Rivalries: Rae Yoon Ok

Rae Yoon Ok has already nailed down his spot as a ONE Championship lynchpin at 170 pounds. The question now becomes whether or not he can establish a lasting legacy.

The 33-year-old South Korean will square off with undefeated promotional newcomer Alibeg Rasulov for the interim lightweight title in the ONE on Prime Video 23 main event this Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. A date with incumbent champion Christian Lee likely awaits the winner. Ok steps back into the spotlight having won six of his past seven bouts. However, he has not competed since he earned a unanimous decision over former King of the Cage titleholder Lowen Tynanes at ONE on Prime Video 10. Ok has gone the distance 14 times in his 21-fight career.

As Ok moves ever closer to his forthcoming clash with Rasulov, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped him chart his course to this point:

Yadong Song

The “Kung Fu Kid” established himself as a prospect worth tracking when he punched out Ok in the first round of their WBK 3 headliner on April 18, 2015 at Ningbo Youngor Gymnasium in Ningbo, China. Song brought it to an emphatic close just 81 seconds into Round 1. It was a rude awakening for Ok. Song successfully navigated the height and reach deficits with which he was presented, forced his counterpart onto the back foot and darted in and out of range. He sidestepped a wild burst from Ok, drifted back to the center of the ring and floored him with a perfectly timed left hook. The South Korean collapsed to the canvas frozen and unconscious, as he experienced his first setback as a pro. It remains the only clean knockout loss on his resume.

Burenzorig Batmunkh

Ok flashed marked improvement and disposed of the Mongolian with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their Double G Fighting Championship 4 rematch on July 25, 2020 at the KBS Sports World Arena in Seoul. Batmunkh—who had outpointed the South Korean to a two-round unanimous decision under the Angel’s Fighting Championship banner in 2017—bowed out 4:02 into Round 1. Ok circled away from danger, pumped out his jab and mixed in a few leg kicks at the start. He struck for a takedown a little more than a minute into the first round, moved to side control and softened Batmunkh with punches. From there, Ok transitioned to the back, secured his position with a body triangle and cinched the choke for the finish. He arrived in ONE some eight months later.

Eddie Alvarez

Airtight takedown defense and a near-finish carried Ok to a unanimous decision over the former Bellator MMA and Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder in the ONE on TNT 4 co-main event on April 28, 2021 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. All three cageside judges scored it for the South Korean. Alvarez struggled and ultimately failed to establish an offensive rhythm, spending far too much time shooting for takedowns with little to no return on his investment. Ok floored “The Underground King” with a stinging right in the first round, then swarmed with punches and rapid-fire hammerfists for a potential stoppage. Alvarez survived, but the damage was done. Ok spent the next 10 minutes in a defensive posture, countering the Philadelphia native’s progress with an effective clinch, sneaky right hands and occasional jabs.

Christian Lee

The Hawaiian reclaimed the undisputed ONE Championship lightweight crown when he swept away Ok with a volley of knee strikes in the second round of their ONE 160 headliner on Aug. 26, 2022 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Lee—who had dropped a unanimous decision to the Busan Team MAD rep in their first encounter—drew the curtain 60 seconds into Round 2. Ok’s reign lasted all of 336 days. Lee blitzed his rival out of the gate with a variety of weapons and foiled his counterattacks with a pair of knockdowns. Those proved to be harbingers for what was to come. Lee floored the Busan, South Korea, native with a clubbing overhand right early in the second round, forced him to the fence in a kneeling position and uncorked a series of knees that brought about the stoppage and made him ONE lightweight champion for a second time.