In the opening bout of ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III, former lightweight MMA king Ok Rae Yoon used a dazzling combination of clean boxing and impenetrable takedown defense to record a unanimous decision win over American star Lowen Tynanes.
The victory came at a crucial time for the South Korean sensation – it was his first appearance since losing the ONE Lightweight World Title in a rematch with current titleholder Christian Lee last August.
Now back in the win column, #1-ranked Ok seems poised to once again compete for 26 pounds of gold. However, the 32-year-old admits he might need another victory before challenging for the belt again.
With that said, here are three opponents Ok could target next.
#1 Dagi Arslanaliev
Sitting just one spot below Ok in the lightweight MMA rankings is #2 contender Dagi Arslanaliev.
A longtime ONE star with five victories in his last six fights, the 28-year-old from Tukey also finds himself aiming for a World Title shot in the near future.
A matchup between these highly ranked athletes would make a lot of sense, and it would surely produce fireworks, as both men need at least one more statement performance to make their case.
And stylistically, Arslanaliev’s incredible knockout power versus Ok’s supremely technical boxing game would make for an intriguing showdown.
#2 Saygid Izagakhmaev
Dagestani destroyer Saygid Izagakhmaev is the division’s #3-ranked contender, is undefeated in ONE, and might be the scariest fighter in the organization who doesn’t yet hold a World Title.
However, Ok could be the man who finally derails the Russian’s hype train.
Over the course of his five bouts in ONE, the South Korean has proven to possess truly elite takedown defense, making him a serious challenge for a powerful grappling specialist like Izagakhmaev.
Moreover, the winner of this potential matchup would make a strong argument for a shot at the ONE Lightweight World Title next.
#3 Halil Amir
Finally, fans would be in for frenetic action if Ok took on all-action striker Halil Amir.
Through his first two promotional appearances, the undefeated Turkish standout has shown to be a world-class talent, knocking out fan favorite Timofey Nastyukhin and earning an entertaining decision over then-unbeaten Maurice Abevi.
Simply put, a showdown between the former lightweight king and Amir would be a barnburner for as long as it lasts, with both athletes owning some of the division’s most dangerous striking and on the cusp of a World Title shot.
