Preview: ONE on Prime Video 14

One Championship will return to Amazon streaming on Friday with three title fights in three different combat disciplines, all headlined by women. As with most of the company’s major events, ONE on Prime Video 14 sets up shop at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Action begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Seo Hee Ham meets Stamp Fairtex for the interim ONE women’s atomweight championship in the headliner; Smilla Sundell defends the ONE muay thai strawweight throne against 115-pound titleholder Allycia Helen Rodrigues, who moves up in weight; and Jessa Khan battles Danielle Kelly for the vacant ONE submission grappling women’s atomweight crown.

Now to the preview for ONE on Prime Video 14:

Interim ONE Women’s Atomweight Championship

Stamp Fairtex (10-2, 10-2 ONE) vs. Seo Hee Ham (26-8, 3-0 ONE)

Fairtex is one of ONE’s biggest stars. She debuted in the organization to great fanfare in 2018 at the age of just 20 years old. She has spent her whole career in ONE, whether competing in MMA, Western kickboxing or muay thai. Her second-ever appearance in the promotion was a co-main event, and she has headlined an incredible seven different cards. Yet, she currently finds herself without a title and seeks to rectify that by winning an interim belt against Ham. Fairtex has cannon-like kicks for her weight class, punishing opponents with blows to their legs and body, including one to Alyse Anderson’s liver that folded the American like an accordion. Her boxing is not as developed, but she still has solid straight punches, including a hard and accurate cross. Fairtex has some defensive grappling skills and can scramble well enough on the ground. There are opponents who can exploit her in this area—Angela Lee submitted her with a rear-naked choke to win the ONE women’s atomweight championship in March 2022—but Ham will not be one of them.

Speaking of Ham, she remains a mystery in many ways despite 34 wins across multiple major promotions. There are many who consider Ham one of the best pound-for-pound female fighters in the world over the past few years. However, her UFC stint from 2014-16 featured an ignominious 1-3 record. Those losses were not against elite opposition, as they came to Joanne Wood, Bec Rawlings and Danielle Taylor, with only the last of them being remotely controversial. Since exiting the UFC, Ham has won nine fights in a row, leading some to proclaim her a pound-for-pound talent.

ONE clearly hopes this will be a passing of the torch from the 36-year-old Ham to its young 25-year-old star. Will that happen? Most likely. Ham’s kicks are not as fast or powerful as her opponent’s, and her boxing is much clumsier. Ham’s grappling is better but not to the extent where she will consistently take Fairtex down. Fairtex wins via decision.

Continue Reading » Sundell vs. Rodrigues