4 Sensational Highlights From ONE: TOTAL VICTORY

There may have been some athletes who lost at ONE: TOTAL VICTORY, but everyone who left the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia on Saturday, 16 September, should consider themselves a winner.

It was a magical night for everyone involved, as history was made, young talents were given their moment to shine, and tremendous displays of heart and courage made the show worthwhile.

Former titleholder Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov upended Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio via split decision in the evening’s headlining bout, and may have done enough to secure a trilogy match with the last man who defeated him, ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes.

Although that is a critical storyline coming out of the event, there were six other matches on the main card that ended with highlight-reel finishes. But the stories behind those finishes are what makes some of them the night’s biggest highlights.

Here are the biggest highlights from ONE: TOTAL VICTORY.

#1 Alain Ngalani Makes ONE Heavyweight History

Alain “The Panther” Ngalani made ONE Championship history without even breaking a sweat.

The multi-time Muay Thai and Kickboxing heavyweight world champion circled away from the charge of seven-time BJJ champion Hideki “Shrek” Sekine for a solid ten seconds, before landing a perfect right hand which sent “Shrek” crashing to the canvas.

A second later, referee Yuji Shimada halted the contest, and Ngalani earned the distinction of the fastest knockout recorded in the promotion’s heavyweight division.

Not only does Ngalani cement his place in the history books, but he defeated a former title challenger in Sekine. In fact, he defeated Sekine much quicker than ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera did last December.

#2 Stefer Rahardian Emerges As A Legitimate Flyweight Talent

Local favorite Stefer “The Lion” Rahardian may not be a title contender in ONE’s stacked flyweight division just yet, but he proved that he belongs in the upper echelon of the weight class.

The Jakarta grappler clashed with the always-dangerous and ever-evolving Kun Khmer specialist Sim Bunsrun, but he made victory look effortless. In fact, the moment Rahardian got the Cambodian in his grasp, it was all over.

Only 35 seconds into the contest, the Carlson Gracie BJJ brown belt took Bunsrun down with a body lock, and landed in the full mount position. After dropping some perfectly-placed strikes, the Indonesian took the Cambodian champion’s back while sinking in a rear-naked choke.

The Cambodian Top Team product knew he was in trouble, especially once the body triangle was secure, and he had no other option but to tap at the 1:07 mark of the opening round.

Still perfect at 7-0, Rahardian has earned the right to face one of the top names in the division. Between his exciting style and his world-class grappling, he has emerged as a star in both the weight class and Indonesian scene.

#3 Hisyam Samsudin’s Heroic Warrior Spirit

It had been a traumatic 24 hours for Hisyam “Zephyrus” Samsudin.

The Malaysian’s father, passed away just the day before the event. Like any normal person, Samsudin was a mess. Still, he held it together because he wanted to honor his late father’s memory, and give everyone the show they came to see.

His opponent, Jeremy “Predator” Meciaz, immediately charged at him with a flurry of strikes. Then, when the bout hit the floor, the Indonesian attempted a slew of leg lock submissions, just like he did with “Rock Man” Chen Lei back in May.

Through it all, “Zephyrus” miraculously remained calm, reversed course, and went on the attack. He landed strike after strike on a turtled Meciaz, eventually connecting with enough knees and elbows to force the referee to stop the match.

Without a doubt, Samsudin stole the evening with his heart and gutsy performance.

#4 Roy Doliguez’s Comeback Knockout

Former ONE Strawweight World Title challenger and PBF Super Flyweight Champion Roy Doliguez was on disastrous three-bout skid.

As he competed against Brazil’s Yago Bryan, another former title challenger, the Filipino kept on getting taken down to the canvas, and could not get back to his feet. For a while, things were looking grim, and it appeared as if the skid was going to continue.

However, in the third round, everything changed. The two were trading strikes in the center of the cage, and Bryan left his hands wide open. That opening was all Doliguez needed. He delivered a single left hand down the pipe, and knocked out his opposition en route to his first promotional victory.