The 21-year-old Australian, who held a share of the overnight lead, stormed off the blocks quickly with an eagle-birdie start before adding five more birdies against a bogey to lead on 15-under-par 128 in the NZ$1,250,000 (approx. US$850,000) event.

Overnight co-leader Ryuko Tokimatsu, the highest-ranked Japanese player in the field this week, returned with a two-under-par 69 at Millbrook Resort to take second place at the prestigious event, that is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia.

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who lifted his maiden Asian Tour title in Australia a fortnight ago, raised the local hopes after carding a 66 at The Hills. He trails by six shots in third place together with a host of players that included past champions Brad Kennedy and Dimitrios Papadatos of Australia, who posted respective rounds of 63 and 66 respectively at Millbrook Resort.

Thailand’s Poom Saksansin made his first career ace en-route to a 68 at Millbrook Resort to tie in ninth place on 136 with five other players, including compatriot Pavit Tangkamolprasert who matched his Poom’s efforts of the day with a 68 on the same course.

A total of three hole-in-ones were recorded on an eventful day at the New Zealand Open. Poom and Damien Jordan of Australia holed out on the second hole at Millbrook Resort while Natipong Srithong of Thailand aced the 16th hole at The Hills.

A total of 152 professionals and 152 amateurs took part in the event where the first two rounds were alternated between the par-71 course at Millbrook Resort and the par-72 course at The Hills.

The halfway cut was set at three-under-par 140 and a total of 62 players, ranked inside top-60 and ties, will go on to compete in the final two rounds at The Hills.

The top-40 Pro-Am teams will also advance to round three of the Pro-Am championship at The Hills.

American Amy Olson / Photo by Naratip Golf Srisupab/SEALs Sports Images

Ariya had scented the lead as the day wore on before Olson edged clear with a birdie on 16 and then the Thai’s putter let her down for a bogey five at the 18th and a one-under round of 71.

The Thai star, 23, had racked up a three-birdie run from 14 to 16 and appeared ready to take charge but she is still well in contention in the $1.5 million event.

“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s Friday,” said Olson, who sits at seven-under-par 137. “There’s a lot of golf left.”

Ariya said it was tough going, “especially when you keep playing and you’re not making any birdies”.

“You just really need to be patient and you know, you just have to understand this course, you’re not going to make much birdies. I feel like I miss all the putts. I just have to really work on it.”

“I hit a pretty good shot on 14 and made the putt, maybe like ten feet, uphill. Then on 15, I hit a great shot. I hit one foot with 6-iron. And par 5, just like up-and-down, make birdie,” added Ariya who is looking for her first LPGA win in this continent.

“I just never win in Asia, so if I can win, it’s going to be like my dream come true,” the 10-time LPGA winner said.

There’s a wealth of talent at the 72-par Sentosa Golf Club.

Australian world No 3 Minjee Lee (71 on Friday) and South Korea’s former world No 1 Inbee Park (69), who won the tournament in 2017 and in 2015, were part of a five-way tie for second at five-under 139.

So too were Spain’s Azahara Munoz (68) and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff (70).

Lee had flirted with the lead during a day that featured three bogeys across the back nine, and she walked away disappointed but not entirely bereft of hope ahead of the weekend.

“I kept scrambling at the end, but I played pretty solid before my two bogeys [on 10 and 11],” she said. “I could take some positives out of that and try and have a good day tomorrow.”

Olson’s round came with an eagle three on the par-five fifth and then two birdies down the stretch, to offset a bogey that split them, as it kept her rivals at arm’s length.

“Today I was hitting it really well, so I like to go for it on those kind of days. But I feel like I stayed within myself and kind of played smart golf. So that’s really important,” she said.

She might have the most to worry about from Park, given the South Korean’s history here and her love of the course.

“The greens are really firm and it was a little windy, so it’s tougher conditions than the previous years we have played in Sentosa,” said the 30-year-old.

A day after his dramatic comeback victory over 17-time Grand Slam winner Nadal, Kyrgios out-lasted Wawrinka 7-5, 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 to book a meeting with John Isner for a place in the final.

Third-seeded Isner defeated eighth-seeded Millman 7-6 (7/2), 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/4) in a three hour, five minute marathon on Thursday night.

Kyrgios once again took a twisting path to victory. The drama started in the very first game, when Kyrgios took an awkward fall and badly scraped the knuckles of his racquet hand.

As he received mid-game treatment the crowd grew restive, provoking the unpredictable Australian.

With the problem tended to, Kyrgios closed out the game, the set going with serve until Kyrgios seized upon a couple of loose points from Wawrinka to gain the break and the set 7-5.

A tense second set saw Wawrinka break Kyrgios at love for a 5-4 lead. But Kyrgios broke back as they went to the tiebreaker — Kyrgios vociferously defending himself when the umpire seemed to find his “let’s go” call to Wawrinka hostile.

Wawrinka won the tiebreaker to force a deciding set that saw Kyrgios break for a 3-2 lead he wouldn’t relinquish, although before it was over he would exchange words with a critical spectator and provoke Wawrinka by having the trainer on yet again.

Unable to convert two match points against Wawrinka’s serve, Kyrgios closed it out in an explosive 10th game, and insisted he relished it all despite complaining of debilitating cramps.

“I love it,” he said. “I actually play better when the crowd’s against me.”

Kyrgios had already brushed aside Nadal’s complaint that he lacked respect “for the public, the opponent and himself”.

That came in the wake of their second-round match — during which Kyrgios complained of illness, produced an underarm serve and, finally, taunted fans who booed his win.

“To come out yesterday against Rafa and pull together that three hour performance after getting food poisoning was massive,” Kyrgios said. “To back it up against Stan ….

“I was cramping like crazy toward the end of the third set,” he added. “I was just trying to scull any sort of fluids and hit the ball as hard as I can it and it ended up working.”

– Zverev into semis –

Second-seeded Alexander Zverev made it through to the semi-finals for the second straight year with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Australian Alex de Minaur.

Zverev, who improved to 4-0 against de Minaur, hasn’t dropped a set in three matches. He fired 13 aces and broke the Aussie once in each set to line up a clash with Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who downed American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-2.

In women’s action, fifth-seeded Sofia Kenin of the United States battled back from a break down in each set to beat former world number one Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

Azarenka, currently ranked 50th in the world, served for the match at 5-4 in the third before succumbing after two and a half hours.

Third-seeded Croatian Donna Vekic also advanced, beating eighth-seeded Briton Johanna Konta 6-3, 7-5.

The inaugural event at the Chang International Circuit, Buri Ram proved to be a great success in terms of both competition and tourism. Last October’s three-day extravagant attracted a crowd of 222,535 and ended up being the highest number of all 19 MotoGP events last year.

It was also named the best MotoGP of the year by International Road-Racing Teams Association (IRTA) and Dorna Sports. It instantly became far and away the country’s biggest sporting event. This year’s follow-up seems sure to eclipse it – organisers revealed last night that all 10,000 Grandstand seats had already sold out, even though the event, from October 4 to 6, is still seven months away.

According to the poll conducted by the Tourism and Sports Ministry, foreigners accounted for 20 per cent of all the fans and the event generated about Bt 3.1 billion for the country. It also boosted the local economy in Buriram and its neighbouring provinces.

Vice Minister attached to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Worawit Techasupakura

“Apart from underlining Thailand as a global sports hub, the event was instrumental in implementing the national sport development plan and laying the foundations for the growth of sports tourism,” said Vice Minister attached to the Ministry of Tourism and Sports Worawit Techasupakura.

“The event will promote tourism in the country and boost sports-related industries, including motorsports.”

One of the highlights in Buriram was the introduction of Shuttle Tan, the local E-Tan truck, which provided a unique shuttle service within the complex and drew praise from the international media and foreign fans.

According to Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) governor Kongsak Yodmanee, the 2018 MotoGP Thailand was broadcast to 207 countries, with total viewership of more than 800 million, while the event itself was covered at the venue by journalists from 435 news agencies in 33 countries.

SAT governor Kongsak Yodmanee

Hosting the MotoGP will benefit local riders, who will receive an opportunity to improve their skills. Last year, there were five Thai representatives in three classes – one in Moto2, three in Moto3 and one in MotoE. This year, Somkiat “Kong” Chandra from Idemitsu Honda Team Asia will represent Thailand in Moto2.

“With its huge success last year, the 2019 PTT Thailand Grand Prix is expected to attract more fans, both Thais and foreigners. This will help generate more income for the country,” Kongsak said.

Buriram governor Teerawat Wutthikhun said this year more tent spaces would be provided while hotels in neighbouring provinces, including Surin, Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen, have agreed to make available more rooms for those attending the event.

Tanaisiri Charnwittayarom, managing director of the Buriram United International Circuit, said that the race would be more competitive this year because many riders had joined new teams. Additionally, the companies backing them would be making full use of advanced technology to maximise the potential of their motorbikes.

“As hosts, we are sure to better serve our visitors this year. There will be more entertainment activities including muay thai, concerts and souvenir shops. It will be much bigger than last year,” said Tanaisiri.

Tickets for this year’s event are already available – three-day passes are priced at Bt4,000 for the Grand, Rossi and Marquez stands, and Bt2,000 for the Side stand.

Tickets can be bought at 7-Eleven outlets and at more than 13,000 shops across the country carrying with Counterservices logo. You can also buy online at http://www.alltickets.com.

For the PTT clients, they will get a 25 percent discount by showing their PTT Blue Cards at the sale point or through http://www.allticket.com.  Meanwhile, Chang will give a 20 percent discount to the customers who hold a Chang International Circuit Friend Club. By showing a Honda motorcycle key for any model, the customers will receive a 20 percent discount while Yamaha also gives a 20 percent discount for its customers with a Yamaha motorcycle key for any model. SCB customers who purchase tickets with a SCB credit card through http://www.allticket.com are going to get a 20 percent discount.

Once again, the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent will grace the ONE Championship stage and showcase their world-class skills.

In the main event, reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Vietnam and Australia will defend his title against former World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia. In the co-main event of the evening, a highly-anticipated rematch takes place when former World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of the Philippines challenges reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Yosuke “Tobizaru” Saruta of Japan.

Ticket information for ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR is available at http://www.onefc.com.

Reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen is back in action against former World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa.

The 29-year-old Nguyen has become one of the most prolific Asian martial arts talents over the past few years, winning seven of his last nine contests. In 2015, he embarked on an unprecedented six bout winning streak, along the way capturing both the ONE Featherweight and ONE Lightweight World Titles in the process to become a simultaneous two division World Champion.

After falling to injury however, Nguyen was prompted to vacate the lightweight strap last November. Now, with Nguyen fully recovered, the Vietnamese-Australian stalwart is slated to make his much-awaited return to action against the dangerous veteran Jadambaa.

Jadambaa burst onto the ONE Championship stage in May of 2014, defeating the Philippines’ Honorio “The Rock” Banario. He has since been a winner of six of his last eight contests. In 2014, he captured the ONE Featherweight World Title with a victory over Koji Oishi. Over the years, Jadambaa has defeated some of ONE Championship’s biggest names, with notable victories coming over Kotetsu Boku, Eric and Edward Kelly, and Kazuki Tokudome.

Nguyen and Jadambaa meet for the first time in the main event of ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR, in a five-round World Title tiff that promises loads of action and fireworks.

In the co-main event of the evening, the Philippines’ Joshua “The Passion” Pacio looks to exact revenge over his conqueror Yosuke “Tobizaru” Saruta of Japan. Saruta scored a monumental upset when he defeated Pacio via extremely close split decision at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY earlier this year to capture the ONE Strawweight World Title.

After Pacio’s initial opponent, Hayato Suzuki, was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury, it was Saruta who was tapped to take his place in the main event opposite the Filipino.

Using his world-class striking and grappling skills, Saruta put together a comprehensive performance, upsetting Pacio to capture the belt. However, the extremely close result was enough to warrant an immediate rematch between the two. Now, the two have the chance to settle the score once and for all to determine who is the true king at strawweight.

After turning in 37, Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat made his move by sinking six birdies in his back-nine to sign for a four-under 67 and grab a share of

fifth place at the prestigious event that is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia.

Jazz Janewattananond, who leads the current Asian Tour standings, carded a 69 at The Hills to be in a tie for 25th.

Asian Tour rookie Zach Murray got off to a flying start, signing for a flawless eight-under-par 63 to grab a one-shot lead over Japan’s Ryuko Tokimatsu and

Harry Bateman of New Zealand.

Singapore – World No 1 Ariya Jutanugarn joined a five-way tie for the round-one lead at the HSBC Women’s World Championship on Thursday as reigning title-holder Michelle Wie withdrew with a hand injury.

Australia’s Minjee Lee, China’s Yu Liu, American Amy Olson and Celine Boutier of France were level with Ariya on four-under-par 68 but it was a brutal day in Singapore for Wie and Amy Yang.

Yang, last week’s winner at the LPGA Thailand, lasted just three holes before pulling out due to flu, while Wie’s title defence was also cruelly cut short.

The 29-year-old American only returned to action last week after wrist surgery but she struggled to 10 over par through 14 holes, including a double-bogey followed by a triple-bogey, before calling it quits.

No further details were given about the hand injury and Wie did not speak to reporters as she left the par-72 Sentosa Golf Club course.

Meanwhile Ariya said her run to the top of the board was stoked by sibling rivalry.

At three under par with two to play, she saw she was tied for second at three-under with her sister, Moriya.

“I just saw her score,” Ariya explained. “So I wanted to make birdie.”

The 23-year-old duly delivered with a two on the par-three 17th, and then held her nerve over a par putt on the last to sign for her bogey-free 68.

“I played pretty good,” said Ariya. “I hit tee shots pretty good and iron was good. I missed lots of putts but also made a few putts.”

Australian rising star Lee entered the event at a career-high world number three, and she carded five birdies and an eagle three to wipe out the damage done by three bogeys.

“I just wanted to bring the momentum into this week,” said the 22-year-old. “So I feel like I’m striking it pretty solid and my putting is pretty solid, too. So yeah, I’m hoping to take that momentum into the next three days.”

World number two Park Song-Hyun of South Korea had been with the leaders until a bogey five on the last saw her slip back into second on three-under for the day with six other players.

However, much of the talk was about Wie and the disappointment of losing a player who memorably won last year’s edition with a brilliant, 45-foot birdie putt on the last hole.

Yang, also 29, won her eighth professional title five days ago in Thailand but she made a bogey five on her second hole and double-bogey six on the third before withdrawing.

    The 25-year-old defender returned to Melbourne earlier this month after being detained during his honeymoon in Bangkok and threatened with extradition to his native Bahrain.

Bahraini authorities accuse him of offences linked to the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. But his detention sparked a worldwide outcry and he was eventually allowed back to Australia, where he had been granted asylum.

Writing in The Guardian newspaper, al-Araibi repeated his claim that he was targeted for political reasons.

    It follows his criticism of Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, a member of Bahrain’s ruling family.

“Evidently, it is a myth that sports and politics do not mix,” he said.

“Some people consider my release as a great victory. While I’m happy to be home, I cannot help but think that my personal fight is not over,” he added.

“Even now, Bahrain has vowed to ‘pursue all necessary legal actions’ to drag me back to the place I fled. My brother remains imprisoned there, and I don’t believe that I am safe from the Bahraini government.”

Al-Araibi claimed authoritarian states were using sports events to raise their profile, “but when athletes and individuals call attention to this practice they are imprisoned and forcibly silenced”.

He pointed to activist Najah Yousif, who human rights groups say was jailed for three years for criticising the kingdom’s hosting of the 2017 Bahrain Grand Prix.

Prosecutors claimed she “broadcast false and biased news” about conditions in Bahrain and “promoted terrorist acts”.

“Fans of Formula One racing need to help Najah,” said Al-Araibi.

“Formula One needs to be told that human rights abuses cannot be tolerated. I urge you to boycott this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix if Najah does not walk free before the Bahrain Grand Prix in March.”

He also called on major sporting bodies, including FIFA and the International Olympic Committee, to “step up” even further against injustice after both intervened to help his case.

“I believe they need to call for an investigation into the repression of athletes orchestrated by the (Bahraini) authorities in 2011,” he said.

“International sporting bodies, governments and individuals must unite to fight for the helpless,” al-Araibi added.

He cited the case of jiujitsu fighter Mohamed Mirza, saying he was given an “unlawful” jail sentence and “subjected to brutal torture”.

Rights groups have also claimed that athletes including footballers were tortured and abused during a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Bahrain.

In the main event of ONE: A NEW ERA, reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines is set to face Japanese martial arts legend and former World ChampionShinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in a long-awaited rematch.

In November 2016, Folayang captured the ONE Lightweight World Title from Aoki via third-round TKO, but surrendered the belt to Martin Nguyen a year later. This past November, Nguyen vacated the title and the Filipino reclaimed the crown with a dominant five-round unanimous decision over Singaporean knockout artist Amir Khan.

Meanwhile, Aoki is riding a three-bout win streak, having finished Rasul Yakhyaev and Ev Ting by submission, and stopping Shannon Wiratchai by TKO. These three wins have elevated the Japanese icon to another shot at the ONE Lightweight World Title, as well as a chance to defeat his former conqueror.

Also, there will be a trio of co-main events.

In the first co-main event, reigning ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan will defend her belt against ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee.

The two martial artists sit at the top of their weight classes, and each has dominated their respective divisions. However, with Lee moving up in weight to challenge Xiong for the strawweight crown, the Singaporean has the chance to become the first two-division women’s World Champion in ONE Championship history. It certainly will not be easy, as “The Panda” represents the toughest challenge in Lee’s career.

In the night’s second co-main event, reigning ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World ChampionAung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang will defend the middleweight crown against Japan’s Ken Hasegawa.

Aung La N Sang’s first encounter with Hasegawa in June 2018 was a five-round thriller of epic proportions, one which the Myanmar sports icon won in the final moments of the heated battle. The match is considered the “Greatest Bout In ONE Championship History” and was also awarded “Bout Of The Year” honors at the 2018 Global Martial Arts Awards for its nonstop action and dramatic finish. Aung La N Sang and Hasegawa will meet once again in a highly-anticipated rematch that is sure to produce fireworks.

In the last co-main event of the evening, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon of the Philippines will defend his championship against former titleholder Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes of Brazil in a trilogy match.

The two competitors first met in January 2016, when the Brazilian made quick work of the Filipino, whom he finished via first-round submission. Belingon was unable to showcase much of his striking, as it was easily nullified by Fernandes’ vaunted grappling.

From there, Fernandes continued to establish himself as the most dominant ONE World Champion in history with eight successful World Title defenses. Belingon, on the other hand, worked his way back up to contention, winning six straight bouts in exciting fashion to earn another shot at the ONE Bantamweight World Title.

Belingon captured the ONE Bantamweight World Championship with a scintillating split decision victory over Fernandes last November at ONE: HEART OF THE LION in Singapore. It was a close match-up, one that saw Belingon’s elite striking take center stage as he overcame Fernandes’ world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Now, “The Silencer” and “The Flash” will meet in the ONE cage for the third time to finally settle the score.

In addition to the aforementioned bouts, multiple-time World Champions Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez are scheduled to make their first appearances inside the ONE Championship cage.

Alvarez joined ONE Championship in October, taking his stellar career back to Asia where he first made a name for himself. A multiple-time Lightweight World Champion, Alvarez seeks to become a ONE World Champion, but will have to go through a bevy of top lightweight contenders in order to achieve his goal. In his first outing for the promotion, Alvarez will face top contender Timofey Nastyukhin of Russia in a quarter-final bout of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix.

Johnson, meanwhile, is widely-considered the pound-for-pound best mixed martial artist in the history of the sport. He joined ONE Championship in late October and, alongside Alvarez, appeared in Singapore the following week for the Global Martial Arts Summit, Global Martial Arts Awards, and ONE: HEART OF THE LION. Johnson’s opponent for his first ONE Championship bout will be Japan’s Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu. It is a quarter-final bout of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

The rest of the quarter-final bouts of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix will be held at ONE: A NEW ERA.

Danny “The King” Kingad of the Philippines is set to take on fellow former ONE World Title challengerAndrew Leone in a quarter-final bout of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

In another tournament matchup, former ONE Flyweight World Champion Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov of Kazakhstan will lock horns with former ONE World Title challenger Reece “Lightning” McLaren of Australia.

Also in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada of Japan will share the cage with undefeated Brazilian standout Ivanildo Delfino.

There will also be an exciting ONE Super Series showdown on the card, as Muay Thai legend Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex squares off against Dutch World Champion kickboxer Andy Souwer.

Yodsanklai is coming off a stunning performance in Kuala Lumpur at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS. The martial arts veteran finished opponent Luis Regis with three rapid-fire uppercuts that drew a chorus of cheers from the crowd.

Souwer, on the other hand, is one of the most internationally-renowned striking superstars ever to emerge from the Netherlands and is a two-time K1 World MAX World Champion and It’s Showtime 70MAX World Champion.

A tough test awaits Japanese veteran and former ONE World Title challenger Mei “V.V” Yamaguchi in her homecoming bout as she is slated to face submission specialist and debutante Kseniya “White Tiger” Lachkova of Russia.

Lachkova has won four of her last five outings by finish, making her a formidable foe for Yamaguchi, who looks to re-establish herself as a top contender for the coveted ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship.

Based out of Jakarta, Indonesia, Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen of the Netherlands aims to place himself back on the winning track against multiple-time BJJ World Champion Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon of the United States.

Tonon is one of the world’s most decorated grapplers, having won multiple tournaments across the globe. He is a former IBJJF World Champion, two-time IBJJF World No-Gi Champion, and four-time Eddie Bravo Invitational Champion. He made his professional mixed martial arts debut in 2018, winning his first three assignments in impressive fashion. Tonon now makes his way back to square off with Engelen in his fourth ONE Championship bout.

On the other hand, Engelen made a successful return to the ONE Championship stage in 2018, finishing both Meas Meul and Jimmy Yabo in the first round. “The Archangel” looks to regain his momentum at the expense of Tonon after falling short in his first match this year.

Rodtang “Iron Man” Jitmuangnon is one of the most recognizable names in the world of Muay Thai, capturing the Omnoi Stadium Muay Thai World Championship on two occasions. Known for his exciting Muay Mat style, which specializes in devastating strikes and always looks to charge forward to instantly inflict damage, Rodtang has beaten some of Thailand’s biggest Muay Thai superstars.

Following his two impressive performances on the ONE Super Series stage, Rodtang eyes to inch himself closer to a possible ONE World Title shot by testing his mettle against two-time Muay Thai World Champion Hakim Hamech. Hamech made quite an impression in his ONE Super Series debut in September 2018, scoring an emphatic first-round knockout victory over Japan’s Yukinori Ogasawara.

In another ONE Super Series contest, two-time Muay Thai World Champion Panicos Yusuf of Cyprus is booked to lock horns with Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud of Malaysia.

After his sensational debut against Australian Josh “Timebomb” Tonna this past January, Japanese strikerHiroki Akimoto looks to establish his first win streak in ONE Super Series. He takes on former WBC Muay Thai World Champion Joseph Lasiri of Italy.

Tasked to set the tone for the evening is a three-round lightweight encounter between South Korea’s Yoon Chang Min and India’s Bala Shetty.