Chatri Sityodtong Hands Out 4 Performance Bonuses At ONE 160: Ok Vs. Lee II
The stars of ONE Championship gave it their all at ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II this past Friday, August 26, but ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong awarded four $US50,000 performance bonuses to a handful of athletes who stood out.
Those athletes include new ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian Lee, top-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Saemapetch Fairtex, Croatian heavyweight Martin Batur, and Norwegian grappler Tommy Langaker.
After the controversial ending to his first fight with Ok Rae Yoon last year, Lee got the redemption he was looking for.
The Singaporean-American dominated OK to earn a second-round TKO and win back the ONE Lightweight World Title. That victory also got him a well-deserved performance bonus.
Saemapetch was given a performance bonus for his statement-making win.
The Fairtex representative avenged his previous loss to #2-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Rittewada Petchyindee by knocking him out with an overhand left in the second round of their rematch.
Batur earned a $US50,000 check for his stunning first-round victory.
The Croatian heavyweight was dropped early by British colossus Paul Elliott, but he weathered the storm, hit a takedown, and put his foe away with devastating ground-and-pound.
Langaker received the first performance bonus of the night due to his grit, his warrior spirit, and his constant hunt for the finish.
The Norwegian engaged with Renato Canuto in a competitive lightweight submission grappling match, and for the last several minutes, he searched for submissions like the rear-naked choke and arm-triangle.
He may not have gotten the finish, but Langaker got the win and a cool 50K for his efforts.