4 Stunning Knockouts From The Stars Of ‘ONE On TNT I’
The first installment of the “ONE on TNT” event series will showcase some of ONE Championship’s biggest hitters to a prime-time audience in North America.
Submission specialist Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes defends his ONE Flyweight World Title against Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in a battle of supreme grapplers in the night’s main event, but the supporting card on Wednesday, 7 April, is laced with concussive firepower.
And with athletes competing under mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and Muay Thai rules, there will be a plethora of unique styles on display at “ONE on TNT I.”
The one thing that unites those fighters is the chance for incredible finishes. With that in mind, let’s relive four special knockouts from these stars on the global stage.
#1 Rodtang Lets Rip On Haggerty
🤖 "THE IRON MAN" IS STILL KING 👑
🤖 "THE IRON MAN" IS STILL KING 👑Rodtang Jitmuangnon 🇹🇭 rampages Jonathan Haggerty 🇬🇧 in an absolute striking showcase, winning by third-round TKO and retaining the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title!📱: Watch on the ONE Super App 👉 bit.ly/ONESuperApp🏷: Shop official merchandise 👉 bit.ly/ONECShop
Posted by ONE Championship on Friday, January 10, 2020
Following a spectacular first encounter at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES in August 2019, Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon and Jonathan “The General” Haggerty ran back their ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title match at ONE: A NEW TOMORROW in January 2020.
This time, the Thai marauder was more convincing, as he dispatched the Englishman via TKO in the third round after smashing his rival’s body with hurtful punches.
Rodtang set his stall out in the first frame when he dropped Haggerty with a left hook to the liver. “The General” battled back courageously and had a strong second round, but “The Iron Man” had kept some gas in the tank for round three.
He charged forward in typical fashion and forced Haggerty into the corner of the ring, where he delivered a barrage of hooks and straights until his foe fell to the mat.
Bravely, “The General” stood back up and looked to return fire. However, he couldn’t keep the defending ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion at bay. Rodtang marched through the strikes and dropped his man again with looping punches.
Haggerty stood up a final time until “The Iron Man” let rip with one last combination, which finished with a left hook to the body that finally earned him the TKO win.
Next, the Jitmuangnon Gym representative will hope for a similar victory against Haggerty’s debuting countryman Jacob Smith.
#2 Magomedaliev Starches Marques With Massive Right Hand
Raimond Magomedaliev added another stoppage win to his ONE slate when he overcame previously unbeaten newcomer Edson “Panico” Marques at ONE: COLLISION COURSE II in December 2020.
The hard-hitting Russian opened up with some thudding leg kicks, and he pumped out jabs and feints to gauge the distance and see how his opponent would react.
From there, he controlled the center of the Circle and herded his foe toward the Circle Wall to set up the finish. Then after a series of feints, Magomedaliev stepped in with a jab-cross combo. Though Marques expertly slipped the first shot, he could not avoid the punch that came zipping in behind it.
The man from Dagestan landed a chopping right hand to the side of his foe’s head, which immediately separated the Brazilian from his senses and ended the bout by KO after just 1:52.
Looking to continue his run toward the ONE Welterweight World Title, Magomedaliev will face Tyler McGuire in a mixed martial arts clash on 7 April.
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#3 Opacic Stuns Zimmerman With Spinning Heel Kick
There haven’t been many debuts that were more impressive than Rade Opacic’s first outing on the global stage.
The heavyweight kickboxer faced off against seasoned campaigner Errol “The Bonecrusher” Zimmerman at ONE: BIG BANG II in December 2020, and he left with a highlight-reel KO added to his resume.
The 23-year-old from Serbia used his reach to try and stifle Zimmerman’s aggression as both men found success in the opening frame.
In round two, Zimmerman continued to load up on hard punches and low kicks, while Opacic seemed to be figuring out “The Bonecrusher’s” timing.
It paid off, as the Serbian striker waited for the Curacaoan–Dutch slugger to reset after a low kick and then launched a magnificent spinning heel kick. Zimmerman was in the middle of throwing a left hook, and his own force added to the collision.
“The Bonecrusher” hit the deck and tried to regain his feet, but he was clearly in no state to continue, earning Opacic a memorable stoppage win.
Next, the Belgrade native will take on Patrick “Big Swiss” Schmid at “ONE on TNT I.”
#4 ‘Reug Reug’ Pounds Out Ngalani
In another impressive heavyweight debut, “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane showed he had the skill to match his brawn when he defeated ONE veteran Alain “The Panther” Ngalani in a mixed martial arts battle at ONE: UNBREAKABLE II in January 2021.
The hulking stars initially bided their time and were cautious of each other’s attacks. But with 90 seconds left in the opening frame, “Reug Reug” ran at Ngalani with wild punches, pushed him to the Circle Wall, and then dragged him to the mat.
The veteran tried his best to get up with an underhook, but he struggled to regain his footing with all of Kane’s weight bearing down on him.
“Reug Reug” kept “The Panther” pinned and then unloaded with a succession of right hands that forced the referee to stop the contest.
The Senegalese wrestling sensation will get his grappling game tested against Mehdi Barghi in the first event of the “ONE on TNT” series.
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