5 Spectacular KOs From The Stars Competing At ONE: FISTS OF FURY
Some of the greatest strikers in the world are ready to unleash their arsenals at ONE: FISTS OF FURY on Friday, 26 February.
With five ONE Super Series contests on the bill at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, it will be a feast of kickboxing and Muay Thai action for martial arts fans — stand-up aficionados especially.
The athletes on this blockbuster card have already proven their ability to score highlight-reel knockouts. Before they enter the Circle in Singapore, let’s relive five of their best stoppage wins on the global stage.
#1 Ennahachi Overwhelms Petchdam To Win World Title
ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Ilias Ennahachi burst onto the scene with a spectacular knockout of then-titleholder Petchdam “The Baby Shark” Petchyindee Academy at ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD in August 2019.
The pair went back and forth in the early stages, but in a sign of things to come, the Dutch-Moroccan striker stunned Petchdam with a solid left hook in the second round.
Ennahachi then raced out of the blocks in the third, and at the back end of a furious exchange, he scored with another crunching left hand to the jaw that buckled his rival’s knees. The SB Gym man did not let up, as he fired off a barrage of punches until “The Baby Shark” fell to the mat.
The ensuing count was not long enough for the defending World Champion to recover. As soon as the bout restarted, Ennahachi launched a salvo of full-power hooks and uppercuts in his rival’s direction, with a final body-head combination felling Petchdam for a second — and final — time.
“The Baby Shark” had entered this matchup with the World Title gold and a reputation as a powerful KO artist. By the time the fight ended, Ennahachi was left with both of those accolades.
Next, the Dutch-Moroccan star will defend his crown for the second time against another Muay Thai World Champion in “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 at ONE: FISTS OF FURY.
#2 ‘The Doctor’s’ Surgical Strike
Fans are used to seeing Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan methodically dismantle his opponents, but his laser-sighted left hand has never looked as destructive as when he stopped the teak-tough “Smokin” Jo Nattawut at ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD.
In a rematch of their ONE: HEROES OF HONOR encounter, which “The Doctor” won by decision, Petrosyan went one better and knocked Nattawut out in the opening frame.
It was classic stuff from the Armenian-Italian, as he made his textbook jab-cross combo work – with spectacular results.
Petrosyan gauged the distance with his lead hand, and Nattawut responded with a parry. However, that left a channel open for “The Doctor” to exploit. With a simple half-step adjustment to get closer to his foe, Petrosyan uncorked a thudding left hand that landed cleanly and sent “Smokin Jo” down.
Nattawut could not make the count, and Petrosyan moved on to the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final, where he would emerge victorious to claim the silver belt.
His next test is another rematch – this time against debuting Georgian star Davit Kiria.
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#3 Rodtang Batters Haggerty’s Body
A razor-close decision separated Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon and Jonathan “The General” Haggerty in their first encounter at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES in August 2019.
Their second fight was not quite so balanced, as the aggressive Thai star retained his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship with a third-round TKO over the Englishman at ONE: A NEW TOMORROW in January 2020.
Rodtang had clearly stated his plan to attack Haggerty’s body en route to victory, and he made good on that promise when he sent his rival down with a left hook to the liver in the opening frame.
“The General” battled on and looked to have recovered in round two, but Rodtang turned up the heat in the third. He pushed Haggerty into the corner of the ring and battered his midsection with hooks and straights until the Brit fell to the mat.
Haggerty got up tried to fire back, but Rodtang walked through his strikes and dropped him again with looping punches. “The General” found his feet yet again – but not for long. “The Iron Man” launched a final salvo, which he punctuated with a left hook to the body that folded his man and automatically ended the match due to three knockdowns in the round.
Now, Alejandro “El Puma” Rivas is the man tasked with stopping Rodtang’s marauding run through ONE Super Series in “The Lion City.”
#4 Zhang Finishes Hardcastle With Spectacular Uppercut
“Muay Thai Boy” Zhang Chenglong showcased his stunning power with a first-round knockout of Tyler Hardcastle at ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST in June 2019.
The former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title challenger surprised his Aussie rival with a lunging corkscrew punch from the southpaw stance. Zhang covered a massive distance with his feet to help him find a home for the shot, and it paid off.
The strike pierced Hardcastle’s guard and connected flush on the chin. “Muay Thai Boy” sent a straight immediately behind his uppercut, but his foe was already on the deck and out for the count.
Zhang will now square off against Hiroki Akimoto in a rematch of their closely contested battle at ONE: REIGN OF DYNASTIES II in October 2020.
#5 Wondergirl’s Decisive Debut
Wondergirl Fairtex only needed 81 seconds to make an incredible first impression in ONE Super Series. She knocked out Brooke Farrell in the opening round of their Muay Thai battle at ONE: NO SURRENDER III in August 2020.
The Thai sensation used her straight punches to great effect as Farrell tried to chop away with low kicks. Wondergirl backed the Australian up and snapped her head back with a right hand, before crumpling her with another hook-cross.
Farrell bravely returned to her feet, but Wondergirl walked her down with a high kick and a series of quickfire straights. A hard right deposited the Power House Phuket representative back on the deck, and this time, there was no getting up.
Wondergirl now aims to keep her impressive KO streak going when she welcomes debuting American Jackie Buntan to the Circle on 26 February.
Read more: Breaking Down The ONE Flyweight Kickboxing Division
