The world’s largest martial arts organization will return to Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, this Friday, July 17, and fans will witness something rare — a card where the thread connecting the two biggest fights of the night runs straight through one of Muay Thai’s most beloved figures.ONE Friday Fights 162 will broadcast live in Asia primetime, and the show features nine bouts across Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA. What’s more, each athlete scheduled for action is on the hunt for the life-changing US$100,000 contract and coveted spot on ONE Championship’s global roster.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the main event, southpaw powerhouse Kongklai Sor Sommai will square off against Moroccan war machine Adam Benwarwar in a bantamweight Muay Thai showdown.Kongklai’s story is the kind that Muay Thai was built to tell. He lost his first 10 professional fights and chose to keep going. What followed was an 18-bout winning streak featuring 15 knockouts, a 2020 Sports Authority of Thailand Fighter of the Year award, and one of the most jaw-dropping achievements on this roster: he is the only man ever to knock out Seksan Or Kwanmuang wearing the big gloves.The 27-year-old carries that legacy and the lethal left hand that created it into the ring on Friday, looking to get back on track after a tough loss to Julio Lobo at ONE Friday Fights 152.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBenwarwar needs no motivation. The 23-year-old comes for action and delivers on that promise. Nicknamed “El Capitano,” he announced himself with a first-round KO at ONE Friday Fights 153 and brings an explosive straight right and left hook that have put opponents away at every level of competition.In the co-main event, Khunponnoi Sor Sommai takes on Scotland’s Gregor Thom in a flyweight Muay Thai matchup — and this is where the Seksan connection comes full circle.Khunponnoi is the younger brother of “The Man Who Yields To No One.” On the same night the man who knocked Seksan out headlines the card, the Thai veteran’s sibling fights for the right to build his own legend.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 33-year-old Sor Sommai product has 127 professional wins, including 28 knockout victories, and he has spent years working to step out of the most beloved shadow in ONE Championship.Khunponnoi has followed his brother’s style religiously, most recently earning a body shot KO bonus at ONE Friday Fights 153, and he arrives on Friday fresh, dangerous, and determined.Thom’s journey from Aberdeen is one of the great origin stories at ONE Friday Fights. The 26-year-old started training during the COVID lockdown out of pure boredom, moved to Thailand, and has forged himself into a legitimate threat with a powerful low-kick game, razor-sharp elbows, and a relentlessness that belies his relatively short time in the sport.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Scot authored his greatest performance at ONE Friday Fights 147, knocking Su
Content Source: Yahoo News
Image Credit: Getty Images
All rights to the news content and images belong to their respective copyright owners.