Anane, Mahmoudi, Pirnie Highlight ONE Fight Night 24 Supporting Card With Impressive Wins
Fans were treated to an action-packed U.S. primetime event on August 2, as the supporting card of ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart showcased nonstop highlights from start to finish.
Rising stars made their marks and top-ranked contenders fell across 10 exciting matchups that featured dramatic finishes and hard-fought contests.
Here, we recap each of those battles at the iconic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Anane Dominates Lobo In U.S. Primetime Debut
Thai-Algerian phenom Nabil Anane proved he’s ready for ONE’s global roster by dominating #3-ranked contender Felipe “Demolition Man” Lobo en route to a unanimous decision in their three-round bantamweight Muay Thai bout.
Fresh off winning a US$100,000 contract in ONE Friday Fights, the towering 20-year-old showcased his entire arsenal – from crisp combinations to well-placed leg and body kicks – as he utilized his length to frustrate the former ONE World Title challenger.
Though Anane was up comfortably entering the final round, he came out firing with even bigger combinations to pressure the Brazilian. While he didn’t get the finish, the writing was pretty much on the wall.
The result pushed the Team Mehdi Zatout representative to 37-5 overall, and his victory over a ranked contender put the rest of the bantamweight Muay Thai division on notice.
Nakrob Secures Second Consecutive Win Over Dedduanglek
Nakrob Fairtex picked up where he left off in his 139-pound catchweight Muay Thai duel with old foe Dedduanglek Wankhongohm MBK.
The rising star from Fairtex Training Center lit up his Thai compatriot and the #4-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender with bursts of punches followed by low kicks early on in their firefight.
But Dedduanglek began to blaze his way back into the bout midway through. And by the third round, not a soul was sitting as the two tough strikers traded blows.
In the end, a powerful third-round knockdown secured Nakrob the hard-fought unanimous decision as he improved to 68-21 overall and claimed his fifth straight victory.
Gasanov Dominates Canarte To Defend Top-Five Ranking
Dagestani grappling specialist Shamil “The Cobra” Gasanov looked in top form against Ecuadorian standout Aaron “Tommy Gun” Canarte.
The #5-ranked featherweight MMA contender showcased seemingly unstoppable takedowns, suffocating top control, and relentless submission hunting throughout the matchup.
For his part, Canarte displayed incredible heart in defending several deep choke attempts and refusing to succumb to Gasanov’s nonstop pressure.
After three fast-paced rounds, the ringside judges awarded “The Cobra” the unanimous decision. The victory improved Gasanov’s career slate to 15-1 and ensured he’ll keep his spot in the divisional rankings.
Kovtun Uses Third-Round Knockdown To Halt Ferrari’s Run
Dmitrii “The Silent Assassin” Kovtun executed his game plan to perfection as he overcame Ferrari Fairtex in their 145.5 catchweight Muay Thai contest to take a unanimous decision win and announce his arrival in ONE Championship.
The Russian debutant stuck to his strengths from the onset, keeping Ferrari on the back foot as he utilized his jab and footwork to neutralize the Thai’s explosive striking.
While Ferrari turned up the aggression in the second round, Kovtun remained disciplined with his approach as he avoided getting lured into an all-out war.
With the fight still up in the air, it was Kovtun who took it home in the end.
A counter left hook dropped Ferrari midway through the final frame to score the only knockdown of the matchup and seal the dramatic decision win – ending the Thai’s four-fight winning streak in the process.
Mahmoudi Scores Wild Third-Round KO Of Naito
Even before the first bell for his flyweight kickboxing clash with #3-ranked Taiki Naito rang, #5-ranked Elias Mahmoudi carried an air of victory, and his third-round knockout of the Japanese fighter further sent his confidence wafting throughout Lumpinee Stadium.
The Algerian pressured Naito from the get-go. He struck hard and fast and from all sorts of dizzying angles, dropping his foe with a spinning backfist in round one.
Naito worked his way back into the fight, but for the rest of the round and the following two, Mahmoudi pillaged every tool Naito had brought to the battle.
And then it happened – in a brief but furious exchange late in round three, Mahmoudi side-stepped into another spinning backfist. The whirling tornado hit Naito on the chin, and he collapsed in a heap of broken dreams.
The referee waved off the action at 2:56 of round three, and the victory nudged the 26-year-old’s record to 34-7, possibly earning him Naito’s spot in the divisional rankings.
Yamakita Decisions Saruta In Three-Round MMA Scrap
In strawweight MMA action, Keito “Pocket Monk” Yamakita and former divisional titleholder Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta went to war for three high-octane rounds.
Saruta used his veteran savvy and crafty grappling to control his foe and land damaging ground strikes through much of the first two frames, while Yamakita hunted for submissions and scrambled at a breakneck pace.
In the third round, “Pocket Monk” roared back with an effective and explosive stand-up attack, even finding success with his own wrestling and grappling in the closing minutes.
Ultimately, the judges favored Yamakita’s aggression and clean striking to award him the split decision in this pivotal all-Japan contest, pushing his career slate to 10-1 overall as he looks to climb the strawweight MMA ranks.
Rambolek Outlasts Coakley To Take Second Straight Win
Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon overcame a slow start and showed poise to outstrike Craig Coakley and earn a unanimous decision in their highly physical three-round 151.5-pound catchweight Muay Thai encounter.
Coakley was aggressive to start, as he cut off the ring and forced the Thai fan favorite to fight from his back foot. The Irishman imposed his size on Rambolek, walking down the 21-year-old for most of the first round.
Things took a turn in the second, as Rambolek’s right hand started finding its mark. A huge right early in the stanza rocked Coakley, and the Thai capitalized by landing a flurry of body shots, knees, and elbows.
While Coakley continued to push on in the third, Rambolek was already in his rhythm. He continued to work on Coakley’s body while occasionally landing the right hand and repeatedly dropping the 31-year-old with teeps.
After three rounds, it was Rambolek who earned the nod from all three judges as he improved to 64-14 for his career.
Baatarkhuu Submits Bumina-ang To Continue Reign Of Terror
Team Lakay’s kryptonite struck again.
This time, it was Carlo Bumina-ang who felt the wrath of Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu and suffered the first loss of his professional MMA career. The #5-ranked bantamweight MMA contender dragged Bumina-ang through three rounds of hell – only to submit the Filipino phenom with one second left in the final round.
Baatarkhuu smothered “The Bull” inside the clinch and on the canvas with dirty boxing, ground-and-pound, and an array of submission attempts. He finally nailed the arm-triangle choke at 4:59 of round three to take his third scalp from the famed gym.
With the victory, the 35-year-old Mongolian not only defended his spot in the top five but also moved his MMA record to 11-3 and retained his status as Team Lakay’s biggest threat.
Aliff Finishes El Jamari In Under Two Minutes
Thai-Malaysian phenom Aliff Sor Dechapan bounced back in dominant fashion with a first-round KO of Zakaria El Jamari in their 132.75-pound catchweight Muay Thai tilt.
Aliff spent the opening few moments figuring out his foe, but after about 60 seconds of action, he landed a beautiful head kick that put the Moroccan down.
El Jamari gamely returned to his feet, only to be quickly knocked down and out for the count with a show-stopping body shot and a straight right hand. The official stoppage came at 1:37 of round one.
With the win, the 20-year-old knockout artist snapped his two-fight skid, improved his career record to an impressive 58-9, and scored a well-deserved US$50,000 bonus.
Pirnie Debuts With Dazzling Knockout Of Yu
It didn’t take long for Amy Pirnie to make an impression in ONE Championship, as the debuting Scottish superstar knocked out Yu Yau Pui in the atomweight Muay Thai curtain-raiser to set the tone at Lumpinee Stadium.
Yu started aggressively, firing a low kick before swarming with combinations. Pirnie broke that momentum by throwing Yu to the ground, but the Hong Kong native continued to push forward and teed off with a few knees in the clinch.
Pirnie responded by once again dumping Yu – but this time, she was ready for the retaliation. With her opponent looking to swarm, the three-time UK Female Muay Thai Fighter of the Year timed a beautiful left hook, turning off Yu’s lights just 49 seconds into the first round.
The knockout victory pushed Pirnie’s record to 27-4 and handed Yu her first defeat in seven ONE appearances.
