Explosive title-fight double-header promises fireworks at ONE: Lights Out

The featherweight and bantamweight world titles will be on the line in ONE Championship’s latest offering, ONE: Lights Out, this Friday in Singapore.

The event, which streams live on YouTube globally, as well as on the ONE Super App, and B/R Live in the US, features a double-header of world championship action featuring some of the very best fighters on the ONE roster.

The main event offers a fascinating clash of styles, as hard-hitting technical striker Thanh Le puts his ONE featherweight title on the line against elite-level grappling master Garry Tonon, who is stepping up to challenge for a major MMA title for the first time.

A member of the famed “Danaher Death Squad” earlier in his career, Tonon rose through the ranks on the grappling scene to become one of the world’s premier BJJ exponents, and captured a string of medals, including back-to-back no-gi jiu-jitsu world championships in 2011 and 2012.

In 2018, “The Lion Killer” turned his attention to MMA, and signed with ONE Championship. Tonon’s rise has been an impressive one, with six wins from his six bouts so far inside the ONE Championship circle. The only bout to go to the scorecards was his most recent one, a unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Koyomi Matsushima at ONE: Big Bang in December 2020.

Now Tonon is set to challenge for the title against reigning champion Le, who is set to put his title on the line for the first time.

A former LFA interim featherweight champion who also picked up a win on Dana White’s Contender Series, Le made his debut for ONE in May 2019 and reeled off three straight knockout victories to earn himself a title shot against then-champion Martin Nguyen.

Le rose to the occasion in a superb scrap as he knocked out “The Situ-Asian” in the third round at ONE: Inside The Matrix to capture the ONE featherweight title in October 2020.

Now he faces Tonon, who will present the most unique test of his career to date.

Also set for action is an all-Brazilian clash for the ONE bantamweight championship.

Bibiano Fernandes is the most dominant champion in ONE Championship history. The 41-year-old captured the interim bantamweight title in his second fight with the promotion back in May 2013, then upgraded his title to the full version five months later.

“The Flash” then registered seven title defenses in a row before being edged out by Kevin Belingon via split-decision. But Fernandes bounced back and defeated Belingon twice in successive bouts to re-establish his position as champion.

Now he’s set to face arguably the hardest-hitting contender he’s ever faced. Fellow Brazilian John Lineker’s fighting nickname of “Hands of Stone” is well deserved. Lineker’s punch power has been a feature of his career through 43 career bouts, with 16 of those matchups ending via knockout.

The former UFC contender is perfect inside the ONE Championship circle, with a decision victory over Muin Gafurov and knockouts of Belingon and Troy Worthen helping position him for a shot at the title.

Le vs. Tonon and Fernandes vs. Lineker are the star attractions on a fight card that also features the return of former longtime featherweight champion Martin Nguyen, who faces Ukraine’s Kirill Gorobets, and former strawweight champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva, who takes on Indonesia’s Adrian Mattheis.