Top 5 Highlights From ONE: A NEW TOMORROW

ONE Championship kicked off its 2020 calendar of events with a bang.

This past Friday, 10 January, the world’s largest martial arts organization brought ONE: A NEW TOMORROW to the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, and it certainly set the bar high.

There were a couple of extraordinary submissions, plenty of dazzling knockouts, and several back-and-forth matches littered all throughout the show.

As the dust settles on a remarkable night from the Thai capital, take a look at five of the best moments from ONE: A NEW TOMORROW.

#1 Rodtang Is The True Flyweight King

ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon and Jonathan “The General” Haggerty ran back their 2019 classic for all the marbles. This time, however, Rodtang made sure the contest did not go to the judges’ scorecards.

The 22-year-old Thai set the tone early by attacking the body of Haggerty. It was a game plan that worked to perfection, and it ultimately paid off in the third round.

Rodtang backed Haggerty against the ropes, where he unleashed a rapid-fire assortment of left and right hooks to the body for the first knockdown of the stanza. Moments later, he followed that up with another flurry of punches to get a second knockdown.

“The General” was just trying to survive, but the local hero would not allow it. Rodtang threw the left hook at his opponent’s body once again and scored the bout-ending third knockdown. It was a gorgeous hook that slipped under the arm and landed right into Haggerty’s breadbasket to sap the Brit of his remaining energy.

This TKO victory kept Rodtang’s perfect ONE Super Series record intact and proved why he is the best flyweight in the world.

#2 Le Gets His Third Consecutive KO In ONE

In three ONE Championship bouts, Thanh Le has secured three outstanding knockout victories – and his latest highlight-reel finish has him knocking on the door of a ONE Featherweight World Title shot.

The bout tipped in Le’s favor when Ryogo “Kaitai” Takahashi lost his footing in the opening stanza. The 34-year-old Vietnamese-American took the opportunity to fire a laser straight-right hand at his rival’s jaw, which dropped him to the canvas.

Le went for the finish with a flurry of punches, but the dazed Japanese star was determined to get back up. Although Takahashi valiantly returned to his feet, the Vietnamese-American clinched up with him and scored a big knee to the body.

After dropping “Kaitai” with a powerful left hook to the chin, Le delivered a few final ground punches to put him away for good.

#3 Harrison Drops “Jordan Boy” Three Times

Just days ago, Liam “Hitman” Harrison told ONEFC.com he planned to get a highlight-reel knockout, and that is precisely what he accomplished when he met Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud in the ring.

The finishing sequence began with a beautiful left hook, which dropped the Malaysian star against the ropes. Surprisingly, Mohammed answered the count, but the damage was already done.

Harrison achieved a second knockdown quickly with a pair of crushing elbows, and it looked like it would be the end. “Jordan Boy” got back up, but he did not stay on his feet for long.

Seconds later, the 34-year-old Brit attacked the stunned Malaysian with more punches against the ropes, causing the referee to step in and stop the contest with less than a minute remaining in the first round.

#4 Magomedaliev’s Dominant Performance

Raimond Magomedaliev had one of the most dominant performances at ONE: A NEW TOMORROW.

In his welterweight clash against Joey “Mama’s Boy” Pierotti, the Russian was sharp from the very beginning. He nearly finished the American with a relentless onslaught of knees and elbows from the clinch.

Ultimately, it was the Washington native’s prized wrestling that served as his undoing. Just as “Mama’s Boy” went for a takedown, Magomedaliev swept his base with a perfectly-timed low kick.

Then, when Pierotti grabbed the leg, his 29-year-old adversary sunk in a guillotine choke and tightened it up. The American had no choice but to tap, giving Magomedaliev a first-round victory and his first win in The Home Of Martial Arts.

#5 Shinechagtga’s 55-Second Stunner

Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg is the latest star from Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series (OWS) to make a lasting impact in his debut on the global stage.

It did not take very long for the Mongolian to stun “Cannon” Ma Jia Wen in their featherweight tilt. Actually, it took 55 seconds.

As the Chinese athlete stepped forward and lowered his hand for a looping left hook, the 23-year-old leaned forward and hurled a thunderous overhand right that instantly crumpled his rival to the canvas.

Referee Olivier Coste rushed in to save Ma from any follow-up shots, and Shinechagtga electrified the audience with his one-punch power.

Read more: What Could Be Next For The Big Winners Of ONE: A NEW TOMORROW?