Rodtang and Oumar Kane to Jackie Buntan - What’s Next For The Biggest Winners Of ONE 169?

Add as a preferred source on Google

ONE 169 went down on 9 November at the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The blockbuster event featured some thrilling back-and-forth fights as well as four memorable submission finishes that will stay in fans' mind for a long time.

Two new champions were crowned, Rodtang Jitmuangnon showcased his crowd-pleasing style, and some other top contenders moved closer to earning ONE World Title shots. Let's take a look at the biggest winners and their potential next challengers.

What's next for Rodtang Jitmuangnon?

ONE 169 fight week was a roller-coaster ride for Rodtang. He was stripped of his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship on the scales. Despite that, he proved why he is known as "The Iron Man" by comfortably defeating Jacob Smith in the co-main event.

Japanese megastar Takeru Segawa was in attendance during the show. After Rodtang's victory, he entered the ring and the two had an intense staredown before shaking hands. All signs point in one direction: that they are likely to fight in 2025.

Takeru joined ONE with a single agenda: to face and defeat Rodtang. Now it seems like he will get the chance sooner rather than later. These two megastars were supposed to fight at ONE 165 in January 2024, but Rodtang had to withdraw due to an injury.

Who will Oumar Kane face next?

"Reug Reug" Oumar Kane scripted history on 9 November when he dethroned the Russian powerhouse Anatoly Malykhin to claim the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Championship. The fight was very close, but the 32-year-old wrestling superstar emerged victorious by split decision.

There is a popular belief in combat sports that you are not a champion until you defend your title. Since this was a razor-sharp contest, Malykhin could demand a rematch, and the way Kane handled "Sladkiy," he would likely welcome the challenge.

If not, Kane's first ONE Heavyweight World Title defense could be against BJJ wizard Marcus "Buchecha" Almeida, who submitted Iranian behemoth Amir Aliakbari that same night at the epic ONE 169.

Jackie Buntan next fight

Filipino-American striking sensation Jackie Buntan etched her name in the history books when she took out the pound-for-pound great Anissa Meksen to become the inaugural ONE Women's Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion.

Now, the most important question on everyone's mind is: What's next for the newly crowned champion? Buntan could go for the vacant ONE Women's Strawweight Muay Thai World Title and achieve two-sport glory, just like her former teammate and now-retired Janet "JT" Todd.

In 2022, Buntan suffered a unanimous decision loss to Smilla Sundell for the inaugural ONE Women's Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship. And because Sundell was stripped of the belt in her last fight for missing weight, now's the perfect time for a rematch.