ONE 159 could lead to bigger challenges for Filipino mixed martial artists

MANILA, Philippines – It will be another loaded night for ONE Championship fans when The Home of Martial Arts returns to the Singapore Indoor Stadium on July 22 to showcase ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash.  

While there will be no Filipinos competing that night, some of the stars who’ll be battling it out could come across some of the Philippines’ local heroes in the near future. 

That said, let’s look at some potential matches that could materialize after the event.  

Reinier de Ridder vs Brandon Vera

When longtime heavyweight king Brandon “The Truth” Vera still ruled the weight class, current two-division world champion Reinier “The Dutch Knight” De Ridder was already calling him out.  

While Vera doesn’t hold that strap anymore, this match could still take place if Vera decides to return to the light heavyweight division and challenge for the Dutchman’s belt.  

This is possible because no matter what happens in De Ridder’s match against Vitaly Bigdash, “The Dutch Knight” will still be holding the ONE light heavyweight world title.  

Danial Williams vs Jeremy Miado

When Danial Williams started making a splash in the MMA strawweight division, there was one guy he mentioned he wanted to fight – and that’s Filipino dynamo Jeremy Miado.  

Miado has been on a tear as he finished his last three bouts, making him one of the most interesting fighters in the strawweight division.  

A clash with Williams, who comes from a muay thai background, would certainly create fireworks and could be the match to watch out for.  

Williams, though, must overcome Zelang Zhaxi at ONE 159 to make that happen.  

Hiroba Minowa/Bokang Masunyane vs Team Lakay strawweights

While it’s still unclear what’s next for Pacio, the winner of the strawweight clash between Hiroba Minowa and Bokang Masunyane could produce the next challenger for the ONE strawweight world title.  

After all, Pacio has yet to face either of the two men, and both fighters offer an interesting challenge for the longtime strawweight king.  

Moreover, the loser of Minowa-Masunyane could face Lito Adiwang when he returns, especially since Adiwang has been hell-bent on fighting Minowa again after their controversial bout. Also, a clash with Masunyane would pit two of the most explosive fighters in the division against each other. – Rappler.com