Three MMA matchups with genuine divisional stakes have been confirmed for ONE Fight Night 44, live in U.S. primetime on Friday, June 26, from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on Amazon Prime Video.
The most consequential of the three pits former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Ok Rae Yoon against Lucas Gabriel in a bout that could reshape the lightweight title picture.
Ok is one of the division's most credentialed names. The South Korean took the belt from Christian Lee in a closely contested five-round decision before dropping the rematch via TKO. A win over Alibeg Rasulov in an interim title clash followed, but Ok has not fought since and arrives needing a statement result to re-enter the championship conversation.
Gabriel is the statement waiting to happen. The 26-year-old Brazilian has won five straight in ONE, most recently outlasting Magomed Akaev over three rounds in February, and carries an 11-1 record into his biggest fight to date.
He is dangerous on the feet but most dangerous on the mat, where his BJJ credentials and submission instincts have made him one of the division's most complete finishers. A win over a former champion would push him directly into title contention. Ok cannot afford to overlook him.
The second MMA addition takes the card to strawweight, where Armenian finisher Karen Ghazaryan returns against undefeated Japanese debutant Hisashi Ezaki. Ghazaryan carries a 100 percent finishing rate across every professional win but suffered a first-round submission loss to Hiroba Minowa at ONE Fight Night 42 in his promotional debut. He needs a response.
Ezaki arrives with an unbeaten record and four submissions to his name. He carries a grappling-first approach that creates an immediate stylistic puzzle for a fighter who operates best when he is the one applying pressure.
The third bout is the most straightforward in terms of what it promises. English heavyweight Paul Elliott meets American debutant Regan Upshaw in a matchup between two fighters who have never heard a final bell.
Elliott has stopped every opponent he has faced in ONE, most recently ending Ryugo Takeuchi's unbeaten record via TKO in round three. Upshaw arrives with heavy hands and nothing to lose. The odds of this one going the distance are slim.
