Chatri Sityodtong has been handing out bonuses like confetti in recent weeks. Even the translator got one at Lumpinee Stadium last week and heavyweight newcomer Ben Tynan definitely wants in on the cash.
He is making his debut at ONE Fight Night 16 on Saturday. The Canadian faces Kang Ji Won and he is already dreaming about receiving a bonus,
“I’ve got to finish it. I want to get one of those bonuses, and you only get that from a nice finish. So I want to get a nice legendary submission, or just knock his head off and walk out some cash.”
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Wrestling background
Tynan comes from a wrestling background so it is unlikely he is going to knock Won’s head off. The Korean, by contrast, has a proven track record when it comes to finishing opponents with his fists.
Tynan won’t want to make it a striking battle but he is relishing the prospect of taking on a standup specialist,
“I’m pretty confident in beating up strikers. I’ll come out strong and if he makes it to the second round, I plan on wearing him down, but if not, I really plan on taking him out in the first round.”
It will be his first time competing under ONE Championship’s ruleset. As a fighter who does his best work on the ground he has adapted his training accordingly,
“For ONE, I’ve definitely been training more ground knee strikes. I’m really excited about that because that really helps out wrestlers. It gives me more weapons to use when I’m on top, working guys, drowning them, smothering them.”
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Game plan
Tynan sounds very up front about what the game plan will be. He wants to put Won on his back and knows exactly how much of a threat the Korean could pose in a stand up battle,
“He’s got great hooks. He’s good in the firing zone, countering shots, which is pretty cool. He moves light on his feet, too, which is more rare for heavyweights. A lot of these power strikers are usually more clumsy on their feet. He looks like he moves pretty smooth.”
The only loss of Won’s career came at the hands of BJJ black belt Marcus Almeida who was able to take him down early in the opening round. That is the blueprint Tynan wants to follow and he has no doubt he will succeed in doing so,
“He looks strong. So I’ll give him that. But yeah, I’m confident in beating up strikers, like I said.”
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Title shot
The Asian audience is accustomed to watching fighters from Muay Thai and kickboxing backgrounds compete in MMA. Wrestling is less popular in this part of the world and Ben Askren never really established himself as a fan favourite.
Tynan is clearly charismatic but will have a battle to win over the ONE Championship fans. First impressions count and the Canadian is determined to finish Won fast,
“I plan on taking him out in the first round. I don’t like long fights and looking at his record, he doesn’t like long fights either. So I plan on it being a short, exciting burst of a first round.”
If he succeeds in winning a short and exciting fight then Tynan could well be earning the first bonus of his ONE Championship career. He would also establish himself as a top contender in the heavyweight division with a title shot potentially in the pipeline.
