Muay Thai, MMA, kickboxing, and submission grappling will be front and centre when it goes down on Friday, 24th January, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Impact Arena, with many eyes set to focus on the three World Title fights that top the lineup.
However, there are also several significant contests lower down the bill at ONE 170 that are worthy of attention. So, let’s break down three of them below.
Freddie Haggerty vs. Jordan Estupinan
The “Haggerty” name carries plenty of weight in the striking world, and British Muay Thai star Freddie Haggerty is doing it proud.
The brother of former two-sport and reigning bantamweight kickboxing king Jonathan put ONE’s Muay Thai ranks on notice in 2024, with three finishes in as many fights, and he’ll be looking to add a fourth when he takes on debutant Jordan Estupinan in his first fight of 2025.
Estupinan may be stepping onto the global stage for the first time at ONE 170, but he’ll also be following in the footsteps of a brother who has taken the promotion by storm.
Johan Estupinan has added four wins to his perfect 26-0 professional slate so far in his ONE tenure. If Jordan has even half the firepower his sibling brings to the table, Freddie Haggerty and the flyweight Muay Thai division at large had better prepare for a new star to rise.
Jo Nattawut vs. Bampara Kouyate
Former ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title challenger Jo Nattawut will hope to return to form and make a statement when he locks up with heavy hitter Bampara Kouyate at ONE 170.
“Smokin” Jo lit up the featherweight striking ranks with two closely contested battles against Muay Thai king Tawanchai, and his win over Luke Lessei in late 2023 pegged him as an all-around threat.
But with back-to-back defeats to his name, the latest of which came against Superbon this past September, Nattawut is determined to turn things around in 2025.
However, Kouyate will likely make that difficult for the #2-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender. After an underwhelming debut, the Frenchman returned with a fight-of-the-year contender against Lessei at ONE Fight Night 23 last July.
Kouyate knocked out the American in the final minute of the bout to take the fifth spot in ONE’s featherweight Muay Thai rankings, and he’ll be looking to leapfrog Nattawut when they collide in two weeks.
Suriyanlek Por Yenying vs. Thant Zin
Another early fight fans should pay attention to is the inevitable barnburner that will go down when Suriyanlek Por Yenying meets Thant Zin in 134-pound catchweight Muay Thai.
Suriyanlek has always fought with his heart on his sleeve. The curly-haired terror has scored five knockouts in six wins in the ONE Friday Fights series, and he’s ready to bag the biggest one yet when he debuts on ONE’s biggest stage.
But the rising star will need to have all guns blazing when he steps into battle opposite Thant Zin at ONE 170. The 20-year-old won his first two outings in ONE via first-round knockout to set himself apart from the pack.
He may have fallen in his third outing this past September. But that loss came at the hands of Japanese striking superstar Takeru, so many are confident the Myanmar powerhouse still has a bright future ahead of him.
