Kang Ji Won burst into the ONE Championship heavyweight division with his “Mighty Warrior” power. After a loss against Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida set him back, Kang got back into the win column in 2022. After a year away, he returns at ONE Fight Night 16 to welcome Ben Tynan to the promotion.
“I heard he’s on a 12-fight winning streak going back to his amateur days. I won’t take him lightly. I will prepare the best I can to make sure I put on the best performance possible,” Kang told ONE.
The November 3 meeting will have significant implications in the heavyweight division. The 28-year-old does not want to release his position in the division to a newcomer. That is why the South Korean is focusing on tightening up his wrestling defense against the former Division-1 talent.
“I’ve watched his fights, and he’s an elite wrestler. I’ll need to focus on my takedown defense and also focus on just doing what I do best,” the South Korean said.
Tynan enters ONE with a perfect record and a perfect 100% finishing rate. As such, Kang cannot find too many holes in his game. However, the heavy-handed South Korean plans to focus on his strengths to put the first blemish on the Elevation Fight Team star’s record.
“I can’t really pinpoint a weakness [in Tynan], but I know that my striking is better than his. As I said, I’ll need to focus on my takedown defense and taking the fight to him afterward,” “Mighty Warrior” stated.
Kang is focused on his defensive wrestling, not merely because of Tynan’s background. It is a belief that due to his record of knockouts in ONE, the newcomer will avoid exchanges on the feet with him. As such, “Mighty Warrior” expects Tynan to lean into turning this into a gritty battle with his grappling.
“Because of my history of first-round knockouts, I doubt he’ll stand and trade with me in round one. I think he will want to drag it out to the second and third rounds. Whatever the case, I plan on putting on an entertaining performance,” Kang said.
With wins over Amir Aliakbari, Mehdi Barghi, and Paul Elliott, Kang knows he is not too far off from a title shot. That is why getting a finish is important in this matchup. “Mighty Warrior” wants to curb the debuting star’s momentum, get a highlight-reel win, and stake his claim as one of the top contenders in the division.
“I’ll defend his takedowns. Whether it’s through ground-and-pound or a standing KO, I believe I will get the win,” Kang said.
ONE Fight Night 16 airs live on Friday, November 3. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Prime Video. The event is free for all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the U.S. and Canada.
