Fight Preview: Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke vs Yoshitaka Naito for the ONE Strawweight World Championship

[May 26, 2016]  There will be a lot of things going on in the ONE Championship cage at the Impact Arena in Bangkok on 27 May. The familiar MMA sounds of glove-on-face and foot-on-thigh will remain but for the first time, popular music will emanate inside the arena.

Thai megabands Bodyslam and Big Ass make their ONE debuts as live concert performers, and they’ll hope to be riding on the crowd fervor of a home win for local hero and ONE Strawweight World Champion, Dejdamrong sor Amnuaysirichoke.

Kru Rong, as he’s known, will meet Yoshitaka Naito in his first defence of the title he won by technical decision against Roy Doliguez. He was supposed to have defended that crown last November against Yago Bryan, but the Brazilian failed to make weight. Dejdamrong then won a unanimous decision in what turned out to be a very entertaining non-title fight.

On paper Naito represents a tougher opponent than even Bryan. With a perfect 10-0 record, the Japanese fighter is 32 years old—five years younger than Dejdamrong—having won and made two defenses of the Shooto flyweight title, and beaten his opponents with five decisions, four submissions, and a KO.

The Japanese fighter has undoubted stamina and experience, together with dogged determination to find an advantage in the standing clinch, bringing up regular knees to the body in the process. His unwavering desire to hold and jostle for position while on his feet is unlikely to be met as favourably by ONE referees as it seems to have been in Shooto events. On the flipside, he’ll probably find that tactic easier to execute with a fenced cage wall as opposed to the ring ropes he’s been used to.

Naito’s boxing isn’t in the same league as Dejdamrong. His footwork and jab seem out of sync, sometimes advancing forward only after he’s fully extended the jab. That means a reduction in power, while leaving himself needlessly within range for a counter attack.

As a grappler though, he is effective. Even when clearly fatigued he has the strength to impose his will, such that his opponents have seemed like rag dolls on occasion.

ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamnrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and Shooto flyweight champion Yoshitaka Naito at the Official Face-Off for ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS

Dejdamrong is a decorated and vastly-experienced Muay Thai fighter. He must also be Evolve MMA’s best poster boy for showing how well their world-class coaches can add unfamiliar skills to fighters with a narrow martial arts base. To the delight of his team mates, two of his first three wins came via submission – a rear naked choke against Ali Yaakub and an armbar that finished Saiful Merican.

Anyone who saw Dejdamrong come from behind to beat Bryan with an improbable effort in the fourth and fifth rounds knows that his cardio is unlikely to be a limiting factor. Naito will smother all he can, and he’ll have to; he hasn’t met a kicker and possibly not a puncher like Dejdamrong before.

The Thai’s submission defence is likely to be tested like never before and if he gets through that, he should enjoy the post-fight rock concert as much as everyone else.

Steve Dawson is ONE Championship’s lead commentator, a Fox Sports presenter and an author of sporting biographies. He can be found on Twitter & Instagram as @Gulasahi and on Facebook as Steve Dawson.

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