The 6 Most Spectacular Knockouts From 2019's First Quarter

ONE Championship’s live events have given knockout lovers an abundance of jaw-dropping finishes so far in 2019.

There were 26 finishes via strikes in the first three months alone, as the organization’s mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and kickboxing athletes unleashed their best weapons in the Circle.

Here, in no particular order, are the six best efforts from the year’s first quarter.

#1 Niu’s Head-Kick Quitter 

Niu Kang Kang announced his arrival into the world’s largest martial arts organization with a stunning knockout victory over “The Terminator” Sunoto at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY.

Niu struck gold with the first meaningful attack of the contest. He faked a straight left to get a reaction, and as Sunoto dropped his right hand to parry, he unleashed a sharp left high kick that landed straight on the jaw.

That was all the Dragon Warrior Gym representative needed to make a definitive statement in his debut outing as the Indonesian crashed to the canvas and the referee rushed in to save him.

#2 “Dagi’s” 25-Second Stunner

Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev only needed 25 seconds to finish Ev “E.T.” Ting in Singapore and punch his ticket to the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix semi-finals.

“Dagi” gauged his distance with an inside low kick, which made Ting step back, and when he closed back in, he was met by a stiff left hook from the Turkish phenom.

The punch dropped “E.T.” to his knees, and Arslanaliev quickly finished the job with a series of right hands.

#3 Tang’s Mighty Head Kick 

Another Chinese striker impressed with a fine finish in his promotional debut at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT, as Tang Kai dispatched Sung Jong Lee with a left high kick in their featherweight contest.

Tang set his stall out by landing hard kicks to the body and legs of his rival, but Lee kept pressing forward, and in the second round, he walked into the perfect range to eat a finishing shot. 

When the Chinese athlete threw a lightning-fast left high kick, Lee anticipated a blow to the body. Although he kept his right hand high, he leaned toward the strike and absorbed a direct hit. After a brief wobble, Lee slumped to the mat, and the match was over.

#4 Petchdam Unleashes His Boxing

Petchdam Petchyindee Academy picked up his third straight ONE Super Series knockout when he faced Masahide “Crazy Rabbit” Kudo at ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS, but this one was a little different than usual.

Petchdam made headlines with his two left-kick knockouts in 2018 – and he battered his opponent’s legs and body with his trademark weapon in this contest – but his heavy hands brought him to victory this time.

The Thai began the second round aggressively and forced his rival into the corner of the ring with hard kicks before he stepped forward with a blistering jab and cross. The jab did not land, but it set up the stunning southpaw straight left that pierced through Kudo’s guard and finished the encounter in a flash.

#5 Aung La N Sang’s Thunderous Right Hand 

Following their epic bout of the year at ONE: SPIRIT OF A WARRIOR, fans could not wait for the ONE Middleweight World Title rematch between Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang and Ken Hasegawa at ONE: A NEW ERA.

However, neither man wanted the second contest to go that far, and it was the Myanmar hero that put a stop to proceedings in the second frame. When Hasegawa charged forward to aim a strike at the defending World Champion, “The Burmese Python” anticipated it, and let rip with a thunderous right hand.

That blow sat his Japanese rival down, and though he did his best to resist, the strikes that followed sealed the deal for Aung La N Sang.

#6 Nastyukhin‘s Blitz Shocks The World

Timofey Nastyukhin was fearless in the biggest bout of his career against Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez at ONE: A NEW ERA, and his courage paid off with a remarkable TKO victory.

Undeterred by the American’s reputation, Nastyukhin went on the offensive and found a home for his hard right cross and left hook early in the contest. As the bout approached the final minute of the first round, the Russian countered Alvarez’s straight shots with a hook, cross, hook combination that sent him reeling backward.

That was all the invitation Nastyukhin needed to pounce. He chased his opponent down with a hard right hand, and then he opened up the taps and dropped “The Underground King” against the fence with a relentless salvo to pick up a career-defining victory in Tokyo.