ONE on Prime Video 12 Main Event Breakdown

Between MMA, submission-only grappling, and Muay-Thai, you’ve got three nights of action in a row to enjoy. It begins this Friday night when, on the 12th anniversary of its founding, Singapore-based ONE Championship returns to its North American media home, Amazon Prime Video, for ONE on Prime Video 12 and the ONE on Prime Video 12 main event.

Live coverage of the main card begins at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT on Amazon Prime from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. Note: ONE on Prime Video 12 is only available to Prime subscribers inside the United States and Canada. Outside of North America, Friday’s show is available as a pay-per-view through ONE’s Website.

Flyweight Muay-Thai Supremacy Focus of ONE on Prime Video 12 Main Event

All told, the card will feature nine bouts across combat sports disciplines. Highlighting the night is the battle for the ONE Flyweight Muay-Thai Championship in the ONE on Prime Video 12 main event.

Incumbent ONE Flyweight Kickboxing Champion (and No. 1 Muay-Thai contender) Superlek Kiatmoo9 (134-29-4 kickboxing, 10-1 ONE Championship) takes on Tagir Khalilov (2-2 ONE Championship). No championship is at stake here, so it’ll only be a three-round fight at three minutes per round to close the show.

We're less than ONE week away from another night of martial arts madness at ONE Fight Night 12 on @primevideo! Which fights are you tuning in for on July 14?#ONEFightNight12 | Jul 14 at 8PM ET
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— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) July 8, 2023

Fourth Different Fight Serving as ONE on Prime Video 12 Main Event

It’s been a challenging time for ONE in the run-up to Friday’s card. This Muay-Thai bout is the fourth different main event that’s been scheduled for ONE on Prime Video 12.

Initially, heavyweight MMA was supposed to have been the focus of the headliner, but a planned Anatoly Malykhin vs. Arjan Bhullar fight was moved to ONE Friday Fights 22 in late June. Malykhin won (third-round TKO.)

From there, two other planned main events were forced off of the card due to injuries. Barring any setbacks, the fourth main event will be the charm.

ONE on Prime Video 12 Main Event Fighter Comparison

Heading into the ONE on Prime Video 12 main event on Friday evening, Tagir Khalilov stands as the taller man at 5-foot-8, compared to the 5-foot-7 frame of Superlek Kiatmoo9. Superlek owns a 69-inch reach, with no such information for Khalilov.

As of Tuesday night, the oddsmakers have Superlek Kiatmoo9 installed as a -300 favorite on the money line, with Tagir Khalilov countering as a +240 underdog If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend, please wager responsibly.

Superlek Faced With a Short-Notice Fight in ONE on Prime Video 12 Main Event

Superlek Kiatmoo9 has posted a record of 5-0 in his last five fights. At present, he’s on an eight-fight winning streak.

A few weeks ago, Superlek bested Nabil Anane (first-round knockout: punch to the body) (33-5-1 Muay-Thai, 0-1 ONE Championship) in ONE Friday Fights 22 on June 23. Recently, he talked to the promotion, mentioning that his gameplan is mapped out for the ONE on Prime Video 12 main event.

“I have prepared a lot. I can see many holes in him”, Superlek said of Khalilov. “I have already prepared something for him. I know he is good with punches, so I prepared something to deal with his hands. We will all see that in the ring.”

How much will only having three weeks in-between fights affect Superlek? Tune into the ONE on Prime Video 12 main event and find out.

Tagir Khalilov Hungry for a Title Shot

In the other corner, Tagir Khalilov has posted a 2-2 record since joining ONE Championship. Last time out, he stopped Alain “Black Panther” Ngalani (1-1 ONE Championship) (first-round knockout: body punches) on March 17.

During a recent interview, Khalilov mentions that he views the ONE on Prime Video 12 main event as a path toward an eventual title shot.

“I’m confident that I can beat Superlek,” Khalilov said. “I’m at the peak of my career, and I’m very charged both physically and mentally. I’m ready to win. Victory should be one of the last steps on the way to the ONE Championship belt. My goal is to defeat Superlek, then meet Rodtang (Jitmuangnon) and take the belt away from him.

Tagir Khalilov needs to take his pursuit of the strap one round at a time. It starts with Friday’s headliner.

Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction

Look for the ONE on Prime Video 12 main event to be an aggressive nine minutes of action on Friday night. With both of these men kickboxers by trade, which of these men has the crisper shots?

Watch for Superlek’s Body Shots

Upon examining the video of Superlek’s last fight against Anane, his ability to work the body is something to behold. Right from the command to fight, he attempted to score with leg kicks, but Anane returned fire with a kick to Superlek’s body.

After, Superlek continued to attack Anane’s legs, with the pace of the fight speeding up. The fighters traded strikes, but another leg kick from the former spelled the beginning of the end for Anane.

Moments later, Superlek connected with a shot to the body to send Anane down to the mat and end the fight. All he needs is one crisp shot to the body.

Khalilov Has Great Body Shots, Too

In the other corner, don’t discount Tagir Khalilov’s efforts to work the body. Black Panther found that out the hard way earlier this year.

Ngalani found himself missing on his striking attempts early on in the fight, allowing Khalilov to quickly become the aggressor. Although Black Panther had his moments, they were few and far between,

As the first round neared its end, Khalilov opened up with a flurry of punches on Ngalani, culminating with a kick to the midsection to knock him out on contact. If Khalilov can knock Superlek off of his gameplan, the sky is the limit in the ONE on Prime Video 12 main event.

Final Thoughts

Even though this won’t be a championship confrontation, the ONE on Prime Video 12 main event looks to be an entertaining affair just the same. Get your popcorn ready.

Prediction: Superlek Kiatmoo9 by Unanimous Decision.