Top 5 Performances From ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON’s Mixed Martial Arts Stars
When ONE Championship returns to Singapore for ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON, there will be an abundance of mixed martial arts talent on display to complement a galaxy of kickboxing stars.
The event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium features a host of World Champions and rising contenders who will be prepared to make a big statement in some crucial bouts for their careers.
Ahead of a blockbuster event in The Lion City, take a look back at some of the best performances from some of the stars set for action at on Friday, 17 May.
Shinya Aoki‘s Flawless Victory
Every mixed martial artist dreams of a perfect performance, where they step into the arena, impose their game plan to perfection and run out a quickfire winner without taking any damage themselves.
That is exactly what happened at ONE: REIGN OF KINGS last July when Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki defeated Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai in Manila.
Most pundits expected Aoki to be wary of the Thai star’s striking early on before he worked for an opening to get a takedown and maneuver for a submission, but “Tokiban Judan” had other ideas as he closed the distance immediately, and then took his Thai opponent to the mat.
Instead of taking the usual technical route in search of a tapout, Aoki went for the TKO finish and unloaded a barrage of strikes that forced the stoppage at the 2:16 mark of the very first round.
Wiratchai did not lay a glove on the Japanese icon, who showed that he can be equally adept at finishing opponents with ground strikes as he is with his jiu-jitsu.
Christian Lee‘s All-Out Domination
Christian “The Warrior” Lee is hitting peak form in his mixed martial arts career right now, and that was clearly demonstrated in his dominant victory over Pancrase Lightweight World Champion Kazuki Tokudome at ONE: HEART OF THE LION last November.
Lee came out with all guns blazing and overwhelmed his more experienced opponent from the opening bell. He did not allow the Japanese veteran to settle into the contest as he unloaded with a plethora of strikes.
A straight right had proved to be decisive as he stunned Tokudome, and then took him to the mat where he was prone to be finished with a succession of ground strikes.
It was a stunning display by Lee, who picked up the victory via TKO at 3:07 of the first round.
“The Warrior” will aim to impose that kind of intensity on Aoki in the main event of ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON.
Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev‘s Systematic Breakdown
Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev has made his name in ONE as one of the most devastating first-round finishers in the division. But against Japanese star “MMA Fantastista” Tetsuya Yamada, he had to show more patience as he was taken past the first round for the first – and so far, only – time in his career.
The Turkish phenom’s win over this battled-hardened Japanese athlete at ONE: IRON WILL last March was his first after a 14-month layoff, but there was no sign of rust as he dominated the Japanese star over the opening two rounds.
He also showed his ability to stay patient and sustain an attack as he took his rival to the mat repeatedly and controlled him on the ground before he eventually finished the tiring Yamada with a third-round armbar.
After suffering a disqualification loss for an illegal technique in his previous performance, it showed Arslanaliev had the maturity needed to negotiate his way past a stubborn opponent, and he has not looked back since.
Amir Khan Goes The Distance
Amir Khan is known for his finishing ability – all but one of his wins have come via stoppage – but at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, he showed he can execute a smart game plan to earn a decision.
It was always going to be near-impossible to stop the iron-jawed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Aussie Adrian “The Hunter” Pang, so the Singaporean had to stay composed and show his stamina to battle all the way to the scorecards.
Pang pushed the pace and tried to land his power punches, but Khan used his excellent footwork and counter striking to outmaneuver “The Hunter” and earn the win via unanimous decision.
The Evolve representative may have to employ a similar strategy now that he has stepped in on short notice to face Arslanaliev in the semifinals of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix on 17 May.
Eustaquio Settles The Score
After he lost out to Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov by a fine margin in September 2017, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio got the chance to gain redemption in a main-event rematch at ONE: GLOBAL SUPERHEROES a few months later.
With the ONE Interim Flyweight World Title on the line, the Filipino hero put on the best performance of his career.
His rival came to wrestle, but Eustaquio’s takedown defense was on point all night. The Team Lakay representative took control of the range, and never let himself be surprised by a shot from the outside.
When he went on the attack, he came in quickly and trusted in his ability to land strikes in combination.
It took five long rounds of hard work, but after 25 minutes, the judges unanimously awarded “Gravity” match and the belt.
The former ONE Flyweight World Champion will be back against Kim Kyu Sung in Singapore.
