Lumpinee Stadium provided the stage for an epic lineup in Bangkok, Thailand, as ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug delivered a history-making night in U.S. primetime on Friday, November 8.
Here's what we learned at the action-packed event in U.S. primetime last Friday.
Lumpinee Stadium provided the stage for an epic lineup in Bangkok, Thailand, as ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug delivered a history-making night in U.S. primetime on Friday, November 8.
Three World Titles were up for grabs and two athletes were crowned World Champions for the first time, while eight additional fights saw contenders take big steps in their own hunts for gold on the global stage.
Before moving forward, here are five significant takeaways from ONE 169.
It took five grueling rounds against an all-time great, but Jackie Buntan became the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion by edging out Anissa Meksen via unanimous decision.
The World Championship clash could not have been closer, but Buntan’s crisp combos and control of the pocket allowed her to take all three of the judges’ scorecards.
Since arriving on the global stage, Buntan has been chasing ultimate glory. Her moment finally came to fruition in Bangkok.
Meksen’s performance should not be lost in defeat. The French-Algerian icon showed why she stood atop the mountain for so many years, and she came close to walking out of Lumpinee Stadium with the belt over her shoulder.
This was what a World Championship matchup should be, but only one athlete can get their hand raised. On Friday, it was Buntan – the first-ever ONE strawweight kickboxing queen.
In the wake of Demetrious Johnson’s retirement, the flyweight MMA division is jockeying for position to earn a shot at the vacant World Championship. At ONE 169, former king and current #1-ranked contender Adriano Moraes took pole position.
Although #3-ranked contender Danny Kingad showed marked improvement from their first meeting in 2017, the result was the same. Moraes found a submission – this time a guillotine choke – and Kingad was forced to tap out.
“Mikinho” has been a constant in the ONE Flyweight MMA World Title picture over the past decade, and he has no intention of letting someone else push him out.
Now, Moraes will be able to rest and see how the other top contenders fare before attempting to reclaim the throne.
Reigning ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo had an excellent MMA debut at ONE 167 against Blake Cooper. However, his win over Ahmed Mujtaba at ONE 169 showcased even more of his potential and laid the groundwork for a potentially historic campaign in 2025.
While the Atos representative secured the D’Arce choke and won in 64 seconds against Mujtaba, a crushing overhand right kick-started that finishing sequence. Knowing Ruotolo has big power in his hands is a terrifying thought for any future opponent, as the BJJ superstar is much more than a ground specialist.
As one of the best pound-for-pound grapplers on the planet and a ONE World Champion, it appears the 21-year-old could quickly become a World Title threat in the lightweight MMA division. Matches against the upper echelon are close.
If Ruotolo can defend his submission grappling throne and join the MMA elite, he will establish a legacy as one of the most remarkable talents in combat sports. For now, even the sky is not his limit.
Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida showed why he is a 17-time BJJ World Champion with a first-round submission win over Iranian superstar Amir Aliakbari in their high-stakes heavyweight MMA collision.
What the Brazilian accomplished was no easy feat. After all, Aliakbari is a world-class wrestler and had been riding high with four straight dominant victories, but Almeida needed less than a round to complete the job.
Nobody had ever done that to the Iranian behemoth, and the result established “Buchecha” as one of the top contenders in ONE’s heavyweight MMA division.
The 34-year-old might now have the chance to get revenge for his only loss in MMA, as former foe “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane captured the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title in the main event of ONE 169. A rematch with “Buchecha” would be one of the most compelling matchups of 2025.
Ayaka Miura picked up her third straight victory by defeating Macarena Aragon via her patented scarf-hold Americana in their atomweight MMA showdown. The Japanese submission ace will now set sights on the atomweight elite in 2025.
Since dropping down to 125 pounds, the former ONE Women’s Strawweight MMA World Title challenger has looked outstanding, with her elite arsenal and veteran savvy posing a serious threat to all competitors in the lighter weight class.
Now acclimated to life as an atomweight, the 34-year-old’s technical skills are emboldened by her strength advantage. She is physically and mentally capable of finishing anyone in the stacked division.
As the new year brings change, Miura is attempting to shake up the atomweight MMA ranks with her presence. After yet another exemplary performance, she is close to crashing the party and returning to the hunt for ONE gold.