Top 5 Mixed Martial Arts KOs Of Q3 2019
In an action-packed third quarter of 2019, ONE Championship’s mixed martial artists put it all on the line in pursuit of the finish.
The stand-up specialists, in particular, were in fine form, as they delivered a slew of memorable knockouts with their slick skills and heavy hands.
Here are the five best KOs, in chronological order, from the mixed martial arts ranks on the global stage from July to September of this year.
#1 “Crazy Dog” TKOs Eto For The Second Time
“Crazy Dog” Dae Sung Park took on a familiar foe in Kimihiro Eto at ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY, and finished the contest in a similar style.
The South Korean got the job done by TKO in just 101 seconds the first time they met at the inaugural ONE Warrior Series live event. On this occasion, it took until the second stanza, but Park was arguably more impressive.
“Crazy Dog” scored four knockdowns in round two – first, a head kick, and then a trio because of his boxing – before he unleashed heavy hammer fists, knees, and punches on the ground to claim the finish.
#2 Takenaka Ends An Epic Battle
ONE: DAWN OF HEROES was a great event for KOs. All four at the event in Manila, Philippines could have made this list, but in the end, three made the cut, beginning with Daichi Takenaka’s effort that put the stamp on a back-and-forth bantamweight thriller with Leandro “Brodinho” Issa.
Takenaka had grown increasingly confident with his striking throughout the bout, and early in round three, he caught Issa with a superman punch that dropped him to the mat.
The Brazilian tried to use his grappling instincts to survive, but Takenaka’s relentless salvo of punches and knees offered him no respite, and the referee was forced to step in to save “Brodinho” from any further punishment.
#3 Wakamatsu’s Right Hand Finds The Mark
Though he had shown glimpses of the stunning power in his right hand in his previous outings, Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu was yet to score a KO in The Home Of Martial Arts before he met former ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio.
It was worth the wait though, as the Japanese striker delivered this memorable hammer to the jaw in under two minutes in his opponent’s homeland.
The Filipino tried to work his way in behind a jab and a low kick, but “Little Piranha” replied in devastating fashion. He gauged the distance with his left hand, and then sent his right hand crashing down the middle to land square his rival’s chin. One punch was all he needed.
#4 Nguyen Stuffs And Crushes Matsushima
Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen made it two highlight-reel finishes in a row to defend his belt against Koyomi “Moushigo” Matsushima in the main event at Manila’s Mall Of Asia Arena.
The ONE Featherweight World Champion’s excellent defensive wrestling and gradual accumulation of strikes wore down his challenger, which opened up the opportunity for the Vietnamese-Australian to close the show.
Nguyen forced “Moushigo” into the corner with a hard body kick and hurt him with a sharp left hand, which forced Matsushima to try and buy some time with a labored takedown, but it was easily stuffed.
“The Situ-Asian” then let rip with a barrage of precise, but powerful ground strikes to earn the TKO.
#5 Le’s 88-Second Stunner
Thanh Le made it two knockouts in two bouts in the world’s largest martial arts organization when he dispatched Kotetsu “No Face” Boku in the opening round of their bout at ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD.
Just as the Vietnamese-American threw a kick to the body, the former ONE Lightweight World Champion swiped with a right hand, and he left his chin open to a two-punch combination.
A clubbing right hook landed perfectly on the jaw to send “No Face” down, and then a follow-up shot was all Le needed to seal the deal.
Read more: Top 5 ONE Super Series Bouts Of Q3 2019
