Sunoto Dominates Chan Heng With Decisive First-Round TKO
“The Terminator” Sunoto kicked off the main card of ONE Championship’s first card of the year, ONE: QUEST FOR POWER, with a bang.
Only six weeks removed from his most recent loss, the hometown hero returned to the win column on Saturday Night, 14 January, when he defeated Cambodia’s “The Python” Chan Heng in a bantamweight showdown at the Jakarta Convention Center in Indonesia. Sunoto needed just two minutes and 30 seconds to get the victory.
As soon as the bell rang to begin the opening stanza, Heng marched forward and threw an overhand right. Sunoto masterfully ducked, easily brought the Cambodian Top Team product to the canvas with a single leg takedown, and landed in side control.
“The Python” tried desperately to defend with a guillotine choke, but Sunoto put his grappling advantage to good effect. He placed his right knee on his opponent’s belly and then slid over into full mount.
Sunoto proceeded to rain down punches, and nearly locked in a rear-naked choke when Chan Heng briefly gave up his back. The Indonesian remained in control from pillar to post, as he wisely slid his right knee over Heng’s arm and essentially trapped it, leaving his opponent defenseless to further ground and pound.
Referee Yuji Shimada had no choice but to stop the contest due to strikes at 2:30 in the first round. With the victory, Sunoto improves to 6-3 and looks primed to return to the cage soon. Chan Heng, meanwhile, drops to 8-4.