Jake Peacock was the talk of the combat sports world when he scored an impressive debut victory in ONE Championship this past April. Now, he’s set to return at one of the promotion’s biggest cards ever.
The limb-different striker has been booked to take on Japanese star Shinji Suzuki in a bantamweight Muay Thai battle at ONE 169: Atlanta on Saturday, November 9 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, and he’ll surely add heat to what will be ONE’s second show in the United States this year.
Reaching the world’s largest martial arts organization was always a dream for the Peacock, but he had to overcome significant challenges to get there.
Complications at birth led him to be born without a right forearm. This would lead many to rule out an interest in the striking arts, but instead, it spurred “The One” to pursue them.
Peacock took to competing like a duck to water on the Canadian Muay Thai scene, and he eventually entered Road To ONE: Canada, which he won resoundingly to earn a contract with ONE Championship.
At ONE Friday Fights 58, the 31-year-old left no one in doubt that he deserved his place in the promotion when he took Japanese striker Kohei Shinjo apart en route to a unanimous decision win.
Now, with his freshman performance behind him, Peacock will look to cement himself as one of the bantamweight Muay Thai division’s best in front of the North American crowd in Atlanta.
However, that won’t be easy against Suzuki. The Fujimakick Muay Thai gym athlete will be full of confidence at ONE 169, given that he scored a convincing unanimous decision win over former ONE world title challenge Han Zi Hao at ONE 166: Qatar this past March.
Having already competed on ONE’s main stage at one of its most historic shows, Suzuki will be hoping to double his momentum in the U.S. and slow Peacock’s hype train in the process.
ONE 169: Atlanta is evolving by the day, and it promises to be stacked to the roof.
Along with Peacock’s return, fans will be treated to three-weight ONE world champion Anatoly Malykhin’s first defence of the heavyweight MMA crown against “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane and ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon’s world title showdown with Jacob Smith.
Many more bouts are expected to be announced soon for the blockbuster event on Saturday, November 9.
