3 Takeaways From ONE Friday Fights 7
On March 3, fans tuned in to witness another spectacular event in Bangkok, Thailand – a lineup jam-packed with both Muay Thai and MMA action.
ONE Friday Fights 7 featured 12 intriguing matches, showcasing entertaining battles of mental fortitude and elite skill sets at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Before ONE returns to Lumpinee on March 10, here are three key lessons we learned last Friday.
So Yul Kim Sends Message To Atomweight Division
So Yul Kim entered her ONE Championship debut intent on making a statement, and she certainly succeeded. In an atomweight MMA match, the 27-year-old faced Souris Manfredi and delivered a stunning performance.
The South Korean pinned Manfredi to the canvas in the first round, expertly locking in a guillotine choke that put the Thai to sleep. It was a dominant victory from the former ONE Warrior Series star, bringing her overall professional record to 7-1.
Kim will now look to make waves in a stacked atomweight MMA division that includes reigning divisional queen Angela Lee, #1-ranked Stamp Fairtex, and #2-ranked Ham Seo Hee.
While she may not be ready to compete against those top contenders just yet, perhaps a matchup with #5-ranked Tiffany Teo could be on the horizon.
Lisa Brierley Redeems Herself As Top Talent
No matter how long it takes to taste redemption, it’s always delicious.
Lisa Brierley waited six years to repay Rungnapa Por Muangpetch for a 2017 defeat, and she wasted no time producing a highlight-reel moment in Friday’s 110-pound catchweight Muay Thai affair.
In fact, Brierly needed only 69 seconds to deliver a right hand that finished the Thai and stunned the audience.
Along with earning some sweet vengeance in her ONE debut, the British striker displayed her high-level striking skills inside the ring.
Holding a record of 24-10-1, she’s spent the majority of her time training in the sport’s home country, and it showed.
Although this contest was at catchweight, plenty of challenges could lie ahead for Brierly in ONE’s atomweight Muay Thai division. Perhaps a matchup with Celeste Hansen – who won her debut via TKO at ONE Friday Fights 6 – could be in the cards.
Bantamweight Muay Thai Division Gains A Pair Of Teen Stars
ONE’s bantamweight Muay Thai division continues to grow, as Thai strikers Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon and Yodphupa Wimanair emphatically announced their arrivals at ONE Friday Fights 7.
In the main event, Rambolek faced Theeradet Chor Hapayak in a 143-pound catchweight Muay Thai match. The 19-year-old phenom remained on the offensive for the majority of the fight, driving a flurry of attacks and gaining momentum as it progressed.
He ultimately finished Theeradet with a perfect one-two hook combo, which saw his right hand drop his opponent to the floor.
Earlier in the evening, Yodphupa went the distance with Russian sensation Ilyas Musaev. Despite Musaev’s increasing pressure, the Thai maintained his momentum, particularly in the final moments of their fight.
It was an impressive debut for Yodphupa, who is also 19 years old and entered ONE Championship after winning Road to ONE: Thailand.
These victories showed that both up-and-comers should be here to stay, and they could square off with serious superstars in the bantamweight Muay Thai division, including Felipe Lobo, Liam Harrison, Saemapetch Fairtex, Rodlek PK Saenchai, and reigning king Nong-O Hama.
