Giorgio Petrosyan Comes Out Guns Blazing, Decisions Jo Nattawut
World Champion Giorgio Petrosyan stepped into the ONE ring and put on a striking clinic befitting his legendary status, scoring a dominant unanimous decision victory.TV: Check local listings for global broadcast
Posted by ONE Championship on Friday, April 20, 2018
Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan did not earn his reputation as one of the world’s best kickboxers by accident.
The 32-year-old Milan, Italy resident has decimated the competition with surgical precision, and he added another world-class adversary to his list of victims on Friday, 20 April.
In front of a packed house at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, Petrosyan turned up the heat on “Smokin” Joe Nattawut over three rounds in their ONE Super Series kickboxing clash. He then earned a unanimous decision victory in the co-main event of ONE: HEROES OF HONOR.
They do not call Petrosyan “The Doctor” for nothing, as he used his razor-sharp technique and bone crunching power to land stinging combinations throughout the opening round, and backed Nattawut up during almost every exchange.
Nattawut was not going to be deterred, however. The two-division Lion Fight World Champion continued to fire back with a series of head kicks that came within centimetres of earning him a highlight reel knockout. Still, Petrosyan connected with more accuracy throughout the opening round, as “Smokin” Jo focused on his kicking game.
It was a back-and-forth battle throughout the second round. Petrosyan fired away with punches to the head and body, and the Thai countered with a blistering series of kicks. Although Nattawut did a good job of landing strikes while he was back peddling, it was “The Doctor” who was constantly pressing forward with powerful strikes in an attempt to do the most damage possible with each punch and kick.
Petrosyan was looking for the knockout with almost every shot he threw, as he was ratcheting up the pressure with power behind his punches. Time and time again, he was digging to the body, and then going up to the head, which kept his rival off balance at every turn.
The Thai certainly made a strong showing against a true legend, but it was Petrosyan who once again earned his reputation as arguably the best kickboxer on the planet. He cruised to a unanimous decision victory after three rounds of action. “The Doctor” now sees his record at an eye-popping 96-2-2 (1 NC).
As the ONE Super Series moves on in 2018, Petrosyan will undoubtedly be a key star to watch. He will look to continue his reign of dominance over the sport of kickboxing, while a long list of potential opponents tries to find a way to dissect “The Doctor.”
