Abelardo eyes 3rd straight ONE Championship win

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino-Kiwi mixed martial artist Mark Abelardo will try to win his third straight bout in ONE Championship next week, as he faces Dagestan’s Ibrahim Dauev on January 13.

Abelardo and Dauev wil be facing off in ONE Fight Night 18 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

After two straight losses, the Filipino bagged back-to-back technical knockout wins over Armenia’s Taron Grigorian and Russia’s Georgy Shahruramazanov last year.

He will try to carry the momentum and secure his third straight victory, which would strengthen his bid to a shot at the ONE bantamweight title.

The 32-year-old Abelardo is currently holding a 5-5 win-loss slate in the promotion.

The 22-year-old Dauev, on the other hand, will debut in the promotion, holding a 8-1 record.

He previously won his past seven fights. Of his eight wins, seven came by finishes.

He won four fights via knockout and three by submission.