The Top 5 Highlights Of ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON

ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON will go down as one of the most spectacular nights in the history of the world’s largest martial arts organization.

Two ONE World Title showdowns topped the bill, along with a slew of World Grand Prix match-ups inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, 17 May.

The heroic warriors delivered stunning finishes and non-stop action to thousands in the arena, as well as millions around the globe. Also, there were some shocking results that will resonate throughout the combat sports world for years to come.

Now, just minutes removed from this epic blockbuster, here are the top five highlights from a remarkable night in Singapore.

Lee Claims The World Championship

Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki vs. Christian “The Warrior” Lee was billed as ‘Icon vs. Phenom’ in a battle for the ONE Lightweight World Title, and it delivered.

The defending World Champion dominated in round one. He took Lee down and attacked constantly, with a wince-inducing armbar almost bringing the bout to an early conclusion.

“The Warrior” lived up to his moniker and found a way out of the tight submission attempt, and managed to make it to the end of the stanza.

Early in round two, he landed a rocket of a right hand that hurt “Tobikan Judan.” He then rallied with a combination, which crumpled Aoki into the corner of the ring.

One final right hand was enough. The referee stepped in to give Lee the victory by TKO, as well as the ONE Lightweight World Championship.

Eersel’s Pressure Breaks Holzken For Kickboxing Gold

Regian “The Immortal” Eersel won the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Championship with a career-defining performance against his countryman Nieky “The Natural” Holzken.

The Sityodtong Amsterdam athlete did not have it all his own way in a battle between two of the finest strikers in the world, but he stayed true to his promise of taking the heat to his rival with non-stop aggression.

His intensity started to take its toll on “The Natural” in round three, and in round four, it paid off when he dropped him with a massive right knee to the head.

Holzken pulled himself up from the canvas, but the momentum had swung irreversibly in “The Immortal’s” favor. He kept up his offensive until the final bell, and the judges gave him a well deserved unanimous decision victory.

Featherweight Kickboxing World GP Quarterfinals Were Epic

The ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix delivered on every ounce of expectation in the lead-up to the quarterfinals in Singapore.

Tournament favorites Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan and “The Boxing Computer” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex both had their progress halted in the opening round, courtesy of fine performances from Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy and Samy “AK47” Sana, respectively.

Petchmorakot used his knees to punish the body of Petrosyan en route to a split decision win, while Sana sent Yodsanklai to the canvas with a left hook before getting the unanimous decision nod from the judges.

Sasha Moisa gave it his all as a late replacement, but “Smokin’” Jo Nattawut built up to a third-round finish after knocking the Ukrainian down three-times in the final frame.

Dzhabar “Genghis Khan” Askerov and Enriko “The Hurricane” Kehl engaged in a fierce three-round war of attrition, which the Russian won via unanimous decision.

The semifinal bouts of Petchmorakot vs. Nattawut and Sana vs. Askerov are sure to bring even more fireworks.

Alexandre’s ‘Super’ Knockout Blow

The eagerly-awaited ONE debut of “Super” Sage Northcutt came to an abrupt end courtesy of Cosmo “Good Boy” Alexandre’s thunderous punches.

Just 29 seconds into the welterweight mixed martial arts bout, Muay Thai World Champion Alexandre landed a thudding right hand on Northcutt’s jaw, and then sealed the deal with a hard left hook.

The rising American star fell face-first to the mat, which prompted the referee to call a halt to the bout immediately for yet another shocking conclusion.

Northcutt wanted to face the best competition in Asia, and he got it in the striking veteran Alexandre. “Good Boy” could now stake a claim to contendership in the welterweight division.

“Dagi” Blasts Khan For Another First-Round KO

Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev dispatched another elite-level adversary by knockout in the first round to become the first ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix finalist.

Coming off back-to-back KO wins over Timofey Nastyukhin and Ev “E.T.” Ting, Arslanaliev looked confident from the opening bell of the contest with Amir Khan.

He showed his wrestling and ground prowess in the early running, but it was his explosive punches that brought the contest to an abrupt halt.

“Dagi” landed an overhand right, which buckled Khan’s legs. He followed up with a pair of right uppercuts in close, and then a big left hook to finish the Singaporean off.

The Turkish phenom is now only one victory away from winning the monumental tournament, which would make him the number-one contender for the ONE Lightweight World Title.