ONE Fight Night 26: Lee vs. Rasulov is set to close out ONE Championship’s main roster calendar for 2024 this Saturday, 7th December, at Bangkok, Thailand’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
The thrilling card is stacked with exciting battles across four combat sports disciplines, and it's topped by the return of two-division MMA World Champion Christian Lee, who defends the lightweight crown against unbeaten star Alibeg Rasulov.
Along with the much-anticipated main event, there are other notable MMA matchups up and down the ONE Fight Night 26 line-up, and we’ve broken down three that will be unmissable this Saturday.
Reece McLaren vs. Jarred Brooks
A huge flyweight MMA bout that could determine one of the challengers for the vacant divisional crown will go down at ONE Fight Night 26 when interim strawweight king Jarred Brooks moves up in weight to face #4-ranked contender Reece McLaren.
McLaren has been part of the upper echelon of the flyweight MMA division for years and has never stopped pursuing the gold. Coming off the back of a win against Hu Yong in May, the Aussie brawler could stamp his name on a shot at it if he can best Brooks this weekend.
But “The Monkey God” will do everything to stop that happening in his divisional debut. Brooks has nullified opponents so far in his ONE tenure, and he’s eagerly taken on this new challenge while awaiting strawweight king Joshua Pacio to return for their World Title unification bout.
A chance to contest the ONE Flyweight MMA World Championship could be on the cards for the winner of this one, so fans can bet that both men will put it all on the line this Saturday.
Yuya Wakamatsu vs. Gilbert Nakatani
Elsewhere in the flyweight MMA division, #2-ranked contender Yuya Wakamatsu will welcome ONE Championship debutant Gilbert Nakatani in another pivotal battle.
Wakamatsu is riding a two-fight winning streak, so his confidence will be at an all-time high. His first-round knockout win over Xie Wei last July and a decision win over Danny Kingad this past January have solidified his position in the stacked division, and going three in a row will surely keep him in the running for a World Title shot.
However, the Japanese slugger would be wise to be wary of Nakatani. The California native brings an 8-1 record to ONE Championship, with six finishes and a four-fight winning streak to boot.
He has dreamed of fighting in the world’s largest martial arts organization for some time and will be hoping to make a huge statement in his debut this weekend.
Shamil Gasanov vs. Halil Amir
In the featherweight MMA division, #4-ranked Shamil Gasanov and surging star Halil Amir return to action as they both look to set up big years in 2025.
Gasanov has scored back-to-back wins this year, against Oh Ho Taek in January and Aaron Canarte this past August, making him an undeniable contender in the talent-laden weight bracket.
The submission artist has not been shy about wanting to make moves towards the ONE Featherweight World Title next year, but he’ll need a convincing win over Amir to do so.
That will be easier said than done against “No Mercy,” who is itching to get on form after suffering the first loss of his career against Akbar Abdullaev this past May.
Given his Krygz nemesis is now set to challenge divisional king Tang Kai for the crown at ONE Fight Night 27 in January, Amir will be out to show he’s a contender for a future shot when he locks horns with Gasanov this weekend.
