Kongsuk Stays Unbeaten, Kacem Bests Yodphupa In Barnburner At ONE Friday Fights 28
At the start of ONE Friday Fights 28, ONE Championship commentator Gianna Subba went on record to say that the organization’s Friday Fight series is the gift that keeps on giving.
And by the end of the night, his words proved prophetic.
Fans at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, and those watching from around the world, were treated to everything from three-round wars to early stoppages in this week’s 12-bout martial arts showcase.
In case you missed it, here’s everything that went down live in Asia primetime from Bangkok, Thailand, on August 11.
Kongsuk Claims Dominant Decision Win Over Jaosuayai
Jaosuayai Sor Dechapan may have entered his flyweight Muay Thai battle with all the clout, but Kongsuk Fairtex made sure it went home with him.
The 23-year-old Fairtex Training Center athlete used his length and reach to stay on the outside of Jaosuayai’s punching range throughout the affair, and he was able to bob and sway around any incoming missiles to attack his fellow Thai’s head at the end of his rangy counters.
One after the next, the punches hinged Jaosuayai’s neck backward as he struggled to close the distance.
At the end of three rounds, the judges agreed that Kongsuk had done enough to thwart his foe, and he was handed his second win from two outings in ONE, earning him his 62nd professional win overall.
Suriyanlek Storms Through Songfangkhong To Earn KO Win
Suriyanlek Por Yenying continued to showcase his ferocious striking power against Songfangkhong FA Group in their 134-pound catchweight Muay Thai matchup.
The dangerous 26-year-old quickly put his stamp on proceedings by landing big shots on Songfangkhong inside the pocket in the opening round.
Suriyanlek’s momentum followed him into the second frame, and it soon reached its boiling point. He expertly baited his fellow Thai into close quarters against the ropes, where he landed a huge left hook.
Songfangkhong sank to the canvas and was unable to answer the referee’s count, so Suriyanlek was handed the KO victory at 1:46 of round two.
He moved to 2-0 in ONE with the win and 77-25 overall.
Aggressive Pentor Overcomes Durable Jack To Score Debut Win
Pentor SP Kansart Paeminburi‘s extra reach and kicking ability proved the difference in his tough 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle with Jack Apichat Muaythai.
Pentor looked to control the distance with his teeps, and he smashed his rival’s body with hard round kicks.
Jack wasn’t deterred by his fellow Thai’s aggression, however, and he constantly walked forward to land thudding punches and elbows.
When Pentor added more boxing to his offense, it opened up the gap between the pair, and that earned him a debut win in ONE via unanimous decision.
Mahahin Overcomes Petsangwan In All-Out War
Mahahin Nakbinalaiyon catapulted his name to new heights by scoring a unanimous decision win over Petsangwan Sor Samarngarment, but the 24-year-old had to go to hell and back to get it.
For all nine minutes of their 118-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle, the Thai duo attacked each other with punches, kicks, elbows, and jumping knees – and the output and intensity grew with every round.
At the fight’s climax, Mahahin and Petsangwan, both damaged but refusing to wilt, emptied their last remaining punches onto one another. Left hooks and straight rights careened this way and that, but the men’s hearts and jaws stood firm.
In the end, Mahahin’s heart earned him the judges’ nod and his second win in ONE.
Petsansuk Bests Kohtao In Three-Round Barnburner
Two of Thailand’s best young fighters went to battle when Petsansuk ChotBangsaen faced Kohtao Petsomnuk in 118-pound catchweight Muay Thai action, and it was the former who took the unanimous decision win in the end.
The talented 19-year-old attacked Kohtao from the opening bell, and he dominated the first stanza with powerful high kicks and flush combinations.
Kohtao came out guns blazing in the second round, though, and he attacked his Thai compatriot with relentless strikes. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm led him into the path of a clean counter left hook that sent him to the canvas.
The win was still up for grabs in the final round, and Petsansuk regained control with blistering strikes off the front foot to earn the unanimous decision from the judges.
The debut win moved the teen phenom to 71-28 overall.
Robocop Drops Yoddoi En Route To Decision Win
Robocop Radgoldgym announced himself on the global stage with a dominant showing in his 119-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle with Yoddoi Kaewsamrit.
Yoddoi started well with hooks and low kicks, but Robocop grew into the battle and showcased a more diverse arsenal, both at distance and in close.
The PK Saenchai Muay Thai Gym representative dropped his foe with a right hand in round two and stayed ahead with sharp long-range strikes and strong clinch work to earn his first ONE win via unanimous decision.
Kacem Scores Redeeming KO Win Over Yodphupa
The judges may have needed an abacus to tally the knockdowns in the thrilling rematch between Antar Kacem and Yodphupa Wimanair, but what they didn’t need was a scorecard.
Yodphupa dropped his Belarusian opponent twice in the opening round of their bantamweight Muay Thai firefight, but Kacem answered both eight-counts.
Kacem then starched Yodphupa in the second frame to score his own knockdown before a stunning right hand from the 19-year-old Thai dropped him soon after.
It seemed the fight could end at any moment, and the finish eventually came at 2:36 of round two, when Kacem laced up his old foe with a final right punch.
The Team Mehdi Zatout/Team Nasser K representative’s victory improved his record to 48-9 and earned him some redemption for the split-decision loss he dropped to Yodphupa this past June.
Chanajon Sparks Hanoun To Score Second-Round KO
Following a successful debut at ONE Friday Fights 18, Chanajon PK Saenchai doubled his stock in stunning fashion in his lightweight Muay Thai tilt against Mohamed Hanoun.
Hanoun landed the better strikes in the opening frame, so the Rajadamnern Muay Thai World Champion came out for the second round with a point to prove.
Chanajon dropped the Moroccan star in the opening seconds of the frame, but Hanoun answered the eight-count.
As soon as the action resumed, however, the Thai standout landed a huge right hand to send his foe to the canvas again and earn the KO victory at 0:28 of the second stanza.
Chanajon is now 2-0 in ONE and a jaw-dropping 112-30 overall.
Gonzalez Goes Level With Dabdam In Exciting Rematch
Following a thrilling split-decision battle in their first meeting at ONE Friday Fights 21, Xavier Gonzalez and Dabdam Por Tor Tor Thongtawee delivered another epic three-rounder in their 126-pound catchweight Muay Thai rematch.
The pendulum swung back and forth as the action progressed, with Dabdam – the winner of the first battle – damaging his foe with low kicks and hard hooks and Gonzalez roaring back with jabs, uppercuts, and knees.
Despite strong resistance from Dabdam, the Spaniard kept up his pressure, and he was deemed to have come off better in their toe-to-toe exchanges by the judges at the end.
The unanimous decision win was Gonzalez’s first in ONE, and it leveled the score with his Thai rival.
Suablack Ransacks Blasi To Score Third-Round TKO
Suablack Tor Pran49 is becoming a terrifying force at ONE Friday Fights.
The Tor Pran49 standout blasted through game Italian striker Lenny Blasi to score a third-round TKO victory in their bantamweight Muay Thai clash.
Rounds one and two unfolded in favor of the Thai, who unleashed furious elbows and body punches onto his debuting foe.
But it was a knockdown in round three that saw the beginning of the end for Blasi. Though he answered the eight-count, Blasi had no answer for the four-piece punch combination that Suablack threw when the action resumed.
The referee stepped in to stop the action as a result, handing Suablack the win at 1:26 of the final round to nudge his all-striking slate to 56-18 overall.
Zakirov Scores Late Finish Over Bangguigui In ONE Debut
Unbeaten prospect Sanzhar Zakirov arrived in Lumpinee Boxing Stadium looking to dominate, and he did just that in his one-sided beatdown of Dave Bangguigui.
Zakirov displayed his grappling prowess from the opening bell of their strawweight MMA matchup, but his Filipino foe managed to stuff many of his submission attempts in round one.
“Uzbek Tiger” continued to swarm Bangguigui in the second frame, though, and he attacked with strikes while hunting for the finish.
That eventually came in the final round, when Zakirov took “Kintas” to the ground with an enormous suplex and then rained down ruthless grounded strikes to force the referee to intervene at the 4:11 mark.
Zakirov opened his account in ONE in style with the TKO win, and he moved to 5-0 as a result.
Kim Submits Grandjean To Hand Her First Career Defeat
So Yul Kim weathered an early storm to defeat Noelle Grandjean in their atomweight MMA show-opener.
Grandjean brought a perfect 4-0 professional slate into the battle, and the French-Thai star utilized her lethal right hand to hunt for the win in round one. Kim survived the onslaught, however, and she came out firing in the second stanza.
“Lil’ Monkey” slowed as the action progressed, while the South Korean slugger picked up the pace with her striking. Under increasing pressure, Grandjean shot for a takedown, but “Ti-ger” cinched up a triangle choke in response to finishing proceedings from the mount at 3:57, extending her record to 8-1.
