ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: TYNAN TO FACE CERILLI IN BANGKOK AS MARCH TO HEAVYWEIGHT MMA TITLE BELT CONTINUES

  • Tynan is two for two in ONE Championship, while Cerilli has had mixed results since signing in 2018
  • ONE 167 will be co-headlined by two local heroes in Stamp Fairtex and Tawanchai PKSaenchaigym

Ben Tynan's march towards the heavyweight MMA belt has led him to former title challenger Mauro Cerilli after the pair were matched at ONE 167.

Tynan (6-0) is already two for two in the ONE Championship. He made his debut in November and submitted hard-hitting Korean Kang Ji Won in the third round.

The 30-year-old was also in action earlier this month and finished Duke Didier inside the opening round and his unblemished record, as well as his preference for wearing denim-style shorts in the ring, has endeared himself to fans.

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While Tynan has never tasted defeat, Cerilli's ONE Championship career has had its ups and downs, alternating between wins and losses since signing for the promotion in 2018 and fighting for the title on his debut, where he was stopped by Brandon Vera.

The former Cage Warriors heavyweight champion has three wins from his six appearances and is coming off a victory over Paul Elliott last year.

The event on June 8 sees ONE Championship return to the 11,000-capacity Impact Arena for the first time since January 2023. It will be headlined by Thai star Stamp Fairtex who faces former teammate Denice Zamboanga in an atomweight MMA title fight.

And a Thai fighter putting a title on the line in the co-main event. Tawanchai PKSaenchaigym defends his featherweight Muay Thai belt against Jo Nattawut in a rematch.

Completing the contingent of Thai champions on the card is Rodtang Jitmuangnon. His flyweight Muay Thai title will not be on the line at Impact Arena as he has been booked in to face Denis Puric in a kickboxing bout.

Meanwhile, former bantamweight Muay Thai title challenger Liam Harrison makes his long-awaited return. He has been out for nearly two years after undergoing knee surgery and has been booked to face Katsuki Kitano in his comeback bout.

While Harrison, aged 38, is clearly coming towards the end of his career, Adrian Lee will get his first taste of professional action at ONE 167. The younger brother of Angela Lee and Christian Lee, he will be going up against Antonio Mammarella in a lightweight MMA bout.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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2024-04-24T05:51:41Z dg43tfdfdgfd