ONE Championship 158: Reece McLaren ‘bringing a whole new set of tools’ to fight with Chinese knockout artist Xie Wei
- Now training under Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr, McLaren vows to be ‘the best Reece’ to date in flyweight bout
- Australian says he is ‘not here to stand in line’ and believes title shot against Adriano Moraes is ‘two dominant wins’ away
Reece McLaren is feeling like a new fighter ahead of his return to the ONE Championship Circle.
The 30-year-old Australian, one of ONE’s most experienced flyweights and still the division’s No 5-ranked contender, will return to action against Chinese knockout artist Xie Wei at ONE 158 on Friday in Singapore. It will be his first fight since an April 2021 decision loss to former title challenger Yuya Wakamatsu, and he is eagerly awaiting the opportunity.
“I can’t even begin to express how good everything is at the moment,” he told the Post.
“The last two [fights] or so, I’ve kind of just wanted to get in there and get it done. This fight, I just can’t wait to get in there.”
Ring rust is always a concern when a fighter returns from a long break. But McLaren (14-8) does not seem to be worried about it, even after a year out of competition. In fact, the Australian is confident that he will be better than ever on the night.