5 Big Lessons We Learned From The Action At ONE: HERO'S ASCENT

There were plenty of questions about the athletes competing at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT going into the blockbuster event, but all of those were answered on Friday, 25 January.

The performances from the martial arts heroes proved who deserved to be called World Champion, started to give us an idea about the complexion of two grands prix, and suggested what some other talents might be capable of moving forward.

Here are five of the biggest lessons we learned when the dust had settled after a night of action at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

Adriano Moraes Earned His Place In History

Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes‘ achievements in ONE Championship’s flyweight division cannot be touched.

The Brazilian’s defeat of Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio signaled the start of his third reign as World Champion, and he had to put on another exceptional performance to get the gold back around his waist.

He came in hungry to improve on his last match with the Filipino – which he only lost by the narrowest of margins – and came out on top with a unanimous decision after five rounds of breathless action. Just like he previously demonstrated, Moraes relinquished the gold, and he came back stronger, smarter, and better to make sure there was no doubt his hand would be raised.

Although local fans were disappointed their hero did not retain the belt in his homeland, there could not have been a single person in the Mall Of Asia Arena that could begrudge “Mikinho” his success after an amazing performance and the honorable display of respect he gave his rival.

All that is left for Moraes to do now is add to his legacy by defending his belt against the best of a division that is getting stronger every day.

Lowen Tynanes Has Not Lost A Step

It had been two years, nine months, and 10 days – 1015 days in total – since Lowen Tynanes had set foot in the cage, but he looked like he had never been away.

The American looked pin-sharp with no signs of rust as he absolutely dismantled Honorio “The Rock” Banario and stopped him via first-round TKO in the co-main event, which was the first quarter-final match of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix.

If Tynanes can do that in his first bout back, imagine what he can look like now that he is familiar with top-flight competition again. What’s more, he has another few months in the gym to further tighten his skill set.

His semi-final assignment will be the winner of Eddie Alvarez VS Timofey Nastyukhin, which will take place at ONE: A NEW ERA on 31 March in Tokyo, Japan.

Tynanes may still be an underdog against those seasoned veterans, but with the way he looks, it would take a brave fan to bet against him.

Danny Kingad Belongs Among The Elite

No one can say Danny “The King” Kingad has not earned his spot among the best athletes in his division after another remarkable performance.

The Team Lakay product impressed again to build on his three wins in 2018 with a unanimous decision against Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada to book a place in the quarter-finals of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

Once known as a pure striker, the 23-year-old looks like he can now do it all, after showing a full range of martial arts skills against another well-rounded opponent.

Now riding a four-bout winning streak – in which every win has been more impressive than the last, and against ever-improving opposition – he will be a tough opponent for any other athlete in his weight class.

Hiroki Akimoto‘s Karate Skills Can Pay The Bills

Hiroki Akimoto may have conquered the world of karate and made an impressive start to life as a professional kickboxer, but ONE Super Series bouts pose a different kind of challenge.

However, on his first appearance in The Home Of Martial Arts, the Japanese hero looked like he was a seasoned veteran as he picked Josh “Timebomb” Tonna apart over three rounds.

Akimoto did not have things go all his way – he was dropped by a right hand in the first round – but you can chalk that up to a minor lapse in concentration. For almost every other second of the match, he was in imperious form.

Tonna had to face the referee’s count three times – twice from body kicks, and once from a head kick – which meant he conceded the unanimous decision by a wide margin. ONE Super Series appears to be a perfect fit for the Evolve representative.

India Beginning To Make A Mark On The Global Stage

The year 2019 looks like it is set to be a big one for Indian mixed martial arts.

First, Puja “The Cyclone” Tomar stunned Indonesia with her win over Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol in Jakarta at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY last week, and now Kaushik has ended the winning run of Egi Rozten.

The Delhi Wushu Academy representative looked sharp with fast kicks, a nice trip takedown, and powerful ground and pound to earn a first-round knockout for his first win in ONE.

Both of these Indian stars found it difficult to adapt when they were matched against high-level competitors for their first two bouts in the world’s largest martial arts organization. However, they have learned from their experiences and came back stronger.

With Kaushik’s experience as a multi-time national wushu champion, he could prove to be an exciting and dangerous member of the strawweight division in the months to come.