ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II is set to go down this weekend, and there are plenty of reasons to watch the thrilling show. On U.S. primetime this Friday, June 7, some of the biggest stars on the ONE Championship roster, as well as newcomers ready to make a name for themselves, will compete across MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling inside the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

A clash for ONE gold will headline the event, but several other clashes on the card could offer up the moment of the night. With that in mind, here are four reasons not to miss any of the action at ONE 167 this Friday.

Intense Rematch For World Title In Main Event

Last October, Tawanchai PK Saenchai and “Smokin” Jo Nattawut were paired together in a featherweight kickboxing match that didn’t have a lot of expectations behind it. However, despite Nattawut having just two weeks to prepare, the ensuing clash had everyone at the edge of their seats from bell to bell.

The tightly contested bout ended with Tawanchai getting his hand raised, but Nattawut won the hearts of many that night. They now face off in a rematch. But this time, it’s under Muay Thai rules and has the highest stakes on the line – Tawanchai’s featherweight crown.

The five-rounder is guaranteed to offer fiery flurries throughout. Nattawut will be out to prove he can dance with the best whatever the sport and Tawanchai will look to secure his eighth win in a row and show the world why he is one of the best strikers in the world today.
Fans shouldn’t blink when this main event clash goes down.

Rodtang Returns

After being sidelined by injury since last September, ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon is finally ready to return with his electric striking arsenal this Friday.

The Thai superstar will make Denis “The Bosnian Menace” Puric’s day when they face off in flyweight kickboxing action in the co-main event of ONE 167. Purichas been asking to fight Rodtang for nearly two years, and his back-to-back wins in ONE Championship over the last seven months have finally earned him the chance.

“The Iron Man” will be laser-focused on reminding everyone of how dominant he can be, especially given that he fell to Superlek Kiatmoo9 in their Muay Thai super-fight last September, and his time away should make him more dangerous than ever. However, “The Bosnian Menace” has had this clash in mind for literal years, so there is no chance he’ll bring anything other than his A-game when he steps in against his fabled foe at ONE 167. Expect fireworks from this one.

Mikey Musumeci Eyes Redemption

ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci has been on a dominant run of form since he arrived in ONE Championship in April 2022.“Darth Rigatoni” is 6-0, with four submission finishes, and he has established himself as one of the best grapplers of this generation along the way.

With nothing else to prove in his weight class, he is now looking to challenge himself by moving to bantamweight to meet the last man to submit him. Musumeci will face Gabriel Sousa in the Brazilian grappler’s ONE debut, and he’ll be seeking revenge for the loss he endured in 2021. The Evolve MMA representative is motivated to impress like never before, and he recently shared his progress in bulking up via social media.

However, Sousa will be looking to go 2-0 against the talented American to kick off his ONE tenure in perfect style when they meet, meaning their matchup is sure to end in a decisive tap.

Kade Ruotolo Set To Make MMA Debut

Kade Ruotolo has proven himself to be a pound-for-pound great in submission grappling across his two-year tenure in ONE Championship.The Californian has amassed a perfect 6-0 slate, which includes winning the inaugural ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title, and now he’s ready for a new challenge. Ruotolo will look to bring all his knowledge with him when he makes his MMA debut in a lightweight affair with Blake Cooper at ONE 167.

He follows the likes of grappling great Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida into the all-encompassing sport with the expressed intent of rising through the ranks. However, Cooper has plans to pull off a massive upset.

Disappointed with his performance in his promotional debut last September, the Lion of Judah athlete wants to erase that memory and get back in the winners’ column at the expense of his highly regarded foe. Whether he’ll do so or Ruotolo will transfer perfectly to MMA remains to be seen, but their battle is sure to be entertaining while they figure it out.