ONE Championship will host its first-ever event in Atlanta, USA, showcasing its heavyweight bouts.
The organization's heavyweight mixed martial arts champion, Russian Anatoly Malikin, will face Senegal's Oumar Cain at ONE 169 on November 8 to fight for the heavyweight belt.
The event in Georgia's capital city marks ONE Championship's continuing expansion into the potentially lucrative US market: Chatri Sityodtong's organisation staged ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver last year and is set to host ONE 168 again in September.
Mullikin (14-0) is one of the organization's biggest stars, having also held the middleweight and light heavyweight titles.
He had to drop down to 205 pounds (93 kg) for his middleweight title fight against Dutchman Reinier de Ridder in Qatar earlier this year, but has been training hard to get back up to weight for the first defence of the heavyweight belt he won last year against Canada's Arjan Bhullar.
Kane (6-1), better known as “Reug Reug,” has a background in traditional Senegalese wrestling and is on a three-fight winning streak.
The 260-pound (118 kg) fighter had threatened to leave ONE Championship when his contract expired last year but was able to come to terms on a new deal.
The Malakyn vs. Cain showdown won’t be the only title bout on the card at ONE 169. Atlanta-based popular contender Joe Nattawut will face off against Tawanchai PK.SaenchaiGym for the third time this year, with SaenchaiGym putting the featherweight Muay Thai title on the line.
The two faced off in the main event of ONE 167 in Bangkok earlier this month, with Tawanchai winning by unpopular decision, with the Bangkok crowd clearly feeling that Nattawut should have been declared the winner.
Natthawut has been well-received in Tawanchai's hometown of Bangkok and can expect an even more vocal support in Atlanta, where he has been based for the past 11 years.
