Anthony Engelen's Top 3 Finishes In ONE Championship
If martial arts fans want to see a stoppage, Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen is the man to watch.
Following a victory by unanimous decision in his professional mixed martial arts debut back in January 2013, the Indonesian hero has never been to the judges’ scorecards. That is 13 bouts and six and a half years of knockouts and submissions from the 33-year-old from Jakarta.
The Bali MMA athlete has a 100-percent finishing rate in ONE Championship, and he will look to maintain that when he faces “Rock Man” Chen Lei in a 67.5-kilogram catch weight bout at ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST next Saturday, 15 June.
Engelen has knockout power with his punches and kicks, as well as a grappling game with the offensive tools to take advantage of openings on the ground. All that has led to some highlight-reel finishes in The Home Of Martial Arts, and these are the pick of the bunch.
#3 Jimmy Yabo Taps In A Hurry
“The Archangel” was just eight days removed from his last match when he stepped into the Circle at ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM, but he was still fresh and firing on all cylinders against Jimy “The Silencer” Yabo in his hometown.
The Filipino was in trouble as soon as Engelen got a hold on him, and he was on the ground within 90 seconds. From there, Yabo entered survival mode as he desperately tried to escape, but only succeeded in presenting a finishing opportunity for his rival.
As he switched to his knees, Engelen slipped his left leg over to take the back and immediately take full control. He took his time, isolated an arm, and then locked up the rear-naked choke to notch his eighth professional win with just 2:35 on the clock.
#2 Lighting Up ‘Pyro’
From the first bell, neither AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor nor Engelen seemed to have any intention of making their bout in January 2017 anything other than a striking battle.
It took the Indonesian star a few moments to figure out his Malaysian rival’s low southpaw stance, but as soon as he found a home for his right hand, he gained the confidence to walk forward and unleash his punches.
“Pyro” had no way to extinguish the attack as soon as “The Archangel” started to let loose, and his night ended when a right cross made him go stiff as a board and crash onto the canvas. It was all over after 102 seconds.
#1 One-Hit Head Kick
It was almost two years before Engelen got an opportunity to compete on the global stage for martial arts again, and when he did at ONE: HEART OF THE LION, he was only in action for 39 seconds.
Up against Cambodian Kun Khmer specialist Meas Meul, the IFC Lightweight Champion got to grips with the Cambodian’s timing quickly, and then reacted in the blink of an eye when he saw an opportunity to strike.
When Meul stepped forward and changed levels, he was met with an unstoppable “Archangel” right roundhouse kick that dropped him face-first onto the mat.
It was one of the most spectacular knockouts of 2018, and announced that Engelen was back as a force to be reckoned with in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
