ONE 168 will take place on Friday, September 6 in Denver, Colorado, with a pair of championship bouts already booked for the top of the card.
Headlining the event is a battle for the ONE strawweight MMA world title, as China’s reigning champion Xiong Jing Nan puts her title on the line against women’s atomweight MMA world champion, Thailand’s Stamp Fairtex, in a champion-versus-champion clash.
Stamp has already made history by becoming a three-sport world champion under the ONE banner, having captured the atomweight kickboxing and Muay Thai titles, then winning the atomweight MMA title with victory over South Korean veteran Ham Seo Hee.
Now Stamp is looking to become a two-division MMA world champion by taking on the hard-hitting “Panda,” who has dominated the strawweight division ever since she captured the inaugural title with victory over Singapore’s Tiffany Teo back in January 2018.
Since then, Xiong has successfully defended her title seven times, with notable victories over former atomweight champion Angela Lee (twice), Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Michelle Nicolini and Japanese judo ace Ayaka Miura.
Her next test comes in the form of Stamp, who has risen from unknown prospect to Asian MMA superstar over the last six years. She was initially discovered by former UFC middleweight champion and ONE Championship executive Rich Franklin on his ONE Warrior Series show, and she made an immediate impact on her full ONE Championship debut as she defeated Kai Ting Chuang to capture the ONE women’s atomweight kickboxing title.
She then defeated American striking veteran Janet Todd to add the promotion’s atomweight Muay Thai title to her resume, before eventually turning her attention to mixed martial arts in mid-2019. She would eventually lose her kickboxing title to Todd, and her Muay Thaii title to Allycia Rodrigues, but by then she was cross-training in MMA, and she placed more emphasis on the all-encompassing sport from that moment on.
Eventually, she challenged Ham Seo Hee for the vacant women’s atomweight MMA title, and claimed the belt via third-round TKO to become a three-sport world champion at ONE Fight Night 14 last September.
Now she’ll move up to strawweight in a bid to capture MMA titles in two weight classes and achieve MMA “champ champ” status. But Xiong presents a hard-hitting, dangerous obstacle. It should make for a spectacular clash of striking styles.
Also set for action on the card is a battle for the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title, as two-sport world champion Jonathan Haggerty puts his Muay Thai belt on the line against old nemesis Superlek.
Haggerty, who holds the bantamweight titles in both Muay Thai and kickboxing, was knocked out by the Thai superstar back in 2018 under a different promotional banner. But now the pair are on collision course once again, with Haggerty holding the championship gold.
The Englishman, who formerly held the flyweight Muay Thai world title, moved up to bantamweight and sensationally knocked out Muay Thai legend Nong-O Hama last year.
Not content with his achievement, Haggerty chased two-sport glory, and switched codes to kickboxing and finished bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade to capture the kickboxing crown. He then cemented his status as the premier bantamweight Muay Thai force by getting up off the canvas to stop Felipe Lobo and retain his title.
Now he’ll face ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek, who is riding an 11-fight win streak, with victories over Japanese fan-favourite Takeru and Thai superstar Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Superlek is in stellar form.
And, with a victory over Haggerty already on his record, he’ll head into the matchup confident of victory.
