ONE 167: Tawanchai vs. Nattawut II is undoubtedly the biggest combat sports card of the summer.
The event, scheduled to go down at 1 a.m. GMT this Saturday, 8th June, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Impact Arena, is jam-packed with some of ONE Championship’s biggest stars and other notable names set to debut on the promotion’s stage.
Outside of the main event tussle between ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai and heated rival Jo Nattawut, there is a boatload of mega matchups set to take place.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at three fights that shouldn’t be missed at ONE 167.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Denis Puric
Saturday’s co-main event will see ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon return to kickboxing action against Bosnian-Canadian brawler Denis Puric.
Their meeting will mark Rodtang’s first appearance in ONE since his loss to flyweight kickboxing king Superlek Kiatmoo9 in their record-breaking Muay Thai clash last September at ONE Friday Fights 34.
“The Iron Man” has faced a frustrating list of injuries since, which has kept him out of action, so he’ll be out to make up for lost time at ONE 167.
For his part, Puric will undoubtedly make the most of the opportunity he’s been seeking throughout his two-year tenure in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
The #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender has solidified himself as a force with back-to-back wins in the last seven months, and he’s called out Rodtang after each win.
A strong showing against “The Iron Man” could make a case for him to challenge the Thai star’s gold at some point in the future, so fans can expect a firefight when this one goes down.
Liam Harrison vs. Katsuki Kitano
British striking legend Liam “Hitman” Harrison will return at ONE 167. The Leeds man has been sidelined for the better part of two years, but he’ll finally step foot inside the Circle again when he takes on Katsuki Kitano in bantamweight Muay Thai action.
Harrison suffered a debilitating injury at the hands of Nong-O Hama at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August 2022, and he’s been struggling to get back to fitness since.
Prior to his unfortunate setback, “Hitman” was on a two-fight streak that included a win over Muangthai PK Saenchai in a battle that won ONE Championship’s 2022 Muay Thai Fight of the Year.
Harrison insists he’s back on form and he’s ready for action. But that will be put to a stern test against Kitano.
The Japanese star debuted in ONE last October at ONE Friday Fights 38, where he blitzed Halil Kutukcu across three rounds. He’ll be looking to capitalize on that momentum and gain a win over a legend when he steps into his second engagement on 8th June.
Kitano’s striking acumen has the potential to cause problems for “Hitman.” But with the hard-hitting veteran determined to have one more kick of the can, there’s no doubt their battle will be a slugfest.
Kade Ruotolo vs. Blake Cooper
ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo will swap the compression shirt for 4-ounce gloves at ONE 167 as he makes his MMA debut against Blake Cooper.
Ruotolo’s aggressive grappling style has allowed him to take over the submission grappling realm and amass a perfect 6-0 slate in ONE Championship. But sitting content at the top of the mountain doesn’t spark joy in the American dynamo.
Competing in MMA is something Ruotolo has long dreamt of, and he's able to make it a reality in ONE Championship.
But Cooper will be out to spoil his MMA hopes on Saturday. Much like Ruotolo, the 27-year-old is a lifelong practitioner of combat sports, and he’s stated he has no fears in grappling with the Californian.
Cooper’s promotional tenure didn’t get off to a great start last year against Maurice Abevi. But featuring prominently on a card of this magnitude presents a second chance to make a first impression, and ruining Ruotolo’s first MMA outing would put him in good stead for the remainder of the year.
