The lead-up to the three World Title bouts at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham on Prime Video this past Friday, September 29, produced six stunning finishes out of seven bouts.
In fact, fans watching at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and those tuning in from the around the globe barely had time to come down from the excitement of one match before being thrust into the next.
Before the show’s headliners enter the Circle, here’s everything that went down on the undercard.
Xiong Stops Wondergirl In Special Rules Striking Battle
In the first-ever special rules striking contest between ONE Women’s Strawweight MMA World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan and Muay Thai phenom Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak, it was the Chinese superstar who emerged victorious with a third-round TKO.
From the get-go, both athletes entered the workshop and hammered each other with 4-ounce leather. “Wondergirl” kept her rival on the outside with her long jabs, but Xiong, for her part, closed the distance and swung tight hooks.
A few of Xiong’s hooks ricocheted off the Thai’s head and, although she picked up a few warnings for the move, it didn’t deter her from closing out the show. With 18 seconds left in the fight, the Chinese superstar pinned “Wondergirl” against the Circle Wall with a series of unanswered punches.
Referee Olivier Coste stopped the action, giving China’s first-ever MMA World Champion the historic win.
Lineker Edges Out Loman In Battle Of Top Bantamweights
John “Hands of Stone” Lineker was taken into deep waters yet again, and once more, he rose above the waves, as he edged out #2-ranked bantamweight MMA contender Stephen “The Sniper” Loman in their three-round clash.
Lineker, the former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion and current #1-ranked contender, encountered some turbulence in the opening stanza. The Filipino landed a takedown and tried to control “Hands of Stone” on the ground, but the Brazilian found an escape hatch and returned to his feet. Then, he started loosening up with his strikes in the waning moments of the first round.
The Brazilian truly started to find his footing in the second frame, as he hunted for his rival’s body while defending every takedown attempt that came his way. Loman, on the other hand, made good use of his reach and kicks to keep “Hands of Stone” at bay.
With the fight up for grabs, it was Lineker who stood tall in the end. He maintained his forward pressure and kept the bout upright, despite Loman’s best efforts to bring the action to the ground. In fact, the Brazilian even turned the tables on his foe and hit a late takedown to all but cement his victory.
In the end, Lineker earned the unanimous decision win to improve his record to 37-10 (1 NC) and snap Loman’s 11-bout winning streak.
Menshikov Demolishes Rungrawee In One Round
Russian knockout artist Dmitry Menshikov added to his impressive highlight reel in his lightweight Muay Thai clash with Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong, handing the Thai veteran his first defeat in ONE.
The 25-year-old wasted no time in throwing heavy leather, marching forward behind ruthless punching combinations early and often.
Those punches would find a home, as Menshikov scored three sensational knockdowns, all with his hands, en route to a first-round stoppage with just 19 seconds remaining in the first round.
The victory pushes the Russian’s slate to 28-2 and marks his 20th career knockout.
Folayang Crushes Khan With Third-Round KO
Eduard “Landslide” Folayang may have gone through a series of changes over the last year, but one thing remains the same for the former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion – he has Amir Khan’s number.
Five years after their first battle at Manila’s Mall Of Asia Arena, the 39-year-old marched onto his rival’s home turf and scored a third-round knockout victory in dramatic fashion at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The Filipino MMA icon struggled to find his range in the opening round of their lightweight MMA tilt. However, once he landed his first takedown, Folayang’s confidence grew, and he began controlling the bout with his flashy kicks.
In the third and final round, “Landslide” floored Khan with a left hook against the Circle Wall, and then a few final shots on the ground forced referee Herb Dean to stop the rematch at the 1:57 mark.
With that, Folayang earned his 23rd career win and first victory under his Lions Nation MMA banner.
Cerilli Returns To Win Column With TKO Win Over Elliott
Mauro “The Hammer” Cerilli returned to winning ways at ONE Fight Night 14, earning a first-round stoppage victory over Paul “King of the North” Elliott in their heavyweight MMA battle.
The Italian colossus threw Elliott off balance early, as a couple of right hands forced the British titan to fight off the back foot. Cerilli hit a takedown moments later and stayed in half guard for the majority of the round, all while patiently picking his shots.
Those shots came in the form of elbows, as “The Hammer” damaged his rival’s face with a left elbow and landed a couple of unanswered strikes just as the opening stanza ended.
However, before the second round could begin, Elliott informed referee Herb Dean that he couldn’t continue due to a possible torn bicep. With that, Cerilli was awarded the TKO victory and improved his record to 15-5.
Ten Pow Knocks Out Rambolek In Final Round
American striker Asa Ten Pow picked up a career-defining knockout victory in his bantamweight Muay Thai showdown with Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon.
“The American Ninja” found success through the first two rounds with his heavy boxing combinations and creative elbow strikes, while the Thai fired back with bruising leg kicks.
Ten Pow opened up the third and final frame with an aggressive blitz, landing a thunderous right hand followed by a savage head kick to send Rambolek crumbling to the canvas just 25 seconds into the round. The Thai could not answer the referee’s eight-count, forcing him to wave off the action.
With the victory, Ten Pow improved his career record to 14-3 and earned a US$50,000 performance bonus for his efforts.
Abevi Starches Cooper, Claims First ONE Win
Maurice Abevi kicked off ONE Fight Night 14 in style, finishing Blake Cooper via TKO in the very first round of their lightweight MMA clash.
Abevi’s wrestling defense was quickly tested by the NAIA Champion, and it held tough, as he brilliantly defended every takedown attempt.
With less than a minute to go in the opening stanza, the Swiss dynamo connected with a beautiful superman punch, which wobbled Cooper. Abevi followed it up with an uppercut, a knee, and an elbow, and then he unloaded more punches to force the referee stoppage with 24 seconds to spare.
The highlight-reel win moved his career record to 7-1, maintained his 100 percent finishing rate, and marked his first victory in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
