Kade Ruotolo Faces Ok Rae Yoon, Dzhabrailov Returns in Two Emphatic MMA Bouts at ONE Fight Night 50

Reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo faces former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Ok Rae Yoon, and Maurice Abevi takes on undefeated Turkish finisher Dzhabir Dzhabrailov in a welterweight clash.

Both bouts go down at ONE Fight Night 50 on Friday, December 18, from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. North American fans can stream it live on Amazon’s Prime Video.

Ruotolo and Ok find themselves in different places in the lightweight division, bringing plenty of drama and storylines to what is shaping up as a must-watch year-closing card. Meanwhile, Abevi and Dzhabrailov add welterweight fireworks to a night that promises finishes in both weight classes.

Grappling King Kade Ruotolo Faces a Former ONE World Champion

Ruotolo's MMA evolution has been one of the more captivating ongoing stories in ONE Championship.

The 23-year-old American transitioned from submission grappling to MMA in June 2024 after claiming the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title and defending it multiple times.

He submitted his first three MMA opponents before silencing any doubters about his striking by knocking out Hiroyuki Tetsuka in the second round earlier this year. A 10-0 combined record across submission grappling and MMA, with his last four MMA performances delivering finishes across two different methods, gives Ruotolo the credentials of a genuine lightweight MMA contender at 23 years old.

December 18 against Ok Rae Yoon is the toughest name on his MMA resume yet, and the result will go a long way toward determining how soon a ONE Lightweight MMA World Title shot becomes a realistic conversation.

Ok Rae Yoon Wants to Return to the Top of the Lightweight Division

Ok’s ONE Championship journey has been defined by a stunning high before a prolonged search for consistency. The 35-year-old South Korean demolished former ONE World Champion Marat Gafurov in his promotional debut, defeated legendary fighter Eddie Alvarez, and then beat Christian Lee across a five-round war in 2021 to claim the ONE Lightweight MMA World Championship.

His title reign ended with a loss in his first defense, and the mixed results that followed have left a former world champion looking for a performance that re-establishes his place among the division's elite.

The South Korean’s 17-5 career MMA record and four ONE Championship wins still reflect a fighter capable of competing at the highest level, and facing Ruotolo on December 18 gives the South Korean the kind of high-profile opponent that a statement victory could be built around.

A win over the undefeated submission grappling champion would immediately return Ok to the title conversation he has been trying to re-enter since losing the belt.

Abevi and Dzhabrailov to Engage in Heated Welterweight Clash

The welterweight contest between Abevi and Dzhabrailov could well be the shortest match on the ONE Fight Night 50 card. Both fighters arrive with finishing track records that make a decision outcome the least likely result.

Abevi, from Switzerland, carries a 9-1 MMA record and the momentum of a first-round TKO in his most recent appearance, arriving on a three-bout winning streak after bouncing back from his ONE Championship debut loss.

Dzhabrailov may be the most explosive finisher on the roster by pure statistics. His 4-0 ONE Championship record has produced four first-round finishes with an average bout duration of just 1:20 minute, a number that is barely long enough to find a comfortable seat before the fight ends.

A Swiss fighter building momentum against a Turkish finisher who has never seen round two in ONE Championship gives December 18 a welterweight matchup with a very high probability of an early finish.