Leandro Issa (16-6-0) vs. Muin Gafurov (14-2-0), Bantamweights
If Muin Gafurov was hoping to establish himself a legitimate contender in the bantamweight division on his return to ONE Championship, a win over veteran Leandro Issa would be the perfect place to start. After successive points decision defeats to Reece McLaren and Kevin Belingon back in 2016, the then 20-year-old Gafurov returned to his native Tajikistan to regroup and work on his game. The 22-year-old makes his return to ONE Championship on the back of a four-fight winning streak and fans should quickly get to see what improvements he has made have during his time away.Gafurov is a former combat sambo world champion, but unlike some grapplers, does not rely solely on his ground skills to achieve victory. Over half of his wins have come via TKO or KO stoppage with the rest via submission. A highly aggressive fighter, it will be interesting to see how he approaches this weekend’s bout.
Issa returned to ONE Championship after five bouts in the UFC, where he accumulated a record of two wins and three losses. A BJJ black belt, Issa trains out of Evolve MMA in Singapore. This fight will be the Brazilian’s first bout of 2018, and he is undefeated in three matches since his return to ONE Championship. Fans will know what to expect from Issa; he is a strong grappler who is capable of submitting any opponent if given half the chance. The unknown factor in this bout is how Gafurov has improved since his time away. If he can get past Issa, then he will immediately position himself up as a genuine title prospect in the bantamweight division.
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