Guluzada Earns US$100K Contract With Mind-Blowing Knockout As Finishes Rain Down At ONE Friday Fights 94
ONE Friday Fights 94 left fans screaming for more when it took over Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium on January 17.
This week’s edition of the most exciting weekly combat sports showcase around featured 11 contests across Muay Thai and MMA, and seven of them ended in an adrenaline-surging stoppage.
In case you missed any of the memorable action, here’s what went down live in Asia primetime.
Guluzada Sleeps Puengluang With Highlight-Reel KO
Akif Guluzada continued to prove he is one to watch when he scored an early contender for knockout-of-the-year against Puengluang Baanramba in their flyweight Muay Thai main event showdown.
“King” quickly took control of the action, as he pressed his Thai counterpart and battered him with aggressive leg kicks and counter left hooks.
Puengluang tried to return the pressure in the second frame and attempted to catch Guluzada off guard with a kick. But when he struck in, the Azerbaijani phenom threw an incredible spinning back elbow that landed flush and switched his lights off at 1:17 of the round.
With the spell-binding KO win, Guluzada moved to 18-2 overall and 3-0 in ONE Chamionship, which was enough to earn the 19-year-old a US$100,000 contract to compete on ONE’s global roster.
Pichitchai Drops Petpairin En Route To Decision Win
Pichitchai PK Saenchai applied relentless pressure to get the win over Petpairin Sor Jor Tongprachin in 122-pound catchweight Muay Thai.
The 29-year-old Thai threw heavy-handed strikes towards his compatriot in round one. Despite absorbing significant damage, Petpairin endured and survived to the bell.
Pichitchai’s momentum grew further in the second frame. He closed the distance with a sharp left punch and followed up with a knee and an elbow to score a knockdown.
Petpairin beat the count and shot back with a slicing elbow in the final frame. But Pitchitchai stayed composed and countered with a crisp one-two combination to seal his victory on the scorecards.
All three judges handed Pichitchai his third win in ONE Championship, and it moved his professional slate to 115-37.
Kritpet Turns Susuek’s Lights Out In Round One
Kritpet PK Saenchai triumphantly stepped into the winners’ circle when he flatlined Susuek TC Muaythai in the opening round of their 126-pound catchweight Muay Thai showdown.
Susuek tried to force his game plan early on, but Kritpet had other ideas. The 24-year-old launched into a frenzied flurry and forced his fellow Thai to back off momentarily.
With distance between them, Kritpet baited Susuek to lunge at him in the corner. From there, he struck with a surgical two-punch combination that sent the TC Muaythai man to the shadow realm at the 1:54 mark of round one.
The KO win was Kirtpet’s first in ONE Championship, and it bumped his overall record to 71-19-1.
Khunsuk Scores Third-Round KO Win Against Kongburapha
Khunsuk Mor Krungthepthonburi spoiled Kongburapha Thiptamai’s ONE Championship debut with a third-round knockout in their 113-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle.
Kongburapha forced Khunsuk backwards with right hands early on, but the Sor Dechapan man quickly turned the tide to finish the round with heavy strikes.
Choosing to remain on the outside in round two, Khunsuk lured his fellow Thai into danger and downed him with a huge left hand. Despite facing heavy artillery throughout the frame, Kongburapha held on to see the bell.
However, Khunsuk’s momentum was undeniable by round three. He dropped Kongburapha inside 30 seconds and kept up the fearsome barrage from there, eventually ending proceedings with a brutal left hand to the liver at the 1:18 mark.
With the KO win, Khunsuk moved to 6-3 in ONE and 56-15 overall.
Petnaya Wrecks Yoddoi With A First-Round Knockout Rampage
Petnaya Bang Saen Fight Club put on a destructive performance against Yoddoi Kaewsamrit in their 116-pound catchweight Muay Thai clash.
The 21-year-old ONE Championship debutant dropped his Thai compatriot in the opening minute with a clean punch and high kick combination. Yoddoi beat the referee’s count, but Petnaya immediately closed in with a jumping knee and left elbow to score another knockdown.
The Kaewsamrit Gym star returned to his feet again but was met with barrage of strikes, including four successive high kicks, from Petnaya when the action resumed.
Though Yoddoi weathered that strom, the three consecutive left punches that followed proved too much for him.
Petnaya secured the knockout victory at 2:33 of the first round, and it pushed his overall record to 41-8.
Hern Schools Hinlekfai To Score Calculated KO Win
Hern NF Looksuan wasted no time securing his second straight win in ONE Championship against Hinlekfai Samchaiwisetsuk in 113-pound catchweight Muay Thai action.
Hinlekfai looked to dictate the pace in the opening seconds, but Hern showed the teenage striker why it pays to be patient in the fight game.
The NF Looksuan man bunched up for Hinlekfai’s early barrage then dropped the 16-year-old with a flurry of body shots.
Sensing the youngster was on borrowed time, Hern blasted him with a surgical left roundhouse kick to the midsection to score the KO win at 1:21 of the opening frame.
As a result, the 22-year-old moved to 2-0 slate in ONE Championship, and 41-3-2 overall.
Pentor Makes Waghorn Pay With Huge Head Kick KO
Pentor SP Kansart Paeminburi showed new depths en route to scoring a third-round finish against Otis Waghorn in 143-pound catchweight Muay Thai.
Waghorn took control of the contest early on. He landed crisp strikes that warned Pentor of treacherous waters should he get close.
However, the Thai star found his feet in the second frame and began to land cleaner strikes, including multiple head and leg kicks that quickly frustrated his British foe.
It was all to play for in the third round, so Waghorn launched in with a spinning elbow in the hopes of catching Pentor on approach. But the Paeminburi product countered with a huge left high-kick that found its mark and sent his foe down and out for good at 2:03.
The sensational KO victory saw Pentor improve to 3-0 in ONE and earn the 66th win of his career.
Diachkova Outguns McClatchie In Action-Packed Battle
Natalia “Karelian Lynx” Diachkova’s fast hands proved to be the key factor in her strawweight Muay Thai battle with Taylor “Tay-Tay” McClatchie.
Diachkova shot in with quick combinations to keep her Canadian foe at bay in the opening round, and she also managed to stagger her with a looping right hand.
McClatchie tried to push the aggression with kicks in the second frame, but the Russian striker controlled the pace through crisp boxing that was punctuated by a sharp uppercut.
Both warriors showed signs of fatigue in the final stanza, but they continued trading blows. Despite “Tay-Tay’s” attempts to turn the tide with kicks and short punch combinations, Diachkova’s early dominance secured her the unanimous decision win in the end.
As a result, she improved her record to 5-1 in ONE Championship and 31-5 overall.
Albadr Dominates Hayashi In Entertaining Showdown
Ayad Albadr was a man on a mission in his electrifying strawweight Muay Thai contest against Banna Hayashi.
The Iraqi slugger was methodical in his approach, carefully sizing Hayashi up with leg kicks then launching his patented left hook to score a knockdown in the opening round.
Hayashi tried to even the score in the second, but Albadr was one step ahead, and he dropped his foe again with a cracking counter left hand.
Sensing the momentum, the 23-year-old pressed further and sent Hayashi crashing to the canvas for the third time with another laser left hook.
The Japanese slugger tried to mount a comeback in the third, but Albadr’s counters operated like clockwork throughout the round to secure the unanimous decision win, which stood as his first in ONE Championship and 13th overall in his career.
Zhanyshbek Uulu Stays Perfect With Debut Win Over Karimov
Erzhan Zhanyshbek Uulu weathered an early storm to overcome fellow ONE Championship debutant Ramazan Karimov in a closely contested featherweight MMA showdown.
Karimov dropped the undefeated Kyrgyzstani prospect early before attempting a guillotine choke. However, Zhanyshbek Uulu showed resilience and escaped the danger.
In the second round, Karimov attempted a spinning backfist, but the move left him exposed. Zhanyshbek Uulu then took advantage to deliver a sharp punching combination that shifted the momentum.
The 21-year-old pressed forward in the final round and landed a left body shot and some stiff jabs. He also secured a takedown to make things tight on the scorecards overall.
In the end, Zhanyshbek Uulu secured a split-decision victory to push his overall record to a perfect 6-0.
Saclag Secures Second Straight Win With Brutal KO Of Fajar
Jean Claude Saclag continued to raise his profile with a devastating TKO finish over Fajar in the opening round of their flyweight MMA clash.
After shaking off his foe’s suffocating wrestling in the first minute, Saclag found his footing and chopped down on Fajar’s leg.
With his momentum building, the Filipino then lunged in with a blinding left hook that landed flush on his Indonesian opponent’s jaw.
From there, Saclag rained down terrifying ground-and-pound to secure the stoppage win at 3:37 of the opening round and move to 2-0 in ONE Championship.
