3 Explosive Knockouts From The Heavy Hitters Of ONE: BATTLEGROUND II
Fans can expect emphatic finishes when ONE: BATTLEGROUND II airs next Friday, 13 August.
The five-bout card is filled with explosive mixed martial artists who deliver high-velocity punches, kicks, knees, and elbows.
Those powerful strikers will surely produce some nail-biting encounters – and most likely, incredible stoppages – when they clash at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Before the action goes down, let’s relive three of the best knockouts from the event’s biggest names.
#1 Folayang Claims World Title Gold Against Aoki
Eduard “Landslide” Folayang shocked the world with an incredible victory over Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR in November 2016.
That evening, the Filipino icon claimed the ONE Lightweight World Title for the first time when he knocked out his longtime Japanese rival in the third stanza of their initial encounter.
“Tobikan Judan’s” grappling gave Folayang problems at the start of the bout, but in the end, “Landslide” took advantage of his opponent’s eagerness to close the distance.
The pivotal moment came just seconds into round three. Aoki dove in for a takedown attempt, but he was greeted with a jumping knee to the head. “Tobikan Judan” tried to press forward, but he was clearly stunned, and the Team Lakay star easily turned him with underhooks.
Another hard knee slammed into the Japanese athlete’s face, and “Landslide” then alternated between punches and knees to his shell-shocked foe until the referee was forced to intervene and halt the contest.
At ONE: BATTLEGROUND II, Folayang will try to regain that kind of form when he welcomes “The Warrior” Zhang Lipeng to the global stage in Singapore.
- ‘Never Give Up’: Folayang Out To Prove He’s Not Done Against Zhang
- After Storied Career In China, Zhang Lipeng Is Coming For ONE Gold
- Miao Li Tao Plans To Outstrike Alex Silva: ‘Power Is His Shortcoming’
#2 Miao Starches Dejdamrong
Miao Li Tao will never forget the day he knocked out a multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON in May 2019.
At that event, the Chinese athlete squared off against Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke – and he didn’t shy away from exchanging with the Thai legend.
Miao initially worked his wrestling game against the stand-up specialist, but when an opening presented itself on the feet, he took it.
Dejdamrong, who was also a former ONE Strawweight World Champion, launched an elbow in his foe’s direction right as Miao threw his right hand. Neither blow landed clean, but the Sunkin International Fight Club man followed up more effectively.
The Thai’s elbow didn’t come back quick enough to block Miao’s left hook, and the Chinese slugger jammed his fist right onto his rival’s chin. Dejdamrong was knocked out instantly and crashed unceremoniously to the canvas.
Miao will face another tough test – but on the opposite end of the stylistic spectrum – when he takes on another ex-strawweight king and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Alex “Little Rock” Silva at ONE: BATTLEGROUND II.
#3 Ngalani Scores Record-Breaking KO
The fastest knockout in ONE Championship heavyweight history came at ONE: TOTAL VICTORY in September 2017 when Alain “The Panther” Ngalani took just 11 seconds to stop Hideki “Shrek” Sekine.
The Japanese grappler made his intention perfectly clear when he raced at Ngalani with his arms outstretched from the opening bell. This tactic was doomed to failure, however, as it left Sekine wide open to punches.
Ngalani used his footwork to stay out of “Shrek’s” clutches and tried to catch his foe on the way in. A left hand narrowly missed the mark as Sekine came forward like a raging bull, but a thudding right cross then found a home on the point of his chin.
The combination of the Japanese hulk’s forward momentum and Ngalani’s well-timed punch resulted in a concussive blow that dropped the BJJ and judo black belt face-first into the canvas, while “The Panther’s” follow-up shot sealed the deal.
Next up, the Cameroon-born fan favorite will take on promotional newcomer Thomas “The Last Viking” Narmo in “The Lion City.”
Read more: 3 Dynamic Submissions From The Stars Of ONE: BATTLEGROUND II
