Fu Yong, known as the “Wolf Warrior,” will once again roar for ONE Championship at ONE Fight Night 22. The challenger, ranked No. 5 in the flyweight rankings, will face No. 4 ranked Rhys McLaren on Friday, May 3, in prime time in the United States. Known as a warrior, it's no surprise that he's aiming to finish in Bangkok, Thailand.
“I don't want boring fights, so I like to fight early and in person. I like to fight like a warrior. I enjoy the feeling of a gunfight. It excites me, and it That's why I do so well at the beginning of the match,” Fu told ONE.
McLaren is known for its fighting spirit and never-say-die attitude. But on his latest outing, he's focused on honing his stand-up skills so he can handle anyone. What McLaren does best and how he has improved is not lost on the Chinese athlete.
“I haven't prepared any special weapons. All I have to do is keep hitting and find opportunities to knock him out,” the 28-year-old said.
Given the constant progress of both athletes, Hu does not expect the athlete to go the distance. The prediction isn't all that surprising for an athlete who has won by knockout twice in his past three fights. Confident in his abilities, “Wolf Warrior” intends to take advantage of the match and KO “Lightning” before thundering back.
“I don't think it will be a full three-round fight. The perfect match for me would be to KO my opponent and ignite the passion of everyone watching,” the Chinese star predicted.
During this camp, Hu has been working hard on his defensive grappling techniques. He works on packing in takedowns and getting back up quickly. There are few surprises in this classic grappler vs. striker battle, with each fighter honing their weaknesses and trying to stifle their opponent where they do best.
“He's a strong grappler. I've done a lot of preparation to not fall to the ground. I'm sure it won't be that easy for him to beat me and even if he does, he won't be able to control me on the ground. It's going to be difficult to do. And I definitely want to stay in stand-up fighting.”
The flyweight division will become even clearer when these two contenders go head-to-head on May 3rd. McLaren is aiming for gold, but Hu is poised to leapfrog him in the Official ONE Athlete Rankings with a win. The 'Wolf Warrior' isn't mincing words about the power of McLaren as he flashes a confident smile ahead of ONE Fight Night 22.
“I have low knockout ability in striking, and weak strength and fitness. My advantages are heavy punches and good strength and fitness.”
ONE Fight Night 22 will air live on Prime Video on Friday, May 3rd. The game begins at 8pm ET/5pm PT. This event is free to all Amazon Prime subscribers based in the US and Canada.
