A pivotal bantamweight MMA matchup between two athletes hungry to climb the rankings is officially scheduled for ONE Fight Night 18: Superlek vs. Mahmoudi on Prime Video.
On January 12 in U.S. primetime, #5 contender Artem Belakh of Russia will square off with surging Mongolian athlete Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Featuring two of the division’s grittiest competitors, this contest has all the makings of an all-out war.
An expert submission fighter with an ever-evolving striking game, Belakh arrived at ONE with plenty of hype, owning a 100 percent finishing rate from his time on the ultra-tough Russian regional circuit.
He immediately lived up to those expectations in his promotional debut with a dominant decision victory over Brazilian veteran Leandro Issa in October 2022 to earn a spot in the bantamweight top five.
The 27-year-old would stumble in his sophomore appearance, though, suffering a knockout loss to perennial tough out Kwon Won Il in June at ONE Fight Night 11. Now, Belakh will have to get past a dark horse of the division in order to keep his spot in the rankings.
The 34-year-old Baatarkhuu has employed relentless pressure, suffocating top control, and punishing clinch work to accumulate a perfect 3-0 record in ONE in 2023 – the best year of his professional MMA career thus far.
In his most recent outing, the Team Tungaa representative scored a stunning submission win over previously undefeated phenom Jhanlo Mark Sangiao to announce himself as a legitimate threat in the division.
If he can keep his momentum going against Belakh at ONE Fight Night 18, Baatarkhuu could snag a spot in the rankings and earn himself another high-stakes battle next.
