The Most Spectacular Knockouts From The Past 3 Months

The third quarter of 2018 has featured some incredible events from ONE Championship, as the world’s largest martial arts organization ventured into China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

A trio of new ONE World Champions was crowned, and warriors from dozens of martial arts disciplines offered up their talents on the global stage to create some unbelievable action.

The most dramatic of all the scenes, however, were the spectacular knockouts. Here are six of the best striking stoppages from the past three months.

#1 Petchdamn Kaiyanghadao’s First Impression

At ONE: PURSUIT OF POWER in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Petchdam Kaiyanghadao made a successful ONE Super Series debut against Australia’s Josh “Timebomb” Tonna.

The Lumpinee Stadium World Champion is renowned for the velocity with which he unleashes his left roundhouse kick, and Tonna was well aware of it.

Time after time, Petchdam swung his limb like a baseball bat, aiming at the body of his oncoming foe. As “Timebomb” tried to close the distance with punches, he had no choice but to protect the right side of his body.

The Thai relentlessly fired off thudding kicks, and when Tonna abandoned his guard to try and catch one, he sealed his own fate.

As Petchdam’s shin crashed into the Canberra native’s ribs, the Thai’s knee connected with his jaw. That immediately sent Tonna to the canvas, ending the bout less than a minute into the second frame.

#2 Jo Nattawut’s Buzzer Beater

Two-division Lion Fight World Champion “Smokin'” Jo Nattawut returned to ONE and put on a show.

Three months after his debut under kickboxing rules, he competed back under his favored Muay Thai rule set and donned 4-ounce gloves for his battle with Yohann Fairtex Drai at ONE: PURSUIT OF POWER. Everything was set up perfectly for the Thai striking sensation.

The Thailand-based Frenchman started down a slippery slope when Nattawut angled a right hand over his jab, which landed flush on the jaw. As Drai attempted to protect himself, “Smokin’” Jo continued to come over the top with his right hand.

With his adversary reeling against the cage, Nattawut unleashed a rapid salvo of hooks and overhands, which found their way through the gaps in his rival’s defense.

The non-stop volley eventually caused the Fairtex representative to crumple to the canvas with just one second remaining in the opening round.

#3 Koyomi Matsushima’s Counter KO

Koyomi Matsushima brought five knockout victories into ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES in September, but former ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov looked like he would be a tough nut to crack for his promotional debut.

However, the Japanese athlete looked comfortable and composed from the opening bell. Midway through the first round in Jakarta, Indonesia, Gafurov tried to close the distance and Matsushima was ready to pounce.

The 25-year-old deftly stepped back as the Dagestani rushed in with a kick, and as he switched to a southpaw stance, he planted a perfectly-timed right hook on “Cobra,” who had left his chin exposed.

Gafurov’s forward momentum, combined with the accuracy of the shot, sent him to the canvas, where Matsushima followed up with strikes to seal a stunning debut victory.

#4 Mustapha Haida Unleashes The “Dynamite”

Mustapha “Dynamite” Haida thrilled the fans in Shanghai, China at ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON in September with a huge knockout of Australia’s Daniel “The Rock” Dawson.

The ISKA Kickboxing World Champion from Italy sent Dawson to the canvas in the first round with a head kick, but had to wait until the third and final stanza to finish him off.

A powerful southpaw, Haida put his left hand to work when he slipped the Australian’s right cross and countered perfectly. 

With his foe retreating to the ropes, “Dynamite” stepped forward and landed a hard knee to the solar plexus, which caused Dawson’s guard to drop.

Haida followed up with a left hook and a right uppercut that grazed his opponent’s forehead, before uncorking a short left hand to the chin, which sent “The Rock’s” mouthpiece flying into the stands. Dawson hit the mat immediately, handing Haida the victory after an exciting three-round tussle.

#5 Li Kai Wen Ends An Epic Bout In Style

“The Underdog” Li Kai Wen and Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia put on a thrilling featherweight battle at ONE: PURSUIT OF POWER, which was contested at a frantic pace into the third round.

Although Urrutia had his moments, he had been on the receiving end of the biggest shots of the contest. His durability kept him in the bout, but he could only hang in there for so long.

As the Thailand-based American started to go on the offensive in the final frame, he walked into an overhand right and then a left hook from “The Underdog.”

Urrutia’s legs briefly buckled, but he still tried to return fire. However, the Chinese athlete’s power was too much and the American could not block the shots coming his way.

Li was accurate with left and right hooks, ending the bout with an unanswered flurry that sent “The Honey Badger” to the canvas.

#6 Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev’s First-Round Stunner

A lightweight encounter between Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev and Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES pitted two men against each other with a proven ability to score quick-fire finishes.

Nastyukhin was a step up in competition for Arslanaliev, and many gave the Russian knockout artist a striking edge, though the explosive Turk was thought to have the advantage in the grappling department.

However, “Dagi” showed his full range of mixed martial arts skills with fewer than two minutes gone in the first round.

Arslanaliev pressed Nastyukhin to the fence for a takedown attempt, tripped him to the mat, and as his opponent started to stand by posting on his hand, the Turk unleashed a melee of punches. 

The Russian was unable to block the volley of strikes that came in his direction, and “Dagi” kept throwing hard shots until the referee stopped the contest and awarded him with the TKO win.