Two Division-Shaking MMA Matchups Added to ONE Fight Night 16

Published 10/17/2023, 4:16 AM EDT

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The strawweight MMA divisions in ONE Championship could experience significant movement at the upcoming event, as two intriguing matchups have been added to the ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade card.

On Friday, November 3, China’s Meng Bo will face off against former World Title challenger Ayaka Miura in the women’s division; while Filipino warriors Lito Adiwang and Jeremy Miado will compete in the men’s division inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Strawweight clash between Xiong Jing Nan and Ayaka Miura

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The women’s strawweight MMA division has been dominated by ‘The Panda’ Xiong Jing Nan for some time. She has defeated every opponent in her weight class, including two successful defenses against the legendary Angela Lee. The Chinese star has expressed a desire for two-division supremacy, but that plan could change quickly if a new challenger emerges when Meng and Miura square off. Meng carries an overall record of 21-6; with five wins in ONE. Her consecutive victories in the division arguably position her as the frontrunner to challenge for the World Title; a third win would solidify that status.

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For Miura, this presents an opportunity to demonstrate that she belongs among the best fighters on the planet. Despite facing a two-fight skid in MMA; she earned respect and admiration when she took on Danielle Kelly in a submission grappling match at ONE Fight Night 7 this past February; battling the American grappling phenom all the way to the end. The Japanese star will be hungry for her fifth win in ONE on her return to mixed martial arts; hoping to maintain her 100% finishing rate in the promotion.

A chance of ascending ahead in ranking for Miado and Adiwang

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Meanwhile, Miado and Adiwang both have the chance to break into the top five rankings of the strawweight division when they face each other in their highly anticipated rematch on November 3. The pair initially clashed at ONE X in March 2022, but their bout ended prematurely after Adiwang suffered an injury; resulting in a TKO victory for ‘The Jaguar.’ ‘Thunder Kid’ was sidelined for 18 months as a result; but he made a strong comeback at ONE Friday Fights 34 last month; finishing Adrian Mattheis in just 23 seconds.

He undoubtedly seeks revenge in his upcoming matchup. Miado has a history of making a statement when facing familiar opponents; at ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS in November 2019; he finished China’s Li Tao Miao with a flying knee in the first round; then, at October 2021’s ONE: NEXTGEN; he defeated him again in just 15 seconds of the second round. He aims to replicate that success when he steps into the ring once more against Adiwang.

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Both of these battles will add excitement to the already sizzling ONE Fight Night 15 lineup, which features a headlining showdown for the vacant ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship between the division’s Muay Thai king Jonathan Haggerty and MMA titleholder Fabricio Andrade. In the co-main event; Tye Ruotolo will vie for gold as he takes on promotional newcomer Magomed Abdulkadirov for the inaugural ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Championship.

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Written by:

Aditya Vaibhav

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Aditya Vaibhav is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. Aditya’s love for MMA started watching Chuck Liddell in 2009. Since then, he has also come to admire the likes of Carlos Condit and Chris Weidman.
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Edited by:

Joyita Das