The Top Highlights From ONE: BIG BANG
ONE: BIG BANG delivered as expected on Friday, 4 December, in the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The event lived up to its billing with three exceptional knockout finishes that showcased the skill and power of the kickboxers and mixed martial artists on the card. Meanwhile, rising contenders staked their claim to World Title shots and debutants impressed the global fan base.
After so many big performances, who stood out above the rest? We’ve reviewed the tape and picked out the top three highlights from ONE: BIG BANG.
#1 Grigorian’s Beautiful Body Shot
The highly anticipated debut of Marat Grigorian did not disappoint, as the kickboxing superstar finished Ivan Kondratev in the second round with a gorgeous liver shot.
Kondratev started strong with clean bodywork and even dropped the pound-for-pound great with a right hook on the chin in the first round.
Oozing with confidence, the Vityaz Fight Team representative picked up where he left off with punches to the body in the second stanza. Yet Grigorian’s aggression would soon show itself, as he knew he needed to turn up the pace after absorbing many strikes from the Russian.
The Hemmers Gym star backed his opponent to the Circle Wall and landed a nice left jab followed by a short left uppercut. As Kondratev tried to defend the incoming strikes, the Armenian changed his target and put a left hook right on the liver.
Kondratev dropped to the canvas, and as the referee counted, he soon realized he would not recover before the ten-count was completed. Despite the excellent showing, the underdog was finished.
The impressive debut showed both the grit and the greatness of Grigorian. The win also potentially sets up a dream matchup against Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan for the vacant ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Championship.
- Murat Aygun Earns Hard-Fought Decision Over Anderson Silva
- Andy Souwer Puts On Striking Masterclass Against Zhang Chunyu
- Jihin Radzuan Stings Bi Nguyen, Takes Unanimous Decision
#2 “Little Giant” Scores Thunderous Head Kick KO
Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane kept his professional record clean as a whistle with a stunning 37-second knockout to put himself firmly in the strawweight title picture.
In the opening round, “Little Giant” scored with a beautiful left knee to the midsection of Rene “The Challenger” Catalan. As Catalan missed grabbing Masunyane’s leg, he tried to exit from close quarters – but the undefeated South African found the perfect response.
Masunyane launched a left high kick with just a small opening as Catalan’s chin was exposed. The strike was accurate and landed flush, putting Catalan – who never saw it coming – flat on the canvas.
After breezing past the #3-ranked contender in the division, Masunyane immediately called for a meeting with ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.
#3 Phogat Imposes Her Will
Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat kept rolling against Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres with a first-round stoppage in Singapore.
The undefeated wrestling sensation showed her developing striking arsenal early in the opening round, but after Torres began responding, Phogat took the contest to the floor.
Torres initially defended well, but the Indian star’s top pressure was simply too much. Phogat moved to side control and muscled the Filipina’s arm to the canvas, where “The Indian Tigress” trapped it beneath her leg. After multiple unanswered elbows, the referee slid in to stop the bout.
With her latest dominant showcase, Phogat positioned herself for a breakout 2021 in the atomweight division.
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