Top 4 Submissions From The Stars Of ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST

ONE Championship will return to Shanghai, China for ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST with a stunning card topped by a battle of World Champion strikers.

The ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship will be on the line when Stamp Fairtex faces Alma Juniku in a ONE Super Series main event on Saturday, 15 June, but the bill is also stacked with top-class mixed martial artists.

Some of the athletes involved are among the promotion’s most clinical submission stylists, and they will aim to show their ground games can bring just as much excitement as the stand-up specialists.

If they can replicate these four finishes, then fans will be in for a treat at the Baoshan Arena. 

#1 Thani Turns On The Style In KL

Agilan “Alligator” Thani capped off his dominant performance over Amitesh Chaubey at ONE: VISIONS OF VICTORY with a superb second-round submission that was set up with a sensational slam.

In front of an excited home crowd in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Thani dumped his rival with a high-crotch takedown, and landed straight into side control.

He isolated Chaubey’s right wrist immediately and locked up a figure-four grip to attack for an Americana shoulder lock. With the SFL Welterweight Champion’s left arm trapped between “Alligator’s” legs, he had no way to escape. Thani cranked the submission and got the tap.

The Monarchy MMA representative will welcome Japanese martial arts legend Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama to The Home Of Martial Arts in Shanghai.

#2 De Ridder’s Debut D’Arce

Reinier De Ridder’s debut performance in the world’s largest martial arts organization marked him out as a key player in the middleweight division.

The Dutchman took “King Kong Warrior” Fan Rong to the mat with a single leg takedown in the opening seconds of their bout at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT, and quickly passed his guard into side control.

The 28-year-old first looked for a kimura, but when his opponent pulled his arm free, he set the trap for a D’Arce choke, and his Chinese rival took the bait. De Ridder placed his right arm in an overhook position to allow Fan to work to his knees, but he moved straight into the choke set-up.

De Ridder slid his arm all the way through to the right side of his rival’s neck and locked his grip up on his own bicep. The Combat Brothers representative then fell to his right side to force his chest against “King Kong Warrior’s” head, and then walked his hips forward to apply bout-ending pressure and choke his opponent unconscious.

The grappling specialist’s ground skills will face an even bigger challenger in the shape of the experienced Gilberto “Giba” Galvao on 15 June.

#3 Chen’s Armbar Seals A Late Win

“Rock Man” Chen Lei battled hard for three rounds against Saiful “The Vampire” Merican at ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS and finally secured a submission at 3:58 of the final stanza.

The Chinese athlete’s wrestling overwhelmed his rival throughout the battle, but the durable Malaysian worked out of some tough spots. “Rock Man’s” relentless ground offensive did not let up, however, and he clubbed away with punches from the mount at the tail-end of the third round.

“The Vampire” tried to push his opponent off, but Chen trapped his right arm, and then switched his angle to throw his left leg over Merican’s head to attack for an armbar.

“Rock Man” used his bodyweight to fall back and break a final, desperate attempt to defend and forced the tap from his opponent.

#4 Engelen Chokes Out Yabo In The First

Anthony “The Archangel” Engelen returned to ONE Championship with a bang last year.

After a lightning-fast knockout in his first match back on the global stage for martial arts, the Indonesian returned just two weeks later to secure a quick submission against Jimmy “The Silencer” Yabo at ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM.

Engelen took his foe down early in the contest and worked from half-guard, but he struggled to pass and looked for a reverse sit to open up a new avenue of offense.

Yabo used that moment to try and explode out of danger, but “The Archangel” was wise to his plan. He allowed him to turn, and took his back seamlessly. From there, the finish was a formality as he forced Yabo toward his left side and locked in a tight rear-naked choke.

Engelen will face Chen in a 67.5-kilogram catch weight battle at ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST.