and has also shared the cage with the likes of Kevin Belingon and Yusup Saadulaev. The Japanese fighter has been forced to fend off young challengers before and will have to do it yet again to keep his place in line.
Angela Lee vs. Rebecca Heintzman
When you have built the kind of reputation that Lee has over a short period of time, avoiding a letdown is of the utmost importance. The fighter nicknamed ”Unstoppable” has a resume that includes four wins, all via submission, but she is not just a tap-out artist. Another victory for the 19-year-old would no doubt put her atop the division.
Heintzman, 10 years the elder of Lee, was a force on the amateur scene before turning pro and going 2-1. An American, she will need to figure out a way to avoid the ground game of Lee if she hopes to spoil the young prospect’s dreams.
Bashir Ahmad vs. Jimmy Yabo
Ahmad and Yabo have both had up-and-down runs, leaving this to be a very important turning point in the career of the victor.
For Ahmad, he will be attempting to avoid a second straight loss and third in his last four contests. Yabo is already at that point, having dropped his last two—both via finish—after starting his career 4-0.
Djatmiko Waluyo vs. Trestle Tan
Waluyo, part-Indonesian, is a perfect 5-0 in his career with four wins coming via stoppage. He has showcased both striking and grappling skills, earning two KOs and two submissions, and will be looking to secure another in a pivotal contest.
Tan has power, as evident by his two knockouts, and must find an opening in the defense of Waluyo to pull an upset.
Jerome S. Paye vs. Li Hao Jie
When you are the first match of the night, you have the opportunity to kick-start the card in the right way. Look for both Paye and Jie to try and make something incredible happen.
