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VMTV Vaults | EP.11 – Dominique Wooding

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After a stand-out victory over Cameron Hardy, Dominique Wooding joins VMTV Vaults host Kyle Dimond to talk about what’s next and names two potential opponents!

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“I Should Get The Shot” – Jacob Smith Wants World Title Fight If He Bests Denis Puric At ONE Fight Night 21

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Fiery flyweight Muay Thai star Jacob Smith enjoyed a triumphant return to ONE Championship last December at ONE Fight Night 17 after 18 months on the sidelines. 

The Scouse striker knocked out Walter Goncalves to gain momentum in the world’s largest martial arts organization, and he plans to add to it next month.

Smith returns to action against Bosnian-Canadian powerhouse Denis Puric at ONE Fight Night 21: Eersel vs. Nicolas on Saturday, 6th April, inside Bangkok, Thailand’s historic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium. 

Fans anticipate a thunderous clash, as they are both known to finish fights. Smith feels he knows what to expect from Puric, and he plans to give him an unwelcome gift for his birthday. 

“I’m either going to stop him with the knee or stop him with an elbow. I feel like the first round is going to be quite fiery. But if he decides to rush me too early, he’s going to walk into some big shots, so I could just finish him in round one,” he said. 

“But I’m sure I’m fighting him on his 39th birthday. So, unfortunately, my birthday present is going to be me knocking him out.”

When Jacob Smith debuted in ONE Championship at May 2022’s ONE 157, he battled ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon across three rounds of hard-hitting action. 

He came up short that night via unanimous decision, and a series of injuries forced him to take time away from action afterward. But that gap seemed to have allowed him level up his skill set. 

Smith came back stronger than ever, and his first-round finish of Goncalves last December pegged him as one to watch. The #2-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender is hoping to score back-to-back wins against Puric next month, and he knows exactly what he wants if he’s successful.

“My goal is to be ONE Championship Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion, and fingers crossed by the end of the year that comes through,” Smith said. 

“Rodtang is the champion, and Superlek is number one. After beating Walter, I’m now number two. Rodtang and Superlek are probably going fight each other again soon. Then I should get the shot at the winner after I beat Puric.”

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“Some Fighters Can’t Handle It” – Regian Eersel Believes Pressure Makes Him Stronger Ahead of ONE Fight Night 21

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Two-sport ONE World Champion Regian Eersel untouchable promotional run has put him in a league of his own, and one of the reasons he has become such a force is his refusal to take any opponent lightly. 

The Surinamese striker is continuing that approach ahead of his latest defense of the lightweight kickboxing gold against unbeaten star Alexis Nicolas in the main event of ONE Fight Night 21 on Saturday, 6th April.

Eersel has been doing his homework. He was in the crowd when Nicolas scored an impressive win against Magomed Magomedov in his ONE debut this past January and was impressed with what he saw. 

“I was watching live when he had his first fight for ONE. He’s a smart fighter, good with his kicks, and he throws good combinations. It’s going to be a good fight for me, and I’m going to put my name to the test again. It’s also good for him that he gets to fight for the belt in his second fight in ONE,” Regian Eersel said.

“I look at everybody they put in front of me as the most dangerous guy because the one in front of me is the one who is trying to beat me.

“My opponent is gonna do everything in his power to get the win and to get the belt. Nobody is an easy fight. Everybody is dangerous.”

Nicolas’ 23-0 slate would be intimidating for any fighter facing into a bout with him, but Eersel has an abundance of momentum behind him.

The two-sport king is on a 22-fight winning streak, with 11 of those coming in ONE Championship, and he stands supreme in both the lightweight kickboxing and Muay Thai ranks. 

As well as that, his tenure in the world’s largest martial arts organization is also six years longer than “Barboza’s,” and he plans to use everything he’s learned in his World Title defense.

“My biggest advantage I think is my experience, my pressure going forward, and my aggression. I think he will struggle with that,” Eersel said. 

“I would say I’m a different kind of fighter. I am really going to put the pressure on him, and he will feel it.”

Another factor that will play to the benefit of the two-sport king is the grandeur of the occasion. ONE Fight Night 21’s main event will be the biggest fight of Nicolas’ career, but it will be Eersel’s eighth consecutive World Title fight in ONE Championship

Whenever a belt is on the line, pressure follows for both competitors. Given his blistering form, “The Immortal” clearly thrives off the stress of expectation. But he says many don’t, and he’s ready to take advantage if Nicolas succumbs to it.

“I think it can go two ways because fighters aren’t the same. It’s not only the fight – it’s all the things around it. It’s a World Title fight in one of the biggest organizations in the world, so we get a lot of interviews and a lot of attention. When it’s close, all the media and all the attention that you get, some fighters can’t handle it,” Regian Eersel said.

“You will not notice it from the fighter. But inside his head, it’s sometimes a lot. If he can handle it, good. If not, I will notice. I will notice in the fight. And even before the fight. 

Because sometimes you see it in the eyes, the hesitation. So, I’m going to recognize it if he has it.”

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Tang Kai Scouts Featherweight Division, Invites “Arrogant” Superbon For MMA Super-fight

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Undisputed ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai and his journey back from injury was arduous. But his hard work paid dividends when he unified the World Titles earlier this month at ONE 166: Qatar.

The Chinese star returned in the historic evening’s co-main event on Friday, 1 March, where he scored a third-round knockout win over interim titleholder Thanh Le to solidify his position at the head of the table. 

Due to injury, the gap between winning the gold at ONE 160 in August 2022 and his comeback fight spanned a gut-wrenching 19 months. And it felt even longer for Tang, as he had to listen to people who believed he may never get back to where he once was.

“I must thank my team and coaches because they helped me make tactics to finish the match. I felt really good to win a match by knockout that I’ve been waiting for over a year to have,” he said. 

“I showed my power this time to the people who doubted me before.”

Having settled the World Title in stunning fashion, Tang is looking forward to what he expects to be a lengthy reign over ONE Championship’s featherweight MMA realm.

As for credible challengers, the Sunkin International Fight Club standout believes that #2-ranked divisional contender Garry Tonon may be one of the next in line. 

“The Lion Killer” has regained momentum since stumbling in his first World Title bid against former World Champion Le in early 2022. He has scored three finishes in as many bouts, making him an undeniable threat.

But Tang feels unfazed by the American’s grappling prowess, and he sees only one end to a meeting between them.

“He’s very good at jiu-jitsu, but his striking skill is weaker. I’m always ready to fight with any style, any person,” he stated. 

“[His grappling] won’t affect me. I’m going to KO him.”

Another intriguing prospect is one laid down by former ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon Singha Mawynn.

He has hinted at a potential move to MMA, and Tang has taken issue with it. As they would be fighting in the same division, which the talented 28-year-old is firmly in charge of, he believes it would be best for the Thai striker to stay in his lane.

“I think Superbon is a bit arrogant because he says he can fight in MMA with a bit of practice,” Tang Kai stated. 

“I’d have to let him know what MMA is, and I’ll let him sleep on the ground.”

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