4 Weapons To Watch When Martin Nguyen Meets Narantungalag Jadambaa

One of the most anticipated ONE Championship bouts of 2019 will go down at ONE: ROOTS OF HONOR when Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen defends his ONE Featherweight World Title against Narantungalag “Tungaa” Jadambaa.

Both men are known for their all-action styles, and martial arts fans around the world would do well not to blink when these warriors lock horns this Friday, 12 April because they can finish a contest in an instant.

Each athlete is well-rounded with the ability to win a match with many weapons, but these, more than any others, could be their keys to victory when they meet at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

Nguyen’s Game-Changing Right Hand

“The Situ-Asian’s” looping right hand is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous strikes in The Home Of Martial Arts, and he has used it to capture two World Titles.

He only needs a tiny opening to land it as he picks it with precision, especially as a counter-strike.

He earned his victory over Kazunori Yokota by throwing the punch over his rival’s jab, and he followed that up with ONE Featherweight World Title glory by capitalizing on Marat “Cobra” Gafurov’s weak inside leg kick and low guard with a concussive blow.

Against the man thought to pose an insurmountable challenge, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Nguyen did his homework on the spinning kicks of the then-ONE Lightweight World Champion and timed a thudding blow as the Filipino turned in his direction.

Any challenger to the Vietnamese-Australian’s World Title reign needs to keep their guard up because of what might be waiting for them when they step in to attack.

Jadambaa’s Granite Chin

If there is any challenger armed with the striking confidence to match “The Situ-Asian,” it is Jadambaa.

The Mongolian hero mixed it with the elite of the stand-up world in his time as a professional kickboxer – including Andy Souwer, Buakaw Por Pramuk and Masato – as well as some heavy-hitting mixed martial artists, but he has not been finished by strikes in 15 years.

For that reason, he has no fear about meeting his opponents head-on and trading with them, no matter how much power they pack in their fists.

He can push forward with confidence and trust in his mettle while he looks for an opportunity to land his own potent punches or use his strength in the clinch.

Nguyen’s Back-Foot Threat

The challenger will undoubtedly press forward and do his best to set a relentless pace to try and break Nguyen, as he has with many previous opponents.

However, the Sydney native has composure under pressure, and can be even more dangerous on the back foot.

As well as his counter-striking, his ability to bite down on his mouthpiece and battle through adversity is an important part of his arsenal.

In his bout with the hard-hitting Li Kai Wen, Nguyen was dropped to the canvas, but he immediately worked for a takedown, established top control, and finished the contest with ground and pound.

Christian “The Warrior” Lee was advancing with hard flurries in their first match and had “The Situ-Asian” hurt, but Nguyen stayed cool, picked the moment when the Singaporean got reckless, and dropped him with a left hook to set up the finish.

Nguyen’s unbreakable spirit means he is always dangerous, no matter what his opponents throw at him.

Jadambaa Close-Range Chain Techniques

“Tungaa” is one of those mixed martial artists who is dangerous across every range, and that leaves very little room for respite for his adversaries.

The kickboxing champion is also a tremendous grappler – a judo black belt who can combine trips and hip throws with the high-amplitude pick-ups and leg attacks of wrestling.

His skills combined with his physical strength mean “Tungaa” is hugely successful when he can close the distance and chain his takedown attempts.

Nguyen has good hips to aid his defense against double-leg and single-leg takedown attempts, but it will be much harder to remain on his feet when he also has to worry about the sweeps, trips, and throws that might follow. All of those are made even more dangerous by Jadambaa’s explosive power. 

Once he gets his rivals where he wants them, the Mongolian can use his smothering top control and bring out his submission arsenal and ground and pound to work relentlessly for a finish – as he showed in his comeback victory over Edward Kelly last year.