As usual, the organization has put together an action-packed schedule, headlined by two ONE world-title showdowns that are guaranteed to satisfy any combat sports fan’s appetite.

Two-time division-ONE world-champion Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder returns to the Circle in the evening’s headliner, where he will defend his middleweight throne against former divisional king Vitaly Bigdash.

De Ridder holds both the ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world titles and has amassed a 15-0 winning streak in his professional career.

Russian star Bigdash has scored three back-to-back wins in ONE, including a second victory in his rivalry with Myanmar MMA legend “The Burmese Python”, Aung La N Sang, earlier this year.

The co-main event features a battle between ONE Women’s atomweight kickboxing world champion Janet “JT” Todd and Spanish star Lara Fernandez for the ONE interim women’s atomweight Muay Thai world title.

JT earned ONE gold when she defeated Stamp Fairtex in February 2020, and she hopes to earn her second when she welcomes Fernandez to the global stage on July 22.

The winner of this bout will face current ONE Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Allycia Hellen Rodrigues -- who took a hiatus to focus on motherhood -- to unify the belts.

Before these two monster matchups go down, there will be plenty of action to keep fans entertained on the evening’s main card.

Second-ranked straw-weight contender Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane takes on third-ranked Hiroba Minowa in a scintillating battle just before the co-main event.

Both men are coming off a loss at the hands of top-ranked contender Jared “The Monkey God” Brooks, and this match could determine who will face the winner of the ONE strawweight world-title showdown between “The Monkey God” and divisional king Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, if and when that bout goes down in the near future.

Read also: Reinier de Ridder to face Vitaly Bigdash in main event of ONE 159

“Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK.Saenchai is also set to return to the Circle on July 22 following his intense one-round war with Liam “Hitman” Harrison at ONE 156. He looks to slide back into the win column when he faces Vladimir Kuzmin in a bantamweight Muay Thai bout.

The ONE 159 lead card hosts everything from Muay Thai to submission grappling, and it promises to kick off the event in style. Ariel “Tarzan” Sexton will face Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in a lightweight MMA battle, while newly signed Jessa Khan faces Amanda “Tubby” Alequin in a women’s atomweight submission grappling match.

The full card can be seen below:

Main Card for ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash

• Reinier de Ridder vs. Vitaly Bigdash (ONE middleweight world title)
• Janet Todd vs. Lara Fernandez (ONE interim atomweight Muay Thai world title)
• Bokang Masunyane vs. Hiroba Minowa (MMA -- strawweight)
• Muangthai PK.Saenchai vs. Vladimir Kuzmin (Muay Thai -- bantamweight)
• Zhang Peimian vs. Aslanbek Zikreev (kickboxing -- strawweight)
• Zelang Zhaxi vs. Danial Williams (MMA -- strawweight)

Lead Card for ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash

• Sinsamut Klinmee vs. Islam Murtazaev (Muay Thai -- lightweight)
• Ariel Sexton vs. Marat Gafurov (MMA -- lightweight)
• Jessa Khan vs. Amanda Alequin (submission grappling -- atomweight)
• Jin Tae Ho vs. Valmir Da Silva (MMA -- welterweight)
• Anderson Silva vs. Mikhail Jamal Abdul-Latif (MMA -- heavyweight)
• Lea Bivins vs. Zeba Bano (MMA -- atomweight)

Watch ONE 159 on July 22 in ONE Super App and subscribe to ONE Championship on YouTube!

This article is published in collaboration with ONE Championship.

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