Feb 15, 2022

5 Epic Knockouts From The Stars Competing At ONE: FULL CIRCLE

Kyrgyzstan MMA star Kiamrian Abbasov fights American athlete James Nakashima at ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX II in Singapore

With three World Title showdowns, ONE: FULL CIRCLE is bursting at the seams with elite strikers who can finish bouts with their punches, kicks, knees, and elbows.

Fans will have to stay glued to every second of the action next Friday, 25 February, because dramatic endings could happen at any moment.

To get you hyped for a wild fight night, let’s relive five sensational knockouts from the superstars competing at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

#1 De Ridder’s Grounded Knees Finish Galvao

Reinier “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder is most known for his potent submission repertoire, but he showed that his strikes can be plenty punishing when he met Gilberto “Giba” Galvao at ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST in June 2019.

The reigning ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion dominated the first frame and then used that momentum to finish matters early in round two.

He closed the distance on the Brazilian, tripped him to the mat, and then quickly bypassed his legs. Galvao turned to turtle, but “The Dutch Knight” slipped his right arm underneath the armpit, wrapping up a head-and-arm control.

Possibly fearing a D’arce choke, “Giba” didn’t anticipate De Ridder’s strikes – and the Dutchman promptly drilled his foe with a hard left knee to the dome.

Another one followed as Galvao tried to post up, and then a final blow to the temple left the Brazilian face-first on the canvas for an emphatic second-round TKO.

At ONE: FULL CIRCLE, De Ridder will defend his middleweight gold against the next man on our list.

#2 Abbasov Retains Title With Late KO Of Nakashima

In the first defense of his ONE Welterweight World Title, Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov left no doubt about his dominance over the division with a stunning fourth-round victory against James Nakashima at ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX II in November 2020.

The pair battled for 15 grueling minutes, and both men still had the chance to win heading into the championship rounds.

In the fourth frame, Abbasov fended off the wrestler’s takedown attempts and then caught on to his timing. As Nakashima dove in for another double-leg, the reigning king threw a perfectly timed right knee that crunched into the American’s jaw.

Nakashima showed courage and tried to battle on, but “Brazen” did not give his foe any respite.

He followed the MMA Lab athlete around the Circle with a flurry of punches and kicks, and when the challenger tried to cling on to stem the flow, he got shrugged off. Abbasov then whacked Nakashima with another knee and a final right hand that forced the referee to intervene.

Next, the welterweight kingpin will move up a division to challenge De Ridder for the middleweight gold.

#3 Kryklia Decimates Khbabez In ONE Debut

Roman Kryklia‘s most destructive ONE Super Series performance came in his debut against Tarik “The Tank” Khbabez at ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS in November 2019.

With the inaugural ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Title on the line, it was “The Tank” who struck first with heavy shots, but Kryklia was never fazed by the Dutch-Moroccan’s heavy punches.

Coming into round two, he was still fresh – and even more confident after surviving some of his rival’s best strikes.

In that second frame, Kryklia hammered Khbabez with a right hand and right head kick, before sending him to the mat with a pair of heavy lefts.

The resilient SB Gym man got back to his feet, but there was no chance to collect his thoughts. The Ukrainian charged at him with knees and punches until the referee administered a standing eight-count.

“The Tank” still wouldn’t quit, but Kryklia knew the end was near. He waded in with a final flurry of punches to earn the stoppage win.

The Gridin Gym representative still rules the light heavyweight kickboxing division, and he’s ready to defend the belt against Murat “The Butcher” Aygun following several postponements of their scheduled matchup.

#4 Petchmorakot Bludgeons Harrison With Hard Elbow

After fighting off a spirited first round from heavy-hitting Brit Liam “Hitman” Harrison, Petchmorakot Petchyindee scored one of his most memorable knockouts at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS in December 2018.

The ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion backed up his shorter rival with a jab-cross combination, which was followed by a left high kick. This prompted “Hitman” to fire back with a three-punch combination, but it wasn’t enough to back Petchmorakot up.

The Thai star stayed in close and stuck a jab in Harrison’s face, before expertly using the same hand to pull the Bad Company athlete’s right arm down, leaving him wide open.

Now with a clear route to his rival’s temple, the southpaw stepped in with a lethal left elbow that hit the target and dropped Harrison to the canvas. “Hitman” tried to regain his footing, but the referee waved off the match to register a huge win for the Petchyindee Academy standout.

#5 Yusupov Stuns A Legend

At ONE: FULL Circle, Petchmorakot will defend his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title against an opponent who hits just as hard – Jamal “Kherow” Yusupov.

The Russian slugger showcased his firepower in his promotional debut, taking out legendary striker “The Boxing Computer” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex at ONE: AGE OF DRAGONS in November 2019.

Yodsanklai looked sharp in the opening frame, and many expected him to cruise to victory against an opponent with much less high-level experience. However, “Kherow” wasn’t there to play a part in that narrative.

He stung the veteran in the opening exchange of the second round, hurting him with a straight left and then dropping him with another when the Thai attempted to fire back.

“The Boxing Computer” regained his feet after an eight-count and tried to immediately start firing away, but it was a mistake. Yusupov continued to throw his punishing left hand behind his jab, and the strike kept hitting the mark.

A final left jammed into Yodsanklai’s jaw and caused him to buckle to the canvas again, signaling the end of the match – and a breakout victory for Yusupov.