3 Biggest Takeaways From ONE Friday Fights 3
ONE Championship returned to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with the highly anticipated third installment of ONE Friday Fights on February 3, and the event thrilled from beginning to end.
Aside from a slew of captivating battles, there were several highlight-reel knockouts and a first-round submission.
With another fantastic show in the books, here are the three biggest takeaways from ONE Friday Fights 3.
Petsukumvit Poses A Serious Threat To The Flyweight Division
Former Rajadamnern Muay Thai World Champion Petsukumvit Boi Bangna had an eye-opening promotional debut. The 24-year-old announced his presence with a relentless flurry of punches and kicks against Chorfah Tor.Sangtiennoi in the main event.
His ceaseless onslaught of strikes and kicks battered Chorfah against the ropes, leaving ONE’s global fan base with little doubt in their mind of who the victor of this flyweight Muay Thai matchup would be. With his heavy punches and furious pressure, the Thai debutant pressed his veteran rival to retaliate in the third round, but even then, Chorfah’s attempts to stop the attacks were futile.
Petsukumvit left the ring with a statement-making unanimous decision victory, and his exemplary performance should be considered a warning shot to the flyweight Muay Thai division’s elite.
The An Sukhumvit representative may not immediately be on ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon‘s radar, but he is certainly a threat to the division’s top-five contenders.
ONE May Have Found Its Next Two Female Stars
The two women’s Muay Thai bouts were an amazing display of skill and grit. Dokmaipa Fairtex and Yu Yau Pui emerged victorious to the roaring delight of the audience at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, a fitting tribute to the brave fighters who stepped into the ring.
Dokmaipa gave Barbara Aguiar a grueling test in their strawweight bout, showcasing her massive power by dropping the Brazilian early in the opening frame. Unfazed by Aguiar’s reputation as the WBC Muay Thai World Champion, the Thai fighter fearlessly got up close and personal in the pocket, engaging in a dynamic battle that went the distance.
Later in the evening, it was Yu Yau’s turn. She jumped into action and threw a flurry of punches, never once tiring in her atomweight clash with TheStar Sitcho. Their match only went two rounds, but the Hong Konger fought forward and landed tricky moves like jumping push kicks. She kept TheStar on the ropes until the Thai finally crumbled and surrendered in defeat.
Russian Super Strikers Emerge
A trio of Russian warriors made a name for themselves at ONE Friday Fights 3.
Ivan Parshikov’s dominating performance in his bantamweight MMA match against Dmitriy Babkin kicked off the show, setting the tone for a night of exceptional entertainment.
But that isn’t the only bout where Russian athletes emerged victorious. Their considerable talents were on display in other combat sports, too.
In the second round of their bantamweight Muay Thai contest, Ilyas Musaev persisted with a flurry of punches, ultimately finishing Panrit Lukjaomaesaiwaree for the win.
And lastly, Elbrus Amirkhanovich concluded the evening with a stunning spinning back kick to the solar plexus of Paedsanlek PK.Saenchai in their bantamweight kickboxing co-main event battle.
