After seven months away from action, British striker Ellis Badr Barboza will return to ONE Championship early next month in what promises to be an intriguing matchup.
“El Jefe” is the latest star to be added to the ever-growing ONE Fight Night 23 card, which goes down inside Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on Saturday, July 6.
Barboza is set to take on Thai star Aliff Sor Dechapan in a strawweight Muay Thai bout, and he’ll be looking to notch his first win under the ONE Championship banner after his debut against Thongpoon PK Saenchai at ONE Fight Night 17 last December was ruled a no-contest.
Plenty of hype still surrounds the Birmingham brawler, despite his extended absence. After all, he caught the attention of ONE Championship by amassing an impressive four-fight winning streak that saw him win the WBC European Muay Thai Championship.
Barboza will be looking to make his name known in the promotion at ONE Fight Night 23, and he’ll be able to do so with a win against Aliff.
The Sor Dechapan athlete has been a force in the ONE’s Friday Fights series since his debut last year. He has put together a 4-1 slate, with three knockout wins over Rittidet Kiatsongrit, Ratchadej Sor Petjumrat, and Peyman Zolfaghari.
Aliff’s momentum dipped in his last outing at ONE Friday Fights 58 in April when he fell to a decision loss against Zhang Peimian in kickboxing action. So, fans can be sure the Thai star will be out to keep his unbeaten run in ONE’s Muay Thai ranks alive when he meets Barboza on July 6.
The winner of this clash will undoubtedly stake their claim in the stacked strawweight Muay Thai division.
