Ben Tynan jumped into ONE Championship’s heavyweight division in a big way with a win over Kang Ji Won. On Friday, April 5, he will return against Duke Didier at ONE Fight Night 21 to try and put Anatoly Malykhin and the rest of the heavyweight contenders on notice. That is why he is expecting a huge finish in Bangkok, Thailand.
“He seems like he’s a decent grappler. He’s got something of a clinch, I’ll give him that. That looks decent enough. But besides that, I don’t know. I don’t want to be too cocky, but I think I’m going to take this guy’s head off,” Tynan told ONE.
Tynan also said he would take the finish on the mat if the match ended up there. However, he is clearly seeking a huge knockout for the highlight reel to continue to grow his fanbase. With a strong background in wrestling, Tynan has been spending much of his time fine-tuning his striking.
“I say first-round finish. I plan on taking his head off his shoulders. I want some big strikes. He doesn’t really like to strike too much, and in a lot of my fights, you don’t see much striking. I’m so focused on my wrestling that people think I can only wrestle, but what people don’t realize is I train with some of the best out here in Denver, and I can strike too. So I want to take his head off,” Tynan remarked.
If “Vanilla Thunder” makes it two straight on the global stage, he will undoubtedly earn a bigger opponent in his third outing. For Tynan, that is exactly the plan at ONE Fight Night 21. And he has eyes on doing it in front of an American audience.
Tynan attended ONE Fight Night 10 in 2023 as a fan. He saw the glitz and glamor from the stands, and now he wants a taste of it. After ONE Fight Night 21, Tynan plans to be on ONE’s return card in the United States.
“I think with a good finish here, I want to fight some bigger names for sure. I will fight some of the top heavyweights in ONE, and I really want to fight on the card here in Denver too [on September 6]. I think that’d be pretty sick. That’s something I want to be pushing for. I’ll beat this Australian up and then get ready for a fight here in Denver,” Tynan stated.
Tynan may have lit the fuse to his ONE career in his debut, but he wants to make it burn even brighter on April 5. The heavyweight talent wants fans to tune in and see what he is capable of inside the ring. After ONE Fight Night 21, Tynan expects to be one of 2024’s biggest breakout stars.
“This is just the start, baby. If I was to say anything to the fans, it’s get on board the ‘Vanilla Thunder’ storm because this is literally just the beginning of something really big. I may not have the recognition or the hype these other guys have right now, but I guarantee within this next year, I will be one of the biggest names in this company,” Tynan said.
ONE Fight Night 21 airs live on Friday, April 5, on Prime Video. The action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.
