4 Superb Submissions From Our Heroes In PURSUIT OF POWER

Some of ONE Championship’s best grapplers will be looking to make a stunning statement with their submission skills on Friday, 13 July.

The promotion will return to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with its latest martial arts spectacle ONE: PURSUIT OF POWER, and many of the athletes at the event will undoubtedly aim to submit their opponents at the Axiata Arena.

Before the show goes down, watch four of the best submissions from the heroes who will be competing on the card.

Agilan Thani’s Masterful Americana

Malaysian superhero Agilan “Alligator” Thani has matured well on the global stage stage.

Ever since his promotional debut in March 2015, the homegrown athlete has gotten better and better with each passing contest.

In his most recent victory this past March, Thani clashed with SFL Welterweight Champion Amitesh Chaubey at ONE: VISIONS OF VICTORY.

“Ami” came out of the gate taunting and trying to goad the 22-year-old Kuala Lumpur native into a striking battle.

Thani did not play into the Indian’s mind games, however. He concentrated on showcasing his skills on the feet and on the ground, before finishing the bout in the second round.

After avoiding Chaubey’s haymakers, “Alligator” found an opening to slip inside before landing a highlight-reel slam, which put him in the perfect position for a finish, and caused the crowd inside the Axiata Arena to erupt in elation.

By adjusting his opponent’s body in mid-air, Thani landed straight into side control and wasted no time in securing an Americana.

By pulling his foe’s arm tight to his body and torquing it down towards his waist, the SFL Welterweight Champion had no choice but to tap almost instantly. 

The local favorite will attempt to ignite the crowd once again when he meets Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam in ONE: PURSUIT OF POWER’s headlining match.

Keanu Subba’s First Submission Win In ONE

Keanu Subba has developed a reputation as an exciting finisher.

Every single one of the Bali MMA product’s victories has come by stoppage, including his superb first-round submission victory over Pakistani featherweight Ahmed “Wolverine” Mujtaba at ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS in February 2017.

In front of a hometown crowd at Kuala Lumpur’s Stadium Negara, Subba first looked to strike, but when the Pakistani athlete tried to bring the match to the ground, the Malaysian mixed martial artist was more than ready to control the grappling exchanges, too. 

Ahmed’s game plan ultimately backfired, as Subba turned his takedown attempt into a clinching battle, before successfully tripping his opponent and going to the ground.

His punches and elbows against the cage were causing “Wolverine” all kind of problems, and he was desperate to escape. He tried to scramble free by sitting up, but his neck was exposed, and the Malaysian quickly seized the opportunity by shooting his left arm under the neck to attempt a guillotine choke.

Subba quickly secured his grip and tightened the hold, which forced his rival to tap out at 2:56 of round one. It was his first submission victory as a ONE athlete.

At ONE: PURSUIT OF POWER, he faces the man below.

Xie Chao’s Impressive Kimura

“White Dragon” Xie Chao proved to be a formidable addition to the featherweight division in his promotional debut at ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI in September.

The Chinese athlete was initially happy to exchange strikes with Malaysian Muay Thai veteran Marc Marcellinus, thanks to his height and reach advantage.

Although Xie went for a clinch and threw clinch knees, the heavy-handed Marcellinus dropped him with some hard punches. “White Dragon” immediately went for a single-leg takedown, and found some time to recover.

Once action resumed on the feet, Xie pressed his adversary against the cage, but the Malaysian reversed the position and held him against the fence.

As Marcellinus searched for a grip to strengthen his position, he failed to protect his arm. The Chinese athlete capitalized on that mistake and immediately locked in a kimura. He jumped into guard, ripped the arm away from his rival’s body, and twisted. With no way to escape, the Malaysian tapped out.

Jihin Radzuan’s Glorious ONE Debut

In only her second professional bout, Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan managed to capture the attention of fans around the globe with an incredible performance against India’s Puja Tomar at ONE: VISIONS OF VICTORY in March.

The Malaysian, who is a Wushu World Champion, also revealed she has the jiu-jitsu skills to seamlessly chain submission attempts, and finish bouts with grappling techniques.

When Tomar dived into her adversary’s guard, “Shadow Cat” stayed busy. She threw her legs up to secure a tight armbar, before transitioning to a triangle choke.

Once Radzuan locked up the submission, she struck the Indian with elbows as she tried everything to escape. Though Tomar showed tremendous resilience, her attacker matched that with perseverance, and finally forced the tap when she broke her opponent’s posture midway through the second frame.

It was quite the finish for the Malaysian, who meets Indonesia’s Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol on home soil this Friday.