Balyko KOs Suakim To Continue Charge, Ferrari Makes It Three In A Row At ONE Friday Fights 47
ONE Championship returned to Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Boxing Stadium for the first edition of ONE Friday Fights in 2024 on January 12.
The world’s largest martial arts organization picked up exactly where it left off last year when it brought ONE Friday Fights 47 to the iconic venue, and the 12 enthralling MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing bouts made it a night to remember for the fans in attendance – with fiery finishes and closely contested battles throughout the evening.
Before ONE Fight Night 18: Gasanov vs. Oh on Prime Video broadcasts live in U.S. primetime later today, let’s recap everything that went down in Asia primetime at ONE Friday Fights 47.
Balyko Folds Suakim In Final Frame To Score KO Win
Alexey Balyko and Suakim Sor Jor Thongprajin brought the heat in their 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai meeting, but it was Balyko who pocketed the stunning finish to stay perfect at ONE Friday Fights.
The Russian was a man possessed when the opening bell rang. He put a frantic pace on to pressure Suakim in the early going, and his high striking rate kept his Thai adversary at bay throughout the first round.
The second frame saw much of the same from Balyko, who dropped Suakim with a beautiful looping left hook. The three-division Lumpinee Muay Thai World Champion wasn’t out just yet, however, and he regained composure to score a knockdown of his own via a right hand.
Balyko was out for blood in the final frame as a result, and he wasted no time after the bell. He landed a sneaky left hook to end Suakim’s night once and for all at 0:22 of the round to go 2-0 in ONE and 22-9 overall.
Kompet Strikes His Way To A Third-Round Finish Against Rolland
Kompet Fairtex threw the kitchen sink at Daren Rolland in his strawweight Muay Thai war. And though the Frenchman showed plenty of heart, he couldn’t deny the Thai his win.
The Fairtex Training Center standout found a route past his opponent’s huge reach advantage with dozens of snappy leg kicks and one-two combinations across the first and second rounds, allowing him to score a knockdown in the latter.
Kompet maintained the same level of aggression in the final stanza, and he kept his target locked on Rolland’s lead leg to send him to the canvas again.
When he was done downstairs, the two-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion relied on his educated hands to finish his foe on the ropes at 2:11 of round three.
The TKO win improved Kompet’s record to 86-19 overall.
Puengluang Continues Solid Run With Decision Win Over Felipe
Puengluang Baanramba took home his fifth straight victory in ONE Friday Fights after a three-round flyweight Muay Thai firefight with Rhuam “Show” Felipe.
The Thai slugger waded into Felipe after the opening bell and matched stinging punches with hard kicks and knees to the body throughout the first round.
“Show” picked up the pace in round two and started to find success with his boxing arsenal, particularly his crunching left hook.
But Puengluang matched his Brazilian foe in the final frame and stood his ground to string together a diverse display. This got him the unanimous decision nod in the end, and he extended his incredible record to 63-5 with the victory.
Dentungtong Ekes Out Win In Close Contest With Petsirichai
A tremendous clash of styles went down when Dentungtong Singha Mawynn and Petsirichai Detpetchsrithong met in 136-pound catchweight Muay Thai action, and it was Dentungtong who left with his second straight win in ONE at the end of three tight rounds.
The 22-year-old Thai was on a mission from the start, and he landed the better shots while countering Petsirichai to take the first round.
Dentungtong took more risks in the second frame, throwing flying and spinning attacks, but Petsirichai took advantage when he did to land pivotal strikes and stay in the fight.
The Detpetchsrithong athlete put forward a strong offering in the final frame, but Dentungtong’s overall body of work earned him the nod from two of three judges in the end.
The Thai star moved to 75-19 in his career and 3-1 in ONE with the split-decision win.
Khunsuk Flattens Nueaphet In 55 Seconds
Khunsuk Sor Dechapan’s vicious right hand was his go-to weapon once again as he made it three successive knockouts inside “The Mecca of Muay Thai” against Nueaphet Kelasport in their 113-pound catchweight Muay Thai war.
Nueaphet brought the fight to the Sor Dechapan athlete from the start, but it proved to be a bad idea, as Khunsuk patiently waited for an opening to land his trademark tool.
As the pair traded bombs inside the pocket, Khunsuk beat the Kelasport representative to the punch and landed a straight right directly on the sweet spot to instantly melt his foe onto the canvas and score the KO win after just 55 seconds of action.
With the highlight-reel finish, his fastest in ONE Friday Fights, the 20-year-old pushed his resume to 55-12.
Kaenlek Blasts Through Superman In Impressive Debut
Kaenlek Sor Chokmeechai got his ONE tenure off to a perfect start with a first-round finish of Superman Or AudUdon in their 120-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest.
The 21-year-old debutant raced out of the blocks with blistering salvos to the head and body that made an immediate impact on his foe. Superman tried to fire back, but Kaenlek’s pressure was too much.
The Sor Chokmeechai athlete scored with another hurtful flurry of punches to the body that forced his opponent to double over.
From there, he blasted Superman with knees until the referee waved off the bout and handed him the TKO win at 2:27 of the first round, pushing his slate to 50-10 overall.
Ferrari Extends Winning Streak To Three Against Kacem
Fresh off back-to-back unanimous decision victories, Ferrari Fairtex kickstarted his 2024 campaign by making it three in a row against Antar Kacem in bantamweight Muay Thai action.
The opening round saw both men testing each another with combinations, but Ferrari’s leg kicks soon allowed him to take control.
The Thai striker refused to let up in the second frame, despite his Belarusian foe standing firm in front of him. It was clear Ferrari knew he was the stronger man, and he took every chance he could to butcher Kacem’s lead leg.
The 26-year-old went into cruise control in the final round, and he measured the distance between him and Kacem to pick up the unanimous decision win and move his record to 135-32.
Nicolas Goes 23-0 In Thrilling Scrap With Magomedov
Alexis Nicolas and Magomed Magomedov gave it their all in their lightweight kickboxing tilt, but it was the former who came out on top to keep his unbeaten streak intact after three rounds of action.
The debuting Frenchman relied on blistering leg kicks and jab-straight combinations to slow down his Russian counterpart throughout the first and second rounds, and he deftly switched between the two whenever Magomedov decided to trade in the pocket.
Nicolas’ composure and ability to time his attacks had him in the lead heading into the final stanza, and both earned him the nod from the judges after the final bell.
“Barboza” moved his record to a staggering 23-0 with the unanimous decision win.
Numpangna Finishes Ogawa With Crushing Elbow
Numpangna Eaglemuaythai returned to winning ways in ONE Friday Fights with a stunning second-round knockout of Sho Ogawa.
The pair were neck and neck technically in the first round of their 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle, but Numpangna’s power looked more threatening when they exchanged blows.
After rocking Ogawa with a right hand late in the opening frame, the Thai slugger went after his rival with elbows in round two – and it didn’t take him long to find his mark.
Stepping through with his right leg, Numpangna landed a hard left elbow through his rival’s guard to finish the fight at 1:52 of the second stanza and extend his record to 41-16.
Apiwat Overcomes The Odds To Score Knockout Against Kacem
After a mixed bag of results in ONE, Thai slugger Apiwat Sor Somnuk had his back against the wall when he met 18-year-old phenom Elyes Kacem in 130-pound catchweight Muay Thai, but he managed to silence the doubters.
The veteran striker put the pressure on Kacem in the early going, but the youngster remained in the pocket and caught Apiwat with strong flurries that cut him open.
Following a close first round, Apiwat capitalized on his Algerian foe’s error to drop him with a right hand. Using his well-seasoned instincts, the 31-year-old followed up with a perfect overhand right to sleep Kacem at 1:23 of round two and move his slate to 101-28.
Nazruloev’s Knees and Fists Finish Uulu In Round Two
In flyweight MMA action, Khalim Nazruloev extended his pristine slate to 9-0 and got his ONE Championship tenure off to a flyer with a second-round TKO over Ilimbek Akylbek Uulu.
The 25-year-old flipped the script in the opening round and threatened from the top with huge strikes while Uulu relentlessly hunted for takedowns and submissions.
It was a similar scenario for the Russian in the second canto as his Kyrgyzstani rival attempted to gain the upper hand on the canvas.
However, the Archangel Michael athlete reversed roles once more and threw in huge knees and a barrage of fists to eventually force referee Herb Dean to step in and end proceedings at 1:59 of round two.
Royal Extends Unbeaten Record With Comeback Victory Over Ortikov
Coopar “Rush” Royal‘s refusal to quit saw him grasp victory from the jaws of defeat in his flyweight MMA clash with Komronbek Ortikov.
The Australian was thrown around the ring and controlled by Ortikov for much of their three-round battle, but he never stopped looking for an opportunity to snatch the win.
With the Uzbek wrestler’s conditioning starting to fade in the final stanza, Royal stuffed a takedown and worked to set up a triangle choke from the back. Deftly switching to an armbar, “Rush” forced the tap from Ortikov at 3:16 of the final frame to extend his professional record to 5-0.
