The Top 4 Mixed Martial Arts Performances Of Q2 2019

The second quarter of 2019 was a goldmine for mixed martial arts excellence in ONE Championship, but a few performances stood out above the rest.

Even among the World Title wins, the toe-to-toe wars, and the nip-tuck battles, some of The Home Of Martial Arts’ athletes delivered by putting in near-perfect displays.

Some of the most memorable moments came when the most talented athletes on the global stage showed their skill in every area of the game, and dismantled their rivals while barely getting scratched.

These are the best mixed martial arts performances for April, May, and June.

Abbasov Spoils Okami’s Debut

There was a lot of pressure on Kiamrian Abbasov ahead of ONE: FOR HONOR.

The Kyrgyz athlete thought he deserved a World Title shot after his domination of Agilan “Alligator” Thani in December. However, instead of a match with Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam, he met Yushin “Thunder” Okami – possibly the strongest, most experienced welterweight in The Home Of Martial Arts.

To defeat the Japanese icon, the 25-year-old needed to formulate a flawless game plan and execute it perfectly – and he did.

Abbasov looked dangerous on his feet, and when Okami got the match to the floor and took mount, the Novorosfight representative recovered guard immediately and stayed safe.

As soon as he was back on his feet at the start of round two, he knocked “Thunder” down with a hard right hand and finished the job with ground and pound seconds later.

Abbasov believes he has an even stronger case to challenge for the gold now, and it is hard to argue with him.

Sato’s Sublime Debut

Few mixed martial artists have looked as accomplished on their ONE debuts as Shoko Sato did at  ONE: WARRIORS OF LIGHT.

The Japanese bantamweight arrived with a ton of experience from more than 50 bouts, and it was obvious that he was comfortable in his new surroundings by the way he glided around the Circle against Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo.

The 31-year-old looked slick and skillful as he slipped out of the way of his rival’s strikes and returned fire with sharp punches and kicks.

When he saw a window of opportunity, he was clinical as he put the New Zealander on his back and finished him with a few carefully-placed and powerful punches in the second round.

By taking out a tough competitor, the Sakaguchi Dojo and Fight Base Toritsudai representative became an instant contender in his talent-stacked weight class.

Miao’s Breakthrough Bout

No one has ever dominated former ONE Strawweight World Champion “Kru Rong” Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke like Miao Li Tao did at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON.

The rising star from China came in as an underdog in the Thai’s hometown of Singapore after 18 months out of action, and admitted that he felt nervous when he walked to the ring.

When the opening bell rang, however, there was no sign of anxiety from the 26-year-old from Beijing as he put “Kru Rong” on the mat and unleashed a torrent of offense.

The multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion was clearly shaken by the damage he had absorbed, and when they were on their feet again, he could not contain Miao’s stand-up assault.

Dejdamrong had no answer for the Shaolin martial artist’s power punching, and he hit a spectacular knockout that put his opponent out cold, and marked him as a man to watch in the strawweight class.

“Dagi’s” Total Domination

Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev is going to be a tough man to beat in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix if he continues this kind of form.

The 24-year-old from Turkey did exactly what he wanted to Amir Khan at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON, and maintained his 100-percent finishing ratio with another incredible KO.

He picked the Singaporean up, slammed him onto the mat, and handled him on the canvas. When Khan got up, he was airborne again within seconds and back to being overwhelmed.

When the Evolve representative escaped again, “Dagi” let him stay on his feet, but then charged forward and ended the match with hooks and a pair of uppercuts to move onto the tournament final.

Another former ONE Lightweight World Title challenger dispatched by Arslanaliev, and another opponent who barely laid a glove on him. On current form, he may be the most dangerous man in the sport.