Meanwhile, Shinji Suzuki takes on Dmitrii Kovtun in a bantamweight Muay Thai thriller after two straight opponent withdrawals. Suzuki was due to face British legend Liam Harrison before the Englishman withdrew due to injury. Nontachai Jitmuangnon initially agreed to intervene, but withdrew due to illness. Kovtun will take over the three-round match at short notice.
Shadow earned his contract thanks to a stunning five-match winning streak at ONE Friday Fights. The former Muay Thai world champion from Rajadamnern Stadium looked to extend that streak to six against Rabah at ONE Fight Night 33, but an accidental eye poke ended proceedings in a no-contest.
The 25-year-old Thai made a major comeback two months later. He landed a spinning backfist to knock out Bampara Kouyate at ONE Fight Night 35, earning a fifty thousand dollar performance bonus. Although Shadow took a quick detour last September to test his kickboxing skills, he returns to the art of eight limbs with a title shot on his mind.
Enzo Kartoum brings elite credentials to ONE Championship debut
Enzo Kartoum brings top-notch credentials to his promotional debut. The 25-year-old French-Algerian is an ISKA world kickboxing champion and trains alongside reigning ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world champion Nabil Anane and other leading strikers at Team Mehdi Zatout in Pattaya.
The French-Algerian has a record of 16-3 with a 69 percent finishing percentage and brings an eight-match winning streak into the featherweight Muay Thai clash. Should he beat Shadow, Kartoum could leapfrog him into the division’s top five and announce himself as an immediate contender.
Earlier in the evening, Suzuki tries to get back into form with a statement victory. The Tokyo native earned his contract by winning the 2022 Road to ONE: Japan tournament with consecutive knockouts, and he has his eye on a path to the top of the ultra-stacked bantamweight Muay Thai division.
Suzuki’s sharp boxing was on full display at ONE 166 in March 2024, where he defeated former ONE world title challenger Han Zi Hao. But after falling to Jake Peacock in February, he is desperate to get back into the win column and end the year on a positive note.
Kovtun is looking for redemption after starting 2025 with a bang. The Russian impressed with victories over Suablack Tor Pran49 and Soe Lin Oo, giving him a chance to reach the top five of the division. But he was stopped by No. 4 Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon via second-round TKO at ONE Fight Night 35. Both veterans have a chance to re-establish their positions in the bantamweight Muay Thai division.
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