ONE Championship’s weekly showcase at Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium has quickly become the martial arts series to watch, and ONE Friday Fights 21 offered a perfect example of why when it went down this past Friday, June 16.
The 12-fight card produced show-stopping action from start to finish in the Thai capital, and fans were treated to highlight-reel finishes and blazing battles throughout.
Here’s a recap of everything that happened at the latest edition of ONE Friday Fights.
Kongsuk Outpoints Paidang In Muay Thai Thriller
In the main event, ONE newcomer Kongsuk Fairtex shone in an all-action flyweight Muay Thai scrap with his Thai compatriot Paidang Kiatsongrit.
The former two-time Lumpinee Muay Thai World Champion displayed sound defense and consistently pressed the action to force his foe onto the back foot.
He then worked behind pinpoint accurate punches and threw his massive left head kick at will to put his stamp on the bout.
In the end, Kongsuk earned a well-deserved unanimous decision win to push his overall career record to 61-15-5.
Mongkolkaew Scores Stunning Comeback Victory Against Sonrak
Mongkolkaew Sor Sommai came surging back from an early knockdown to score a spectacular knockout win against Sonrak Sit Por Jor Wor in their flyweight Muay Thai contest.
Sonrak sent the Thai star to the canvas with a thunderous left hand in the first round, but Mongkolkaew used it to power a devastating resurgence.
After keeping it competitive in the second frame, he melted Sonrak to the canvas with rib-crunching knees in the final round to secure the finish at the 1:40 mark.
With the incredible victory, the 29-year-old moved his record to 151-39-2.
Pettonglor Wins Technical Battle With Rungsangtawan
In 136-pound catchweight action, ONE debutants Pettonglor Sitluangpeenumfon and Rungsangtawan Sor Parrat put on a gorgeous display of Muay Thai that brought the crowd inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium to their feet.
After three high-paced rounds, Pettonglor earned the hard-fought unanimous decision win thanks to the wide diversity of weapons he showcased, which included slicing elbows, massive left kicks, and perfectly timed counter-strikes.
The victory improved the 22-year-old’s career slate to an impressive 51-20, as he looks to become a true force in ONE’s Muay Thai ranks.
Jack Blasts Through Mardanglek In 82 Seconds
Jack Apichat Muaythai showcased his power to earn a jaw-dropping debut win against Mardanglek Nakatawan in their 142-pound catchweight Muay Thai encounter.
After swapping hard kicks in the early running, Jack countered his foe’s aggression with a clean right hook that sent him to the canvas.
Mardanglek looked wobbly even after answering the referee’s eight-count, prompting Jack to steam in with a right hand and finish the job at 1:22 of the opening frame, extending his record to 61-20-5.
Seksan Demolishes Dokmaipa In One Round
Seksan Fairtex couldn’t have asked for a better showing in his ONE debut, as he scored a knockout win over Dokmaipa PK Saenchai in flyweight Muay Thai action.
The Thai combatants traded heavy leather early, exchanging crisp boxing combinations through the opening minutes.
But Seksan’s striking gained him control soon after, and a flurry of punches put his foe down twice, forcing the referee to halt the contest at 2:50 of the first frame.
The 22-year-old rising star earned his 51st career win with the dominant display.
Panthep’s Bests Yodkumarn After Nine-Minute Domination
From the start of their 124-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest, Panthep VK Khaoyai’s reach and height advantages caused trouble for Yodkumarn Maxjandee.
The debuting star advanced with ease and found a home for a plethora of knees, kicks, and uppercuts every time he stepped in.
Yodkumarn tried to bite back with power in the later rounds, but it wasn’t enough to match the former three-division Lumpinee World Champion’s output.
Panthep was handed the unanimous decision win by the judges as a result, earning him his 46th career victory.
Early Knockdown Carries Yodphupa To Victory Over Kacem
In bantamweight Muay Thai action, teen phenom Yodphupa Wimanair and promotional newcomer Antar Kacem engaged in a fiery back-and-forth battle.
Yodphupa’s powerful boxing was present throughout the contest, and a massive right hand sent his Belarussian foe to the canvas in the first round.
Kacem stormed back to score a knockdown of his own in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Thai star’s early dominance.
Yodphuba was awarded the split-decision win in the end, and he now boasts a 4-0 record in ONE and a 64-9-1 slate overall.
Ghazali Returns To Winning Ways Against Bigdeli
Elias Ghazali and Javad Bigdeli consistently tried to crack each other’s defenses throughout their nine-minute flyweight Muay Thai war, but neither man could break through enough to score a finish.
Ghazali attacked down the middle with outside leg kicks and fierce punch-elbow combinations, while Bigdeli attempted to cut angles and land haymakers.
The Malaysian-American star’s chin withstood the onslaught, however, and his heart convinced the judges to hand him the unanimous decision win – his second under the ONE banner.
Dabdam Scores Narrow Decision Win In War With Gonzalez
Dabdam Por Tor Tor Thongtawee and Xavier Gonzalez waged war for three intense rounds of 126-pound catchweight Muay Thai action.
Dabdam blasted his rival with overhand rights and elbows, but the Spaniard stood his ground and replied with heavy hooks, uppercuts, and knees.
Both men gave and received heavy shots, and neither was willing to back down, resulting in a toe-to-toe duel until the final bell.
Very little separated the pair in this instant classic, but the judges awarded Dabdam the split-decision win to extend his record to 61-15-5.
Thongsiam Outpoints Ogawa In Tight Contest
Thongsiam Kiatsongrit’s sharp elbows and powerful counterattacks helped push him to a unanimous decision win over Sho Ogawa in their 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle.
Ogawa was in the contest for all three rounds of action, and he blitzed Thongsiam with plenty of big shots. But the former Rajadamnern Muay Thai World Champion made sure his strikes were more significant, and he put together some cracking combinations to seal the deal in his ONE debut.
With the win, Thongsiam improved his record to 91-27-3.
Nurmatov Dominates Casotti En Route To Third-Round TKO
Adilet Nurmatov put his stamp on an incredible debut performance with a third-round stoppage over Leonardo Casotti in featherweight MMA action.
Nurmatov threw his foe around the ring and threatened with submissions for the first two rounds while fending off some leg lock attempts along the way.
In round three, the Kyrgyz star came out with intent and threw Casotti to the canvas. From there, he blitzed the Brazilian with ground-and-pound to earn the TKO win after just 35 seconds, pushing his career record to 12-2.
Duisheev Scores TKO Over Magomedov After Grappling Clinic
Yryskeldi Duisheev’s groundwork made the difference against Magomed Magomedov in their flyweight MMA clash.
The debuting star was dominant throughout the three-round affair, hunting for submissions from his rival’s back and guard. But it was a salvo of strikes in the final frame that earned him the TKO victory at the 3:19 mark.
The win moved Duisheev to 7-0 in his career, with all of his fights ending by submission or knockout.
