The Top 5 Knockouts Of 2024 In ONE Championship
In 2024, ONE superstars racked up no shortage of scintillating knockouts.
From stunning one-hitter quitters in massive World Title fights to jaw-crushing finishes that will live on highlight reels for years to come, the planet’s best fighters showcased their incredible power and unmatched technique over the past 12 months.
These are five unforgettable knockouts that went down in the world’s largest martial arts organization this past year.
#1 Superlek Starches Haggerty
In September, in the main event of ONE’s blockbuster return to American soil, then-reigning two-sport kingpin Jonathan “The General” Haggerty put his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title on the line against flyweight kickboxing titleholder “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9.
It was a matchup that pitted two of the top pound-for-pound strikers on the planet today.
After weeks of rising tension and intense build-up, fans at Ball Arena in Denver were buckled in for an all-out war. But what they received was an epic first-round knockout that established a new two-sport, two-division ONE World Champion.
In the end, Superlek needed just 49 seconds to land a perfectly timed elbow strike on a charging Haggerty, delivering one of the most dramatic finishes – at one of the year’s biggest shows – that fight fans have seen in years.
#2 Superbon Smokes Nattawut
After Superbon captured the ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Title from Marat Grigorian in April, five months later he crossed back over to Muay Thai to face dangerous compatriot Jo Nattawut at ONE Friday Fights 81.
Leading up to the fight, many fans felt the two ultra-experienced strikers would fight neck-and-neck to the final bell. But what occurred was quite the opposite.
In the first round, Superbon caught Nattawut with an elbow just as the latter was coming off the ropes. Nattawut went down so quickly it appeared as if he didn’t know how he got to the canvas.
Nattawut tried to regain his bearings, but he couldn’t answer the referee’s eight-count, forcing a stop to the action.
The spectacular finish solidified Superbon’s spot in a rematch with Tawanchai PK Saenchai for the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title at the upcoming ONE 170 in January.
#3 Tang Closes The Show In Rematch With Le
After a nearly two-year layoff, ONE Featherweight MMA World Champion Tang Kai returned in March at ONE 166 to battle interim titleholder Thanh Le in a World Title unification match – and he turned in perhaps the finest finish of his career.
While the pair got off to a relatively slow start through the bout’s opening few minutes, the Chinese striker seemed to find his groove in the third round, pressuring Le with crispy boxing and clean counter-striking.
Late in the frame, Tang lunged forward with a massive right hand that landed directly on the Vietnamese-American’s jaw to put him on the mat. From there, the World Champion poured on several vicious ground strikes before the referee called a merciful end to the contest.
For Tang, the finish solidified him as the undisputed king of the featherweight MMA division and marked his 15th career knockout.
#4 Pirnie Flatlines Yu In ONE Debut
In August at ONE Fight Night 24, decorated Scottish star Amy Pirnie made her much-anticipated debut in ONE Championship against the hard-hitting Yu Yau Pui – a woman who had looked nothing short of dominant through six consecutive victories in the organization.
That night, however, Yu’s hype train came to an abrupt and violent halt.
As the Hong Kong striker stepped forward into the pocket, Pirnie intercepted her with a gorgeous, jaw-shattering left hook that sent Yu crashing to the canvas.
In less than one minute of action, the highly touted atomweight Muay Thai striker announced her presence in ONE in true highlight-reel fashion.
#5 Abdullaev Decimates Previously Undefeated Amir
Akbar Abdullaev has been on the fast track to greatness since joining ONE in 2023, but in May of this year he solidified his spot as the next ONE Featherweight MMA World Title challenger when he finished the previously unbeaten Halil Amir.
At ONE Fight Night 22, Abdullaev and Amir went toe-to-toe for the better part of nearly two rounds. But as Amir was backing away from one of the exchanges, Abdullaev lunged in with a left hook, sending his opponent crashing to the canvas.
The Kyrgyzstan crusher pounced with one more right hand for good measure, and referee Herb Dean fought his way into the melee to wave off the contest.
Next up, the undefeated 11-0 Abdullaev will shoot his shot at Tang in the main event of ONE Fight Night 27 in January for the latter’s 26 pounds of gold.
