By:  | November 23, 2022 8:46 am

Jhanlo Sangiao will be back in action at ONE 164. The Filipino bantamweight returns from a year long absence to face Matias Farinelli in Manila on December 3rd.

Sangiao (4-0) was still a teenager when he made his eagerly anticipated ONE Championship debut last year. He is the son of Team Lakay head coach and founder Mark Sangiao.

He submitted Paul Lumihi in the opening round. But the 20 year old has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury and returns to take on an undefeated Argentinian.

Farinelli (4-0) only made his pro debut in February. He has won four fights out of four in this calendar year but none of his opponents had ever won a fight.

Grudge match

As previously announced the event will be headlined by the much discussed, once postponed strawweight title bout between Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks. The match was supposed to headline ONE 158 in June but the American pulled out due to an undisclosed injury.

Pacio is the two time ONE Championship strawweight champion, he won the title for the second time in 2019 and has made three successful defences. Meanwhile Brooks has been facing some of the best strawweights and flyweights on the planet for the past six years.

He is well travelled having fought for Pancrase, the UFC, Rizin and Bellator before signing with ONE Championship. Brooks earned his title shot by beating three opponents in quick succession and has been doing a lot of trash talking which makes this a real grudge match:

Back in action

Brandon Vera will be back in action at ONE 164. The former heavyweight champion has been booked to face Amir Aliakbari at the MOA Arena on December 3rd.

Vera was last seen losing to Arjan Bhullar at ONE: ‘Dangal’ last year. The 45 year old has not won a fight since 2018 and has been handed another tough assignment here.

Aliakbari declared he was going to walk though the promotion’s heavyweight division but lost his first two ONE Championship bouts by first round KO. The Iranian is coming off a win over Mauro Cerilli at ONE on Prime Video 1.

Grand Prix

The final of the flyweight Grand Prix will take place at ONE 164. Panpayak Jitmuangnon faces Superlek Kiatmoo9 at the MOA Arena on December 3rd.

The winner will be next in line for a shot at current champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon. It means Panpayak, who now fights out of Evolve MMA, could potentially end up taking on his former teammate.

The two men have met seven times with Panpayak winning on four of those occasions. But Superlek emerged victorious from their most recent encounter which was the only one to have taken place on a ONE Championship card.

Local favourites

Three more fights have been confirmed for ONE 164 and they all feature Filipino fighters. The event is set for the MOA Arena in Manila on December 3rd.

Also in the flyweight division former champion Geje Eustaquio returns after a two year absence to take on Hu Yong. The Filipino is a ONE Championship veteran and has been on the roster since 2012.

In the bantamweight division Jeremy Pacatiw will be looking to bounce back from the first loss of his ONE Championship career. He was stopped by a knee to the body from Fabricio Andrade and has been matched with Tial Thang here

Meanwhile  Jenelyn Olsim faces Meng Bo in a a battle between two fighter who previously competed at atomweight. At flyweight #4 ranked Danny Kingad was matched with Gurdarshan Mangat but the Canadian is reportedly out due to injuy.

This will be the promotion’s first event in Manila since 2019 and ONE on Prime Video 5 will take place in the same venue earlier in the day.

ONE 164, Manila, December 3rd
Joshua Pacio (c) vs. Jarred Brooks (For strawweight title)
Muay Thai: Panpayak Jitmuangnon vs. Superlek Kiatmoo9 (Flyweight Grand Prix final)
Geje Eustaquio vs.Hu Yong (Flyweight)
Jeremy Pacatiw vs. Tial Thang (Bantamweight)
Jenelyn Olsim vs. Meng Bo (Strawweight)
Brandon Vera vs. Amir Aliakbari (Heavyweight)
Muay Thai: Chorfah Tor.Sangtiennoi vs. Tagir Khalilov (Flyweight)
Drex Zamboanga vs. TBA (Bantamweight)
Muay Thai: Lara Fernandez vs. Dangkongfah Banchamek (Atomweight)
Oumar Kane vs. Jasur Mirzamukhamedov (Heavyweight)
Jenelyn Olsim vs. Meng Bo (Strawweight)
Jhanlo Sangiao vs. Matias Farinelli (Bantamweight)