5 Spectacular Finishes From The Stars Of ‘ONE On TNT IV’
Even a cursory glance at the “ONE on TNT IV” card is enough for fans to know that sensational stoppages are almost guaranteed.
The U.S. prime-time event airing live this coming Wednesday, 28 April, features knockout artists, submission specialists, and everything in between.
Here, get a taste of the action to come by checking out five of the most unforgettable stoppage victories from the warriors who are scheduled to compete.
#1 Aung La N Sang Ends Legendary Battle By KO
Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang and Ken Hasegawa went back-and-forth in the greatest bout in ONE Championship history at ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR in June 2018.
The incredible five-round battle for the ONE Middleweight World Title saw the athletes go toe-to-toe in front of the Myanmar hero’s home crowd, and their cheers pushed him to victory in the final frame.
The pace and intensity had clearly taken their toll on both men, but Hasegawa looked more fatigued than his foe. Still, he continued to press forward with no intention of quitting.
Aung La N Sang took advantage of his tiring challenger and found a gap for a short right hand as Hasegawa stepped in. Two tight uppercuts then rattled the Japanese athlete’s jaw and sent him reeling backward.
Hasegawa tried to hold on, but as he reached out to try and take hold of “The Burmese Python,” a final uppercut sent him to the canvas to seal the deal.
Though Aung La N Sang doesn’t hold the middleweight gold anymore, he is still the ONE Light Heavyweight World Champion, and he’ll defend that belt in the main event of “ONE on TNT IV.”
#2 Alvarez Overcomes Early Scare To Submit Folayang
Eduard “Landslide” Folayang came out firing against Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez in their lightweight tilt at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES in August 2019.
The Filipino smashed his foe with a hard low kick that took him off his feet, and “The Underground King” looked hurt as Folayang clubbed away with hard punches.
However, Alvarez’s famous durability came into play, and he turned the match on its head when he swept “Landslide” over and took top position.
From there, the North American superstar swiftly jumped onto Folayang’s back and sank in a rear-naked choke in the blink of an eye to score the come-from-behind victory.
After a disappointing disqualification loss at “ONE on TNT I,” Alvarez will look to resume his ONE Lightweight World Title charge against South Korean slugger Ok Rae Yoon.
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#3 Folayang Dethrones Legendary World Champ
In November 2016, Folayang became an Asian mixed martial arts icon when he knocked out long-reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki and handed him his first loss on the global stage.
Aoki was relentless with his grappling attack in the opening two stanzas, frequently putting the Filipino on the canvas and looking to finish him with one of his savvy submissions.
But the tide changed dramatically just seconds into the third frame.
As Aoki shot for a takedown, Folayang perfectly timed his flying knee and rattled the Japanese star. It was clear “Tobikan Judan” was hurt, as he instinctively crawled forward in search of the takedown.
The Filipino, however, shrugged that off, connected with a knee to the head, and put his rival against the Circle Wall. “Landslide” then hammered away with heavy rights, and when Aoki tried standing up, another knee crumpled him. Folayang stood over his turtled-up rival and continued to throw right hands until the referee called an end to the action.
“Landslide” won the ONE Lightweight World Title that night, but the Japanese legend would take it back in a March 2019 rematch. On Wednesday night, they will settle their feud in a trilogy bout.
#4 Aoki’s Painful Submission Breaks Record
Aoki welcomed James Nakashima to the lightweight division at ONE: UNBREAKABLE this past January and quickly scuppered the American’s plans with a first-round victory.
The Japanese legend timed his southpaw rival’s jab-cross combo and forced his way into the clinch. Pushing the American to the Circle Wall, “Tobikan Judan” then deftly shrugged his way out to the wrestler’s back.
Nakashima defended well initially as Aoki tried to slide in a rear-naked choke, but when the Tokyo native locked up his body triangle and freed his right arm, the end was near.
The MMA Lab representative tried to keep out of the choke by tucking his chin. Undeterred, “Tobikan Judan” thrust his right forearm straight across his rival’s face and locked onto his own bicep. From there, he squeezed and manipulated the American’s neck until a tap was his only option.
Now ONE’s all-time leading submission finisher, Aoki will face Folayang in a trilogy match after splitting the first two meetings.
#5 ‘Reug Reug’ Powers Past Ngalani
“Reug Reug” Oumar Kane’s eagerly anticipated promotional debut came against seasoned heavyweight veteran Alain “The Panther” Ngalani at ONE: UNBREAKABLE II in January.
The Senegalese wrestling sensation showed respect for “The Panther’s” striking repertoire at the start of the match as he waited for the right time to attack.
When he saw the opportunity, “Reug Reug” charged at the Cameroon-born goliath, pushed him to the Circle Wall, and drove him down to the canvas.
Ngalani was eager to escape from underneath the hulking Kane and used his underhook in an attempt to regain his footing, but those efforts were thwarted by the Dakar native.
“Reug Reug” kept his foe grounded, maintained his top pressure, and let rip with a barrage of right hands to earn the first-round TKO victory.
On Wednesday, Kane will jump back into the Circle and look for his third straight finish against unbeaten promotional newcomer Kirill Grishenko.
Read more: How To Watch ‘ONE On TNT IV’
