4 Sublime Submissions From ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS Stars

ONE Championship’s year-end event will top off an incredible 2018 for the world’s largest martial arts organization.

On Friday, 7 December, ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, will feature a spectacular bout card with the best of the nation’s talent, as well as top athletes from around the globe.

The headline bout showcases world champions in the art of Muay Thai, but the supporting bill will also display grappling wizardry from experts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, wrestling, and judo.

Here are four of the greatest tapouts from those heroes who are set to compete at the Axiata Arena.

Thani Squeezes His Way To His Favorite Victory

Agilan “Alligator” Thani picked up a landmark win over Jeff Huang at ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS in Kuala Lumpur, and pushed his record to a perfect 7-0. The hometown favorite didn’t know it at the time, but it earned him a shot at the ONE Welterweight World Title.

“Alligator” made this victory look effortless. Huang had never been submitted before this battle, but his younger foe sliced through his defenses with ease.

At the start of the second stanza, Thani quickly set to work and took his opponent to the mat, landing a stream of punches from inside the guard. He stood to get more leverage for his shots, which opened up a pass to side control, and then the mount.

“Alligator” used the position to hammer Huang with more punches and elbows, and the AKA Thailand athlete had no choice but to turn away from the oncoming strikes.

Sensing the finishing opportunity, the Monarchy MMA product took his opponent’s back, and held him tightly with a seatbelt grip. Huang’s experience came to the fore as he looked to isolate Thani’s choking left arm, but as more and more punches came through, Huang let go and allowed the choke to slip underneath his neck.

“Alligator” knew the finish was a formality from there. He wrapped his left hand onto his right bicep and squeezed to force a swift tap.

The Malaysian hero will return to compete in the co-main event in his hometown against Kiamrian Abbasov on 7 December.

Huang Earns Her “Lady GoGo” Moniker

Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang was another athlete who punched her ticket to a World Title shot with a remarkable submission. At ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION, she moved on to 5-0 with a second-round finish of April Osenio courtesy of a rare gogoplata.

The black-belt judoka began by tripping Osenio to the ground, and she transitioned at a frantic pace between dominant positions, leaving the Team Lakay representative constantly on the defensive.

Osenio thought she had a moment of respite when she rolled to top position from the mount, but she went straight into Huang’s trap. “Lady GoGo” immediately pulled her right leg high over her opponent’s shoulder, and blocked her hip with the left foot to maintain an angle to attack.

She threaded her foot under Osenio’s chin, and the Filipina made the grave error of turning into the attack. As soon as Huang could connect both of her hands behind Osenio’s head, it was game over.

If Huang can even come close to matching this incredible feat against the athlete below in Malaysia, she will insert herself right back into the top-contenders’ picture at the division’s summit.

Radzuan announces her entry to ONE in style

Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan was highly touted when she entered the ONE Championship earlier this year, and she lived up to the hype. She met India’s Puja Tomar at ONE: VISIONS OF VICTORY, and a second-round submission took her to 2-0 in her professional career.

Radzuan quickly found out that Tomar would not quit, as the Indian battled out of tough spots throughout the contest. When the Malaysian athlete tumbled to the mat off a kick at the start of round two, the wushu champion was quick to capitalize with strikes from the top.

However, “Shadow Cat” showed her grappling acumen and never stopped threatening with submissions from her back. Tomar worked every escape to get out of tight armbars she found herself trapped in, but one lapse led to her defeat.

Radzuan had just finished attacking with another armbar when she stuffed her opponent’s wrist and threw her right leg high over the shoulder to latch on to a triangle choke. Again, Tomar battled until the end, but the squeeze combined with thudding punches and elbows eventually forced her to tap out.

Silva Derails Suzuki With Flashy First-Round Finish

Two of the best grapplers in mixed martial arts squared off at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD, and the resulting finish is one of the finest in ONE Championship history.

When Brazil’s Alex “Little Rock” Silva faced Hayato Suzuki, it was the Japanese athlete who struck first, as he took the BJJ world champion to the mat within moments of the opening bell.

Straight away, “Little Rock” went on the attack and worked an aggressive guard with a tight overhook. He switched to a butterfly guard position and elevated Suzuki – straight away attacking his trapped left arm.

He briefly took the mount and repositioned his legs to target the right arm, then forced Suzuki to roll, as his shin applied pressure across his head.

This time, there was no escape, as “Little Rock” fully extended the arm and got a swift tap at the 1:22 mark of the very first round to end the Japanese athlete’s 19-bout unbeaten streak.

Silva returns to welcome Shooto Strawweight World Champion Yosuke “Tobizaru” Saruta to The Home Of Martial Arts at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS.