Trio Of Thrillers Kick Off ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT

There was plenty of excitement surrounding ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, and on Friday, 24 November in Singapore, the evening got off to a spectacular start.

A crafty veteran successfully relaunched his career after a two-year hiatus, a short-notice replacement made the most of an opportunity, and a promotional newcomer brought the crowd at the Singapore Indoor Stadium to its feet.

Here is all the action from the preliminary card of ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT.

Arnaud Lepont Makes Perfect Comeback 

It has been two years since Arnaud “The Game” Lepont last appeared inside the ONE Championship cage, but he returned to the global stage in style.

After the opening bell, Lepont immediately evaded Corminal’s early strikes, took him down, and landed in side control. He started to soften Corminal up with strikes, before transitioning to full mount, and hopping over as he went for an arm-triangle choke. 

“The Game” patiently took his time tightening the hold, and once he had it full secured, Corminal had no choice but to tap out at 3:16 of the first round. A happy Lepont celebrated by leaving the ring to bow in front of ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. 

Lepton’s comeback tour starts on solid footing, as he elevates his record to 12-5. 

Muhammad Aiman Dominates In Unanimous Decision Victory

https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship/videos/1628250427198206/

“Jungle Cat” Muhammad Aiman may have replaced Pakistan’s Waqar Umar on just two weeks’ notice, but he made the most of his opportunity.

The Malaysian displayed a greatly improved Muay Thai game against Chinese debutant “Peter Pan” Yang Fei in their catchweight bout, and left the cage with a unanimous decision victory.

Aiman was highly active in the first round, as he constantly moved, feinted, and dodged most of his rival’s strikes, save a few brilliant hooks that found the mark. “Jungle Cat” mixed up his attack, often threatening with punching combinations, and consistently targeted Yang’s lead leg with chopping leg kicks.

The Malaysian continued frustrating Yang in the second frame with his excellent striking, and understandably “Peter Pan” worked to bring the contest to the ground. He landed a few brief takedowns, but Aiman immediately stood back up, and continued to deploy his effective striking attack.

While both athletes started to slow in the third and final round, Aiman continued to apply the pressure. “Peter Pan” tried working his magic, as he landed a takedown and got full mount at one point, but the Malaysian slipped out and returned to his feet. “Jungle Cat” made a lasting impression, as he ended the round with a pair of flashy cartwheel kicks and some solid combinations.

Aiman returns to the win column, as he bounces back from his loss to Danny Kingad in April. His record now stands at 3-1, while Yang losses his promotional debut and sees his record dip to 14-5.

Miao Li Tao Makes Explosive ONE Debut With Highlight Reel Knockout

Miao Li Tao kicked off the preliminary card with a highlight reel knockout that no one will soon forget.

The Chinese strawweight made his promotional debut opposite Cambodia’s Sim Bunsrun, and was aggressive from the opening bell. Despite both competitors threatening with strikes, Miao succeeded with a few explosive takedowns. Bunsrun, however, cleverly escaped, and brought the contest back to the feet.

It would be the beginning of the end for him. When Bunsrun threw a roundhouse kick, Miao perfectly countered with a right hook to the chin, which floored the Cambodian Top Team product. Miao followed up with punches, but referee Kemp Cheng waved the match off at the 1:49 mark of the opening stanza.

It was a remarkable ONE debut for Miao, who pushes his record to 10-3.