Exclusive: Algeria’s Brice Delval Set For The Biggest Night Of His Career At ONE: Immortal Triumph
When Brice “The Truck” Delval enters the ring on Friday, 6 September for his ONE Championship debut he is hoping to leave with more than just memories The Algerian is set to challenge Nong-O Gaiyanghadao for the Thai’s ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title, and would love nothing more than to exit the ring with gold strapped around his waist.
The pair’s clash will be the main event of ONE: Immortal Triumph taking place in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It will be the first ONE event held in the Southeast Asian country.
“For me, it’s an honor and a privilege to be able to compete for a ONE Championship title,” Delval said.
“I will give everything I have to please those who have put their trust in me.”
The S1 Muay Thai World Champion, who fights under the Algerian flag, was born on the island of Réunion, an overseas department and region of France, and became hooked on the “ “Art of 8 limbs” as a child.
“At a young age, my parents introduced me to martial arts. They did so because they were looking for a way to channel my energy because I was hyperactive. I decided to become a professional athlete during my first bout in Thailand at the age of 12. It was a dream I have now realized,” Delval commented.
After moving to Paris, France, Delval began training at the respected Mahmoudi Gym in the Parisian suburb of Bonneuil-sur-Marne. The gym is home to several world-class athletes including former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title challenger Elias Mahmoudi.
Since turning professional , the 20-year-old has traveled the world competing against the best competition he could find. Deval has proved he can compete at an elite level. However, as skillful as his previous opponents were Nong-O, with over 300 professional bouts to his name, falls into a class all of his own.
The formidable Thai is one of the most decorated Muay Thai athletes currently competing. The 32-year-old has a host of achievements to his name including four Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Championships across multiple weight classes. Since making his promotional debut at ONE: Heroes Of Honor in April 2018, Nong-O has looked almost unbeatable. The Evolve MMA trained athlete is not simply a striking powerhouse,he is also a highly- technical athlete and finding holes in his game has been a challenge that has confounded his recent opposition.
Nevertheless, Delval refuses to be intimidated by Nong-O’s impressive resume and believes that the tactics he and his team have devised will be enough to overcome one of the sports most fearsome competitors.
“I never study my opponents it’s the work of my coaches,” Delval explained.
“He [Nong-O] is a very good athlete, in the ONE Super Series, he has beaten the likes Fabio Pinca and Mehdi Zatout who are also top athletes. We have put a strategy in place that will surprise him on 6 September.
“I implement the game plan that my coaches put in place. Generally, it is different with each bout that I compete in because my opponents all have different strong and weak points,” Delval added.
Delval may still be in the early stages of his career, but the maturity and focus he is exhibiting in the leadup to his bout with Nong-O indicate he is ready for the challenge awaiting him.
