ONE Championship has bolstered next month’s ONE 169 card in Bangkok with two more fights, including a highly anticipated showdown to crown the inaugural women’s strawweight kickboxing champion.
Jackie Buntan will finally face Anissa Meksen at Lumpinee Stadium on November 9, six months after they were originally set to clash inside the same venue.
Filipino-American 27-year-old Buntan had to withdraw from the bout, but the Bangkok Post understands it was rebooked in July for ONE’s return to the United States in Atlanta.
The Asia-based martial arts promotion last week announced it was moving the event from State Farm Arena to Lumpinee because of “partner obligations” in Thailand.
Also newly announced for ONE 169 on Wednesday was a featherweight Muay Thai fight between American Eddie Abasolo, and Algeria’s Younes Rabah.
The card is expected to feature three other title fights.
Anatoly Malykhin will defend his heavyweight MMA title against Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane in the main event, with Rodtang Jitmuangnon putting his flyweight Muay Thai belt on the line against Jacob Smith in a rematch.
Christian Lee is also set to make his long-awaited return after two years out with a lightweight MMA title defence scheduled against Alibeg Rasulov.
Both Buntan and Meksen failed in their previous attempts to win ONE gold.
Buntan lost a unanimous decision to Smilla Sundell in May 2022 with the inaugural strawweight Muay Thai title on the line, while French-Algerian legend Meksen, 36, is moving up having fallen short against Thailand’s Phetjeeja in an interim atomweight kickboxing title fight last December.