Izaak Michell and Francisco Lo will both be returning to ONE Championship for the second time, as they will now face each other at ONE Fight Night 33 on July 11th, 2025. They actually made their respective promotional debuts at the same event last year, when they were both submitted by the Ruotolo brothers. This match will take place in the welterweight division, where both men will be looking to make an impression and work their way up the rankings with a win. They are both among the very best in the world at this weight class and even though they’re coming off a loss, neither one of them is that far from a title-shot.
Lo faced off with Kade Ruotolo in a catchweight bout at 180lbs and although he lost back then, he has since gone to win a silver medal at the IBJJF World Championship and even a IBJJF No Gi Pan Championship title. Michell on the other hand did compete at welterweight for his ONE debut and he got thrown in the deep end for his first match just like Lo. He faced the reigning champion Tye Ruotolo for the title and he actually got caught with the exact same submission, but he has also achieved success since then by reaching the quarter-finals of the absolute division at ADCC 2024.
Both men are known as exciting grapplers who leave it all on the mats every time they compete, so there’s sure to be plenty of action when they meet. Lo is a great guard-passer with solid leglocks and the ability to hit triangle chokes from anywhere, while Michell is very well-rounded and has recently become an excellent wrestler to add to his game. The winner here put themselves back in the mix in the welterweight division and will likely earn at least one more big matchup from ONE Championship as a result, where another win could earn them a date with Tye Ruotolo.
