This was a good card. We got to see some knockouts, some of the highest level grappling in the world, submissions, and of course, that gold confetti, fly through the air.

Match #1

Catchweight Muay Thai

Shakir Al-Tekreeti defeated Bampara Kouyate by Unanimous Decision

This was a good fight. Both guys were throwing everything they could in their ONE Championship debuts. Tekreeti dropped Kouyate in the first round with an elbow and that was enough to give him a close win.

Match #2

Welterweight MMA

Hiroyuki Tetsuka defeated Jin Tae-ho by submission(armbar) at 4:45 of the 1st Round.

Tetsuka dominated this fight. He landed a big shot early in the round, then got the takedown near the two-minute mark. He was stuck in sideguard for a bit, before he finally got side control, and quickly transitioned to the armbar.

Match #3

Catchweight Muay Thai

Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom defeated Celest Hansen by TKO (doctor stoppage) at 1:01 of the 3rd Round.

This was a complete mismatch. Phetjeeja just beat the crap out of Celest. To her credit though, she took every single punch, elbow, knee, kick, and just kept coming at her. Finally, the doctor had to stop the fight, after being cut on the head and face.

This was Phetjeeja’s 12th straight victory.

Match #4

Flyweight MMA

Hu Yong defeated Eko Roni Saputra by TKO at 1:03 of the 1st Round.

Yong came out at the bell and threw a jumping knee. This was a short and high energy fight. Yong landed a big left hand, dropping Saputra. He landed a few ground and pound shots before referee Herb Dean stopped the fight.

Match #5

Lightweight MMA

Zhang Lipeng defeated Timofey Nastyukhin by TKO at 3:18 of the 1st Round.

Nastyukhin is a former world title challenger, but he proved no match for Lipeng. Lipeng came out and was patient. He waited and picked his shots from the outside. He dropped him early in the round and didn’t rush in to finish, until he dropped him the second time. That was when he pounced, forcing referee Justin Ross to stop the fight.

Lipeng called out Aoki to fight him in an MMA bout, if he didn’t want to fight him in MMA, then he’d take him on in a submission match.

Match #6

Strawweight MMA

#1 Joshua Pacio defeated #5 Mansur Malachiev by Unanimous Decision.

This was a fight between two Top 5 fighters in the division. Malachiev injured his knee early in the first round, but he fought through it, for the entire fight.

Malachiev spent most of this fight on top of Pacio. He took him down in all three rounds. Pacio did get two good choke attempts from the bottom, in the second and third rounds. Both men were throwing punches and elbows while on the ground.

Malachiev was going to the body and the head. Pacio was head hunting and landed some nice elbows to the top of the head. Those two choke attempts must’ve been convincing enough for the judges.

I personally disagree with the decision. Malachiev had the three takedowns and dominate position, most of the fight.

Match #7

Openweight Submission Grappling

Mikey Musumeci defeated Shinya Aoki by submission (heel hook) at 3:05 into the match.

This was between the “new generation” and the “old generation”.

Musumeci opened the match, by purposely giving Aoki his leg. Shinya with good defense to start. Mikey rolled on Shinya’s leg, got ahold of it, did some hand fighting, and that was all she wrote. UNBELIEVABLE!!!

He defeated Aoki with the “Aoki lock”!!! Which is a modified heel hook created by Shinya Aoki himself.

Match #8

#5 Tawanchai P.K.Saenchai defeated Jo Nattawut by Unanimous Decision.

These two fighters traded kicks and punches, non-stop for all three rounds. High energy fight.

The young Taiwanese superstar was tested by the grizzled veteran. It was hard punches to the head and body, with leg kicks to the body and legs that were so loud, they echoed throughout the arena.

In the end, Tawanchai landed the harder and more damaging shots, earning a hard-fought victory.

Tawanchai called out Superbon during his in-ring post-fight interview.

Match #9

Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship Title Fight

(C) Jonathan Di Bella defeated Danial Williams by Unanimous Decision.

Di Bella dominated the first round. Hurting Williams with a head kick, halfway through the round. He was able to get inside, land some shots, and get back out fast.

Di Bella dominated the second round. Landed his punches and kicks, almost at will, but Williams hurt Di Bella with a hard shot in the last ten seconds.

Di Bella’s lead leg is all chewed up, red and swollen. Di Bella though is landing his punches at will. Williams is just eating them. He’s hanging tough with the champion.

Williams came out more aggressive and was putting more into his punches. It did not stop Di Bella though. He just picked him apart from range, then dipped in, to land combos.

Di Bella was simply dominate throughout this whole fight. The champion put on a technical kickboxing clinic.

The champion’s lead leg looks like raw hamburger. That 20-hour plane ride back to Canada is going to suck so bad. LOL. Of course, being the World Champion will help ease it, a bit.

Match #10

Interim Featherweight MMA World Championship Title Fight

#1 Thanh Le defeated Ilya Freymanov by submission (heel hook) at 1:02 of the 1st Round.

Thanh Le landed a big shot on Freymanov very early. Ilya decided that he didn’t want to trade, and so immediately, he took Le down, and that was a mistake. Le locked onto his leg and got the heel hook very quickly.

In the post-fight in-ring interview, it was announced that the rematch between the NEW Interim Featherweight Champion Thanh Le and the Featherweight Champion Tang Kai, IS OFFICIAL.

Le guaranteed that the rematch will not go to a decision.

– Sean McKenzie

Photo courtesy of ONE Championship