ONE Championship returned to the hallowed halls of Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on Friday, October 6, for ONE Fight Night 15: Le vs. Freymanov. The iconic venue hosted yet another memorable night of martial arts action in Bangkok, Thailand.
Fans were treated to a cavalcade of disciplines with 10 matches contested in kickboxing, MMA, Muay Thai, and submission grappling. And when the night drew to a close, two World Champions shined brightly on martial arts’ grandest platform.
Here are four major takeaways from the event that aired live in U.S. primetime this past weekend.
Le Proves He Is Just As Dangerous On The Canvas
Since kicking off his ONE tenure, Thanh Le has created a jaw-dropping highlight reel of knockout finishes. But he’s always warned his foes that he could be just as dangerous on the canvas.
The New Orleans native finally got to prove that against #3-ranked contender Ilya Freymanov in their ONE Interim Featherweight MMA World Championship main event matchup that lasted just 62 seconds.
The former ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion stung the Russian with a right hook, and the latter quickly secured a takedown. Then, in a scramble, Le found Freymanov’s leg, rolled, and began attacking for the submission. He secured a heel hook and got the tap.
The 38-year-old made it clear how much getting a submission — and the interim belt — meant to him in his post-match interview. However, he quickly turned his attention to former foe and divisional king Tang Kai to set up their unification fight.
So far, Le has backed up every claim he has made about his skills. After finally getting to showcase his acumen on the canvas, all future opponents now know that they must fear the Louisianan on the feet and on the ground.
Di Bella Is Perfection Personified
In his first title defense, ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella knew he’d have a fast-paced matchup with “Mini T” Danial Williams.
Williams was consistently aggressive, landing stiff leg kicks that captured the champion’s attention. However, when Thai-Aussie stood within range of Di Bella, that gave the defending king a target to fire upon.
The Italian-Canadian whipped in combinations at the speed of light. Precise jabs, picture-perfect right hooks, and left straights peppered Williams for five full rounds.
The 27-year-old continued to show why his 12-0 professional record is unblemished. In fact, Di Bella conducted an opus in Bangkok and left no doubt as to who is the best strawweight kickboxer on the planet.
Musumeci Embodies The Fighting Spirit
Mikey Musumeci didn’t know if he would be able to make it to his openweight submission grappling match with Japanese MMA legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki. The ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion fell ill with food poising and a high-grade fever just a week before ONE Fight Night 15.
Once his health improved, though, his indomitable spirit wouldn’t allow him to walk away from the challenge.
“Darth Rigatoni” may not have been feeling 100 percent physically, but nobody would have known otherwise by his flawless performance. From the opening bell, the American worked from the guard and began searching for a way to end the match.
Not only did Musumeci overcome the odds to make it to the ring, but the he pulled out one of the most unlikely finishes to make Aoki tap. He did it with the legend’s own iconic submission, the Aoki Lock, a modified heel hook.
While the openweight bout may not have been for a title, Musumeci still showed why he is a champion through and through.
‘The Queen’ May Be Ready For Her Coronation
Phetjeeja is known as “The Queen,” and her performance inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium showed why she sits upon the throne. The Thai athlete battered Celest Hansen in their 121-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest for more than two rounds.
The Aussie was game, but the Thai’s outpouring of offense left her with little to do but cover up. Phetjeeja’s extraordinary power shots left marks all over Hansen’s body. The final mark was a cut caused by a head kick, which forced a third-round stoppage by doctor’s orders.
The 21-year-old now has an astonishing 206-6 career mark and continued her perfect streak in ONE with her fourth-consecutive TKO victory.
Phetjeeja is looking unstoppable and could be nearing a date for the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship against current titleholder Allycia Hellen Rodrigues.
