ONE Championship hosted the 80th edition of the world’s most exciting weekly combat sports series inside Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, September 20.
ONE Friday Fights 80 showcased 12 high-octane contests across MMA, Muay Thai, and submission grappling, and the crowd in attendance got their fair share of thrilling action.
In case you missed any of the jaw-dropping finishes or intense decision calls, here’s everything that went down live in Asia primetime.
Yodnumchai Outclasses Rak To Stay Flawless In ONE
Yodnumchai Fairtex seems to get better every time he steps into the ONE Championship ring, and he added to his incredible winning streak by outwitting Rak Erawan across three rounds of atomweight Muay Thai.
The Fairtex Training Center powerhouse quickly set the tone by rocking Rak with a sharp right hand. However, that appeared to wake the Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion up, as he responded with a litany of uppercuts.
A barnburner ensued, with Yodnumchai landing the cleaner, crisper strikes.
The 20-year-old entered the second frame with more of the same aggression, and his straight left hands soon began to wear on Rak, forcing him to pick up the pace in response.
A dogfight ensued in the final round. Yodnumchai’s cardio was tested, but he held firm and was awarded the unanimous decision win, which moved his ONE slate to an impressive 6-0 and his overall record to 66-20.
Chartpayak Digs Deep Against Petnamngam To Extend KO Streak
Chartpayak Saksatoon’s devastating left hand proved to be his lethal weapon once again, as it earned him a remarkable comeback win over Petnamngam PK Saenchai in their 127-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout.
Petnamngam stunned his fellow Thai with a powerful head kick early on, and he sent him to the canvas with a follow-up left kick. However, Chartpayak regrouped and managed to beat the eight count.
The Kiatpet man came roaring back in the second round, and he seized his opportunity to unleash a flurry of punches to the head and body of the Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion.
The barrage shook Petnamngam, and a final crushing left hook from Chartpayak ended proceedings at 0:28 of the second frame, earning him his fourth consecutive KO in ONE Friday Fights and improving his professional record to 65-15.
Teeyai Blasts Through Yoddoi In 60 Seconds
Teeyai Wankhongohm MBK needed just a minute to dispatch Yoddoi Kaewsamrit in their fast-and-furious atomweight Muay Thai encounter.
Yoddoi was the one charging forward at the opening bell, but Teeyai kept his cool and used the openings left by his aggressive foe.
A hard left hook from the Wankhongohm MBK athlete sat Yoddoi on the mats soon after, and another one sealed the deal at 1:00 of round one.
Teeyai is now 2-0 in ONE Championship, with two KOs, and it looks like he could make a big impression on the atomweight Muay Thai ranks.
Lamnamkhong Makes Light Work Of Anurak For First-Round KO
Lamnamkhong BS Muaythai fights with his heart on his sleeve, and he got back in the winners’ column with a one-round blistering of Anurak Wankhongohm MBK.
Both men met in the center of the ring at the start of the 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout, and a brawl quickly ensued.
Lamnamkhong’s strikes quickly began to find their mark, and a sharp left hand dropped Anurak inside the first minute.
Sensing a finish, the Laos native forced his man into a corner and put him down once more with sneaky strikes inside the clinch.
Once the referee resumed the action, a stern barrage of strikes sent Anurak to the canvas for the third and final time at 1:57 of round one.
With the TKO win, Lamnamkhong moved to 49-12 in his career.
Petninmungkorn Demolishes Komkrit With Powerful Cross
Petninmungkorn DrRatNamkangIceland delivered a masterclass in precision to knock out fellow Thai slugger Komkrit J Power Roof Phuket in their 114-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout.
From the start, Petninmungkorn used his hands effectively to neutralize Komkrit’s kicks. He consistently countered with sharp left hooks whenever his opponent attacked to take control of the action.
Petninmungkorn’s dominance continued into round two. He cornered Komkrit and patiently waited for him to set up his signature kick.
When it came, the Captain Kane Boxing Gym/Singha Wangcha man was waiting, and he unleashed a right cross that staggered his rival then followed up with an identical punch to seal the knockout at 0:37 of the second frame.
The victory moved Petninmungkorn’s ONE record to 2-0 and his overall slate to 62-21.
Chabakaew Outlasts Surging Nongam For Big Victory
Chabakaew Sor KanJanchai put the first blemish on Nongam Fairtex’s ONE slate in their thrilling 110-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle.
Chabakaew used her counters to edge ahead in the opening round. She skillfully absorbed her rival’s heavy single shots and returned fire with combinations.
However, Nongam was clearly eager to build on her 5-0 slate, as she roared back in round two, scoring with powerful punches and punishing right kicks to the body and legs.
Seemingly even going into the final frame, Chabakaew found her rhythm again with a sharp jab and fast counters to nullify Nongam’s aggression and rack up plenty of damage.
This strong finish edged the Luk Chaomae Saithong athlete ahead in the eyes of two of the judges, who handed her the split-decision win in the end to move her slate to 56-6.
Kongklai Ends Demirkapu In Under Two Minutes
You can never count out Kongklai Sor Sommai. Riding a three-fight skid, the Thai striker knew he needed to impress against Deniz Demirkapu, and he did just that in their 142.6-pound catchweight Muay Thai tilt.
Demirkapu came forward like a bull in a china shop, looking to put his man away with wild combinations and relentless output. But Kongklai kept moving, and he picked his moment perfectly.
Just when the Turkish-Moroccan thought he had him trapped, Kongklai exploded with a looping left hook that sent Demirkapu tumbling to the mat and unable to continue.
The bout was waved off at 1:45 of the opening round, and the Sor Sommai man returned triumphantly to the winners’ column to push his overall career record to 79-20.
Kakhkhorov Dominates Thway Thit Win Hlaing To Score Debut Win
Mavlonbek “Warrior” Kakhkhorov displayed a full array of techniques in his ONE Championship debut against Thway Thit Win Hlaing.
Right from the opening bell of their featherweight Muay Thai bout, Kakhkhorov used inside leg kicks, middle kicks, and a jumping knee to test his opponent’s resilience, and that aggression didn’t let up for the opening three minutes.
The Uzbek star received a brief warning in round two for striking the back of his rival’s head, but he quickly regained momentum by shooting in with powerful body shots and crushing knees in the clinch.
A precise spinning backfist from Kakhkhorov kicked off the final round and let the crowd inside Lumpinee know he was hunting for the finish. He did score a knockdown with three brutal knee strikes but couldn’t end proceedings before the final bell.
Nonetheless, “Warrior” was handed the unanimous decision win, and it pushed his record to 16-0.
Zhenishbek Uulu Snaps Kholmirzaev’s Streak
Bektur Zhenishbek Uulu halted Avazbek “Ninzya” Kholmirzaev’s impressive run in ONE Championship with his superior grappling in their 130-pound catchweight MMA clash.
The ONE debutant had to endure some fierce striking from his rival in round one, as Kholmirzaev threw everything in his arsenal at him.
However, the Uzbek’s aggression worked against him when Zhenishbek Uulu took over in round two. He charged forward with blitzes and shot in with inch-perfect takedowns, leaving Kholmirzaev to defend from bad positions for most of the frame.
Zhenishbek Uulu’s domination on the canvas continued in round three. Although he couldn’t secure the choke, his work from Kholmirzaev’s back earned him the unanimous decision win in the end that served as his third career victory.
Emily Outstrikes Kokoz Across To Earn Debut Win
Emily Chong looked right at home in ONE Championship debut as she outclassed Kokoz across three rounds of 117-pound catchweight Muay Thai.
Both battlers planted their feet early on and traded strikes at will, but the Hong Kong, China, native had more sting to her shots, and she pieced up Kokoz with stiff hooks and flying knees.
The sluggers quickly got back to it when the second round kicked off. Chong’s confidence grew as she found her timing and punished her Japanese foe, who seemed more than happy to stand in the pocket.
The 18-year-old stalked Kokoz in the third frame and landed more clinical left and right hands, and this was enough for her to get the nod from all three judges in the end.
With the unanimous decision win, Chong moved to 11-3 in her career.
Jang Rallies To Edge Out Cooke
Jang “Sirius” Seon Gyu secured a hard-fought split decision victory over David “DC” Cooke in their 159.4-pound catchweight MMA bout.
Cooke started strong with sharp boxing, but the South Korean debutant responded by mixing in takedowns and landing heavy ground strikes. The exchanges remained close from there, with “DC’s” power keeping Jang on edge.
The second round saw both fighters trade control, as Jang’s wrestling clashed with Cooke’s precise strikes and knees during scrambles.
“Sirius” then found his rhythm in the third and final frame. He used crisp footwork and aggressive punches to outstrike his British foe, and that late surge impressed two of the judges at ringside, earning him a debut victory that stood as the third of his career.
Ishiguro Stays Perfect In ONE With Decision Over Niwa
A late surge of offense from Shoya Ishiguro earned him the nod in his all-Japan flyweight submission grappling contest against Hiryu Niwa.
Niwa looked dangerous from his back early. He entered with leg entanglements and hunted for a footlock or heel hook. Ishiguro didn’t shy away from engaging in return and kept up the pressure with his passing game.
Neither man made any significant inroads until Ishiguro switched his tactics in the last 30 seconds, jumping on a heel hook that was the only real threat of the 10-minute match.
That was enough to get the unanimous decision and push the Carpe Diem athlete’s ONE Championship record to 3-0.
