5 Reasons To Watch ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov on May 15

ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov on Prime Video promises an unforgettable night of martial arts action at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The blockbuster spectacle broadcasts live in U.S. primetime on Friday, May 15.

Nine elite bouts spanning the full spectrum of combat sports await, as the world’s largest martial arts organization puts MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling’s absolute best on full display.

Here are five reasons why ONE Fight Night 43 belongs on every combat sports fan’s calendar.

#1 The World’s Most Dangerous Featherweights Collide For MMA Gold

Striker versus grappler is one of mixed martial arts’ most compelling dynamics, and it rarely comes packaged this cleanly.

Reigning ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai is a certified knockout artist, and Dagestani wrestling powerhouse Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov is a submission threat unlike any other. Only one man will walk away as the undisputed 155-pound king when the pair finally share the ring.

Tang climbed to the top of ONE’s deeply stacked featherweight division by stringing together eight straight victories built on lightning-fast combinations and lethal precision.

A decisive TKO of fierce rival Thanh Le in their highly anticipated rematch was the crowning proof of his greatness. Now, motivated by a recent setback against Akbar “Bakal” Abdullaev, the Chinese superstar arrives determined to prove he remains the division’s gold standard.

However, Gasanov enters as the most imposing challenger the division has ever produced. “The Cobra” has overwhelmed his opponents in ONE with powerful takedowns and suffocating top pressure. He arrives having thoroughly outpointed Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon to avenge the only defeat of his career, earning his rightful shot at 26 pounds of gold.

When the dust settles, a championship dynasty will either be cemented, or Dagestan’s flag will be planted atop the division.

#2 Ortikov’s Unbeaten Run Meets Its Sternest Test

The ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title currently sits vacant, and the door to gold has never been more wide open. For Aslamjon Ortikov, another emphatic victory could make him impossible to overlook.

The 22-year-old Uzbek sensation has never tasted defeat across 23 professional bouts. His mesmerizing combination of technical precision and raw finishing ability has carried him to a perfect 9-0 record inside the world’s largest martial arts organization.

He recently took a massive step up in competition, brilliantly outworking division mainstay Kongthoranee Sor Sommai at ONE Fight Night 36. A massive win over another highly dangerous young striker will put his name firmly at the front of the World Title conversation.

Colombian firecracker Jordan Estupinan stands firmly in his way.

The dynamic South American striker carries the dangerous edge of a man coming off the first loss of his career. Estupinan’s relentless aggression, unpredictable striking, and finishing instincts make him the perfect litmus test to determine whether Ortikov is truly ready for the vacant throne.

#3 Woolliss Tests Himself Against Another Former World Champion

Ben Woolliss became an overnight sensation with one of the most memorable promotional debuts in recent history. The 32-year-old British striker stepped up against notorious finisher and former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion John “Hands of Stone” Lineker at ONE Fight Night 41 last March.

Woolliss did not just hold his own — he completely shocked the world, chopping Lineker’s legs to pieces and finishing the heavy-handed Brazilian via leg kick TKO inside a single round. However, the road to the top only gets tougher from here.

Next up is former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Petchtanong Petchfergus, a battle-tested Thai veteran with over 400 fights to his name. Where Lineker was an aggressive wrecking ball, Petchtanong is a calculating craftsman. Woolliss’s technical precision will face its most fluid, seasoned, and highly educated examination yet.

If the British sensation can score a win here, the fast track to challenging ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty becomes very real.

#4 ‘Baby Shark’ Kicks Off The Road To Two-Division Dominance

At just 24 years old, Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis already boasts one of submission grappling’s most heavily decorated resumes.

With two ADCC World Championships, multiple IBJJF titles, and the ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Title in his trophy case, he was recently named ONE Championship’s 2025 Submission Grappler of the Year.

His two promotional appearances have only reinforced his massive hype. At ONE Fight Night 29, he announced his arrival with a highly creative hybrid triangle-kimura to submit Shoya Ishiguro.

The Brazilian phenom then delivered a 10-minute masterclass of grappling superiority at ONE Fight Night 38, thoroughly outclassing Daiki Yonekura to claim the vacant ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Title.

Now stepping up a weight class to face promotional newcomer Yuki Takahashi at bantamweight, Reis has two-division supremacy firmly in his sights. For a generational talent of his caliber, one World Title was never going to be enough.

#5 Veterans Seek Their Way Back Into Contention

For some of the promotion’s most established names, the grueling path back to the promised land begins on May 15.

Former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta faces hungry Brazilian contender Fabio Henrique. The veteran Japanese fighter is eager to remind a loaded division that his best days are far from behind him.

So too does former bantamweight kickboxing king Petchtanong, who faces his own defining test against the aforementioned Woolliss.

Meanwhile, redemption-seeking former World Title challenger Felipe “Demolition Man” Lobo squares off against Nontachai Jitmuangnon, seeking another run at the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title that once slipped through his fingers.

Finally, Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang, now reinvented and refreshed at flyweight, looks to build another thrilling winning streak against hard-hitting Indonesian finisher Eko Roni Saputra.

The road back to the top will not happen overnight, but for warriors of this caliber, every single step forward counts.

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