On June 23, ONE Championship returned to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium for its latest weekly Asia primetime card – this time, for the biggest edition yet.
ONE Friday Fights 22 was headlined by a pair of massive World Title fights, but it also showcased a number of the organization’s most entertaining athletes going toe-to-toe in high-stakes Muay Thai and MMA battles.
Here’s how the nine blockbuster supporting bouts played out in Bangkok, Thailand.
Superlek Starches Anane In Two Minutes
Reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9 enjoyed a triumphant return to Muay Thai in his flyweight clash with 19-year-old prodigy Nabil Anane.
“The Kicking Machine” lived up to his nickname, blasting his towering opponent with heavy leg kicks early and often. He didn’t limit his attacks to the lower body, though, as he found a home for a massive body shot that sent the teenager crumpling to the canvas for a knockout after just 2:03 of action.
The Thai superstar now owns a 134-29-4 career record. And while he’s the #1-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender, Superlek immediately called for a World Title challenge of newly crowned ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan Haggerty.
Seksan Moves To 4-0 In ONE After Epic Battle With Bendon
Seksan Or Kwanmuang put on another phenomenal showing to secure his fourth consecutive ONE Friday Fights win against debuting British striker Nathan Bendon in their 142-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle.
The four-time Muay Thai World Champion absorbed all of Bendon’s heavy punches in the opening frame, before roaring back in the second and third – much to the delight of the Bangkok faithful.
The crowd cheered wildly as Seksan battered the Brit with heavy elbows, punches, and knees en route to a unanimous decision win, extending his record to 197-74-8.
It was just the latest stunning performance from the 34-year-old legend, who’s become arguably the most exciting athlete in the ONE Friday Fights event series.
Carrillo Stuns Muangthai With Second-Round TKO
In bantamweight Muay Thai action, Scottish phenom Nico Carrillo scored the biggest victory of his career by dropping Muangthai PK Saenchai three times to seal his second finish in as many ONE appearances.
“King of the North,” used his huge frame to prevent the Thai star from connecting. And when “Elbow Zombie” did find an opening, Carrillo made a statement with his right kicks.
That didn’t slow down Muangthai, but his aggression walked him straight into a crushing elbow. And as he tried to regain his feet, the Scot caught him with a straight-elbow combination that dropped him again.
Soon after, another solid one-two combo dropped the PK Saenchai representative right back where he came from – earning Carrillo the dominant TKO at 1:23 of the second stanza.
The win improved the 24-year-old’s record to 25-3-1, officially earned him a six-figure contract with ONE Championship, and established him as a serious threat in the division.
Sitthichai Fends Off Abasolo In Hard-Fought Muay Thai Return
Thai legend Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong picked up a gritty unanimous decision victory in his return to Muay Thai against American striker Eddie Abasolo.
Despite entering this featherweight clash as the underdog, Abasolo proved he belonged in the top tier with a strong performance, scoring with multiple hard elbows on the seven-time Kickboxing World Champion.
However, the more time Sitthichai had to find his range, the more success he enjoyed with his left punches, knees, elbows, and kicks. Those strikes added up and ultimately improved the 31-year-old’s career slate to 128-33-5.
In the process, Sitthichai defended his #2 contender spot in the featherweight Muay Thai rankings and made a triumphant return to Lumpinee Stadium, where he earned his lone Muay Thai World Title back in 2014.
Aminipour Stays Unbeaten With Split Decision Over Rambolek
Fariyar Aminipour and Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon brought the house down in their closely contested bantamweight Muay Thai war.
Aminipour went at his foe like a workhorse, finding plenty of success with heavy artillery. A left hook and a darting elbow caught the attention of the Thai midway through the second frame.
Rambolek was more than ready to throw down and attempted to slow the Iranian with kicks and punches of his own, but it was never enough to stop the 23-year-old’s onslaught.
After an entertaining nine-minute contest, the undefeated Tiger Muay Thai athlete left the ring with his hand raised, earning his third straight ONE Friday Fights victory and pushing his impressive overall pro record to 14-0.
Kongthoranee Scores Stunning Second-Round KO Of Gingsanglek
Thai striker Kongthoranee Sor Sommai earned his third win over fierce rival Gingsanglek Tor Laksong in their 132-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout.
The two-time Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion looked composed as he traded punches and kicks with Gingsanglek throughout round one, never once appearing threatened by his compatriot’s attacks.
In the second frame, the 26-year-old entered the pocket and went blow-for-blow with his foe while waiting for his moment. It came when the Tor Laksong Gym standout tried to counter a right high kick with a two-punch combination – leaving himself open for an incoming left hook.
On impact, Gingsanglek dropped and was unable to make the count. The referee waved off the contest at the 28-second mark of round two, improving Kongthoranee’s striking record to 63-15-1.
Hamidi Decimates Jomhod In Under Two Rounds
Akram Hamidi was in the driver’s seat from the opening bell in his 119-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle against local hero Jomhod Auto MuayThai.
The 24-year-old debutant scored his first of three knockdowns in the opening 10 seconds thanks to a lighting-fast head kick. He would keep his aggression high throughout the rest of the first round, putting the Thai on the canvas once more.
And just 36 seconds into the second frame, “La Pépite” dropped Jomhod with a rib-crunching body shot to earn the TKO. The Algerian sensation now boasts a strong 49-4-1 professional record.
Thongpoon Edges Past Yangdam In Three-Round Thriller
Thongpoon PK Saenchai and Yangdam Sor Tor Hiewbangsaen had the whole ring to use in their 119-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout, but they only needed a fraction of it, going toe-to-toe for nine frantic minutes.
The pair exchanged fierce punches and elbows inside the pocket without pausing for breath or taking a backward step.
There wasn’t much to separate them after three fiery rounds, but it was Thongpoon who nabbed the split-decision victory and bumped his record to 78-23-2.
With the win and a 3-0 slate in ONE Friday Fights, the 25-year-old also bagged a US$100,000 contract to compete on the main stage of ONE Championship.
Erdogan Knocks Out Fan In Dominant Debut
Shamil Erdogan announced his presence in ONE’s middleweight MMA division with a dominant all-around performance in his promotional debut.
The unbeaten Turkish phenom swarmed “King Kong Warrior” Fan Rong from the opening bell, landing an early takedown and then unloading heavy ground-and-pound for several minutes.
Then in the second frame, Erdogan showcased his potent stand-up game. He caught the Chinese veteran with a solid left hand before sealing the deal with a front kick to the liver that left Fan wincing and doubled over in pain at 0:37 of the round.
The sensational knockout victory pushed the 32-year-old’s professional MMA slate to 9-0.
