Hiroaki Suzuki’s Late Surge Leads To A TKO Victory In Manila
Hiroaki “Kaibutsukun” Suzuki claimed one of the latest stoppage victories in ONE Super Series history on Friday, 25 January.
At ONE: HERO’S ASCENT in Manila, Philippines, the Japanese striker battled Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud for three rounds in a Muay Thai bantamweight clash that delivered fast-paced action, swings in momentum, and even a finish in the closing moments.
The 34-year-old unleashed a late salvo of punches to secure a TKO victory with just seven seconds remaining in the thrilling contest.
In the opening stanza, “Kaibutsukun” came out of the blocks with intent.
The Japanese striker took aim at his taller foe’s head with left high kicks from the southpaw stance, which repeatedly found the mark and delighted the crowd inside the Mall Of Asia Arena.
He pushed forward to close the distance on Mohammed, who took some time to find his feet. Suzuki’s momentum was hard to stop, however.
The break between rounds worked wonders for the Malaysian, who stepped on the gas in the second period.
He walked Suzuki down, took aim with elbows, and looked far more comfortable throwing knees in the clinch. The 22-year-old also did a better job of countering his rival’s kicks, as he managed to catch his legs and dump him on several occasions.
Suzuki was not finished yet, though. He picked up the pace late in the second frame and looked like the fresher man when the final stanza began.
“Kaibutsukun” always enters the cage in phenomenal shape, and this began to tell.
He forced Mohammed to the fence and unloaded with heavy combinations. Although the Malaysian retaliated with infrequent punches and knees, it was not enough to slow down the Shoot Boxing Lightweight World Champion.
As the clapper sounded to signal there was just 10 seconds remaining, the Japanese warrior connected with heavy combinations, which included a thudding right uppercut and a straight left.
The referee had seen enough. He halted the contest at 2:53 of round three to prevent “Jordan Boy” from absorbing any further damage.
Suzuki picked up his second ONE Super Series victory in as many outings, and this win pushed his record to 41-11-1 (1 NC).
His experience, power, and diverse skill set make him a top contender in the bantamweight division.
