ONE Championship returns to the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, February 25, with a 12-bout lineup featuring two world championship bouts atop the bill at ONE: Full Circle.
3 Fights To Watch At ONE: Full Circle
With the bill split 50/50 between mixed martial arts and ONE Super Series action, there is a little something on the card for everybody. But with so much to choose from, what are the key bouts you need to make sure to watch when the bell rings in the action?
Let’s jump into the thick of ONE: Full Circle and pick three bouts you will absolutely need to watch.
Reinier De Ridder vs. Kiamrian Abbasov
The main event will be a matchup of world champion athletes as Reinier De Ridder puts the ONE Middleweight World Championship on the line against the welterweight king, Kiamrian Abbasov.
Already reigning over two divisions, De Ridder has all the momentum behind him entering the Circle. The undefeated Dutchman has been a dominant force since arriving on the global stage, but that plays into Abbasov’s story as he has routinely overcome the odds to carve out his own legacy.
Abbasov’s pressure and grit will be a challenge for De Ridder. If “The Dutch Knight” can solve the problem, another titleholder will be added to his resume as he continues to garner acclaim. However, if Abbasov can pull off another upset, a brand-new two-division champion will be crowned.
This matchup fits into both of their stories and how they’ve been written to date, Friday is the next chapter, and the gold only adds to the allure of the bout.
Fabricio Andrade vs. Jeremy Pacatiw
The main card will begin with an action-packed bantamweight battle between #4-ranked contender Fabricio Andrade and Jeremy Pacatiw.
Pacatiw arrived in ONE to be the next great Team Lakay product and defeated Chen Rui in his debut performance. Now he gets a top-five ranked opponent to gauge where he stands among the elite in the division.
But the Brazilian has been on a mission to reach the top of the division. Andrade has shown himself to be one of the most exciting and one of the most talented bantamweights. If he can halt Pacatiw’s rise, Andrade should stand on the precipice of a title shot against the winner of Bibiano Fernandes vs. John Lineker.
This is an exciting meeting of two young guns quickly becoming household names that could compete for gold by year’s end.
Yuri Simoes vs. Daniyal Zainilov
Yuri Simoes is a world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, but his mixed martial arts debut did not go as planned against Fan Rong. After having more than a year away to heal and continue his development as a well-rounded athlete, Simoes meets Daniyal Zainalov on the lead card.
Zainilov will be another huge test for the Brazilian. Although he is making his ONE debut, he is undefeated and has more mixed martial arts experience than the multiple-time BJJ World Champion.
Simoes’ development is the reason to circle this bout on the docket. If the American Kickboxing Academy representative can showcase his ground game, he will instantly be a key figure in the middleweight division.
As Garry Tonon, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, and others have proven, the era of high-level grapplers is far from over. This is Simoes’ time to add his name to that list and take a step closer in his own journey.
ONE: Full Circle will air live and free on Friday, February 25. The lead card begins at 5:00 a.m. EST/2:00 a.m. PST on ONE’s YouTube channel, Facebook page, and ONE Super App.
The main card will begin at 7:30 a.m. EST/4:30 a.m. PST on ONE’s YouTube channel and the ONE Super App.
