ONE Friday Matches: When Chatri Sityodtong revealed that the legendary Lumpinee Stadium will host weekly bouts for the worldwide martial arts phenomenon ONE Championship in 2023, the Muay Thai community was ecstatic. Since then, the Friday night show has been broadcast to 154 countries worldwide, and a lot of talented Nak Muays have travelled to Bangkok in hopes of securing a coveted ONE contract.
Since the Friday fights began a year ago, several boxers have left their mark, winning significant performance bonuses and becoming well-known throughout the globe. The story of fighters like Seksan, who went 8-0 in 2023, and Johan Ghazali, a 16-year-old American prodigy who landed a 6-fight deal with ONE’s worldwide promotions, has already been covered extensively. Therefore, the focus of this article will be on fighters and champions who have advanced to ONE’s main stage. Rather, we will examine some of the emerging talents who have demonstrated bravery, heart, and tenacity on ONE Friday matches and who are names to watch in 2024.
10 Muay Thai Fighters To Watch In 2024’s ONE Friday Matches
Check out the Muay Thai fighters to watch in 2024 ONE Friday matches below:
1) Tyson Harrison
Tyson Harrison gained worldwide fame at the end of 2022 with a dominant knockout victory over Tum Winner MuayThai on Rebellion in Australia. The Australian was rewarded for his triumph by the ONE matchmakers, who paired him with Thai icon Seksan in the inaugural episode of ONE Lumpinee. The fight that followed was legendary. Both guys gave performances worthy of a highlight reel, and in a very close split decision, the Thai native prevailed.
The young Australian’s momentum was unaffected by the defeat. Following his battle with the renowned Thai legend, he has shown that he had the courage and determination to take on anybody, and as a result, he was granted four more battles on Friday battles in 2023. These fights had a range of outcomes. Harrison only prevailed in two of these fights; the other Thai great, Kulabdam, stopped him in the first round of their match. But because of his tenacity, fierceness, and willpower, he has become a fan favourite, and many are excited for him to return to the revered Bangkok stadium.
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2) Josh Hill
Josh Hill, a super-welterweight from the UK, debuted on ONE Friday Fights on January 20th. This came after a spectacular 2022 in which he won seven fights without losing and took home the ISKA World Title and UK Fighter of the Year. Keivan Soleimani, his opponent, caused controversy at the weigh-ins by failing ONE’s required hydration test and missing weight by 7 pounds. Despite having a clear weight disadvantage, Josh won the bout by outkicking the belligerent Soleimanito to win by unanimous decision.
Josh was able to make a grand comeback to ONE’s Friday bouts thanks to his first victory. He went back to Lumpinee on May 5th to take on Satanfah Sitsongpeenong, the former WBC Muay Thai World Champion. Josh persevered with the Thai champion despite suffering from a chest illness during training and fractured his jaw early in the opening round. Josh secured the victory in the last seconds of the bout by downing Satanfah with a stunning left elbow after the two had exchanged hands and elbows in a back-and-forth exchange.
Josh has declared his intention to return to Lumpinee in 2024 and that he hopes to face more elite Thai fighters, such as Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong or Chanajon PK Saenchai.
3) Natalia Diachkova
Natalia Diachkova, a Russian native, had already won three world titles before moving to Bangkok to establish herself at the epicentre of Muay Thai. The “Karelian Lynx,” who is now training out of the prestigious Venum camp in Bangkok, has established herself as a formidable opponent at ONE Lumpinee, taking the victory in each of her three bouts at the renowned stadium in 2023.
Following a commanding knockout triumph in April, Natalia was paired with Lena Nocker, the #2 fighter in the WBC. She quickly and decisively defeated the Italian in the opening round because of her strong right hand. This resulted in another big fight, which took place in September versus Hannah Brady, the WBC European Champion.
This bout was a long-lasting one, with both females exchanging elbows and hands in an entertaining classic that has fans excitedly anticipating the triumphant Russian’s comeback in 2024.
4) Chanajon PK Saenchai
Chanajon made his ONE Lumpinee debut in May 2023, although he was already a well-known Muay Thai champion. His three titles—the Rajadamnern Stadium Title, the Isuzu Cup Championship, and the gold medal from the King’s Cup Tournament—left no doubt that he was the maestro of the five-round Muay Thai format.
He demonstrated his ability to modify his technique for three-round fights with a victory against WBC Middleweight World Champion Victor Hugo in his debut fight. He demonstrated that he could adjust to the smaller gloves in his subsequent appearance by using powerful hand combinations to take down Iranian Mohamed Hanoun. In 2023, he triumphed against British WBC World Champion George Jarvis in his last fight on ONE.
Regretfully, Chanajon was unable to finish 2023 unbeaten. During his last fight in December, Mustafa Al Tekreeti, an Iranian, stopped the Thai fighter in the second round of their fight with a powerful uppercut. With three significant victories under his resume, including victories over two separate WBC World Champions, Chanajon has shown that he is a formidable foe for anybody prepared to put on the 4-ounce gloves.
5) Stephen Irvine
On the 23rd episode of ONE Friday matches, Scotsman Stephen Irvine made a statement by stopping Pettong Kiatsongrit in the second round of their three-round match. The WMO European Champion demonstrated why he is ideal for the quick-paced ONE style by deflecting kicks and landing elbows and hands to score three knockdowns prior to referee Elias Dolaptsis ending the fight.
When the youthful strawweight went back to Lumpinee in August, he proved that his previous excursion wasn’t a coincidence. This time, he took on Panthep VK Khaoyai, the reigning Lumpinee and Channel 7 stadium champion. He used forward pressure and forceful hand combinations to force a second-round knockout.
When Stephen fought Thai fighter Singdomthong in October, he exhibited a more aggressive Muay Mat style. The crowd erupted in three rounds of intense toe-to-toe fighting between the two. Unfortunately, Irvine was felled early in the fight by a well-placed left hook, and even with a strong effort, he was unable to make up the distance that he had lost on the scorecards.
Irvine has been outspoken on social media about his desire to become the ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion, so it is safe to assume that he will be participating in Friday contests in order to achieve his objective.
6) River Daz
River Daz, a native of Melbourne, moved to Fairtex Gym in Pattaya at the beginning of 2023, bringing with him just his unbeaten record in Muay Thai and the hope of signing a ONE contract. The quick-handed and deft-footwork former WMC Australian champion suffered his first defeat in June when he faced Silviu Vitez, a Romanian, on Friday Fights.
The Australian was not disheartened by the defeat; instead, he returned to the gym with his champion work ethic in order to get ready for his next opportunity at ONE triumph. When ONE contacted in September, needing a last-minute replacement to play against Nonthakit Tor Morsri of PK Saenchai Gym with just 48 hours notice, his perseverance and hard training paid off.
River was given another fantastic opportunity, this time to face Seksan on ONE’s last Friday battle programme of 2023, thanks to this battle that put him back in the winner’s circle. Seksan won by a razor-thin split decision after the two men engaged in a nine-minute battle that saw them exchange hands and elbows from the opening bell to the finish.
Despite the setback, River has proven he is a man who can compete with anyone on the ONE 140lb Muay Thai roster, and it seems quite likely that he will return in 2024.
7) Junior Fairtex
In 2023, Muay Ying, also known as Junior Fairtex, who is eighteen years old, had a breakthrough year. He won three fights on ONE Friday matches. In her debut bout, Junior narrowly defeated her opponent to win on split points in a rematch with rival Pancake Kiattongyot.
Junior gained confidence in the little gloves and was able to get past her first battle. For her next bouts, she switched to an aggressive Muay Mat style, and she stalked her opponents throughout the ring with barely a backward step. The unrelenting onslaught of hands prompted Turkish fighter Zehra Dogan to submit in the second round in September after outworking Chinese competitor Wang Yue to a unanimous points victory in July.
8) Kongthoranee Sor Sommai
Kongthoranee fought on the promotion seven times during a hectic year on ONE Lumpinee. After losing to his fellow countryman Petsukmvit Boi Bangna in April, he had a rough start to his ONE career. However, he quickly got back on track and won six straight bouts over the next eight months.
Kongthoranee has demonstrated his versatility as a combatant. He’s skilled with both fists and elbows and when the chance presents itself, he has even been known to launch a powerful leaping knee. The matchmakers at ONE saw his intriguing approach and gave the Thai fighter a main event bout on the 48th Friday Fights earlier this month when he defeated Russian fighter Sharif Mazoriev on the scorecards to extend his winning run. It is reasonable to assume that in 2024, we will see a lot more of him.
9) Nongam Fairtex
Nongam Fairtex, a female fighter from the renowned Fairtex Gym, made waves on ONE Friday Fights in 2023 by winning all four of her fights on the card. Nongam is in her element when it comes to throwing down in the 4-ounce gloves, much like her stablemate Junior. She defeated Chu Nga Sze, a Chinese fighter, and Lisa Brierley, a former Lion Fight World Champion, with stunning knockouts because of her strong right hand and forward pressure.
Sadly, Nongam’s signature right hand suffered a terrible injury during her 2024 championship match, which she won by unanimous decision over fellow Thai fighter Phetchumpair Highland Gym. Until the damage heals, she will be unable to perform. Fans of the resilient Muay Ying are eager for her comeback in the meantime.
10) ET TDED99
The 29-year-old Thai fighter from the infamous Bangkok Tded99 school raised a ruckus at Lumpinee Stadium early in his debut fight when he flattened Apiwat Sor Somnuk with a flying knee. Due to his outstanding performance, he was invited back to the ONE stadium in May to battle against Kongthoranee in the main event of the promotion’s sixteenth episode. After exchanging elbows, flying knees, and punches in a close fight, ET was declared the winner by majority decision.
After the narrow defeat, ET left the ONE arena for a gruelling six months. They eventually made a comeback to Lumpinee in November, when they took against Kongthoranee’s stablemate, Mongkolkaew Sor Sommai. With a perfectly timed left elbow in the opening minute of the fight, ET put Mongkolkaew to sleep, demonstrating their return to form in the match.
It is certain that ET will return to ONE Friday matches after two highlight-reel finishes and an utter brawl against one of the most active and successful fighters in the organisation.
These are the 10 Muay Thai Fighters To Watch In 2024’s ONE Friday Matches. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
