Jackie Buntan, Yu Yau Pui, Chihiro Sawada Highlight ONE Fight Night 20 Supporting Card With Pivotal Wins
ONE Championship celebrated International Women’s Day 2024 with a stacked all-female card in U.S. primetime on Friday, March 8.
A pair of World Title showdowns headlined the lineup, but first, fans were treated to seven other battles across MMA, Muay Thai, and submission grappling.
Here, we recap all the early action from a groundbreaking event at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Buntan Survives Michieletto In Muay Thai Banger
Jackie Buntan picked up her third straight victory after outlasting the tough Martine “The Italian Queen” Michieletto in a 130-pound catchweight Muay Thai war.
The former ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title challenger utilized her boxing in the first round, managing to cut the distance effectively while her lead left hook and combinations troubled Michieletto.
The Italian adjusted in the second by being the aggressor. She caught Buntan with a solid left in the first exchange of the round and found success pushing the smaller Boxing Works representative back to the ropes.
The Filipino-American got comfortable fighting from her back foot, though, as she countered Michieletto effectively in the third – responding with combinations each time the 31-year-old overextended.
After three action-packed rounds, each judge gave the nod to Buntan, who improved to 26-6 overall, snapped Michieletto’s 15-fight winning streak, and made her case for another World Title shot.
Sawada Storms Back To Snatch Victory From Jihin
After surviving a few early scares, Chihiro Sawada flipped the switch and scored a unanimous decision win over #5-ranked atomweight MMA contender Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan in their 120-pound catchweight bout.
From the get-go, Radzuan attacked Sawada with crisp boxing combinations before dragging the Japanese fighter to the canvas. Once there, “Shadow Cat” threatened with triangle choke and armbar attempts.
It looked like one-way traffic until midway through the fight when Sawada upped her pressure and began attacking intently with submissions and ground-and-pound. The Team Akatsuki standout dragged Jihin to every corner of the ring, where she continued her onslaught until the final bell.
The impressive victory upped the 26-year-old’s record to a perfect 7-0 and marked her second win in two ONE appearances.
Vandaryeva Hands Kierczynska First Career Defeat
In strawweight Muay Thai action, Ekaterina “Barbie” Vandaryeva showcased her veteran savvy to deal Polish upstart Martyna Kierczynska the first loss of her career.
After spending much of the first round looking to land counter-strikes, the Belarusian found her range in the second, landing a picture-perfect straight right hand to score the contest’s only knockdown.
Kierczynska gamely fought back in the third frame, but her efforts weren’t enough, as “Barbie” secured the unanimous decision victory.
With the win, Vandaryeva pushed her career record to 20-7 and bounced back from a string of razor-close defeats.
Yu Overwhelms Fernandez In Wild U.S. Primetime Debut
Yu Yau Pui lived up to expectations in her U.S. primetime debut by dominating Lara Fernandez in their frantic 118.5-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest and taking a unanimous decision win.
The Hong Kong rising star pushed the action from the opening bell, bringing the signature pressure style that endeared her to fans at ONE Friday Fights and landing a plethora of strikes on the former WBC Muay Thai World Champion.
Fernandez did have success timing her counters in the second, as she even cut the hyper-aggressive Yu under the left eye with her elbows.
However, Yu wouldn’t be denied. In the third, the KF 1 representative completely broke down the Spaniard as she mixed boxing flurries with knees and elbows to end the fight strong and cruise to a comfortable win.
With her latest strong performance, the 31-year-old moved to 28-2 overall in her professional career and 6-0 in ONE Championship.
Grandjean Coasts To Decisive Victory Over Souza
Noelle “Lil’ Monkey” Grandjean improved her professional MMA record to 5-1 with a dominant unanimous decision win over Brazil’s Victoria “Vick” Souza.
The two women pumped jabs in each other’s faces at the start of their atomweight bout, but it was a right hand from Grandjean that floored Souza.
Looking for the quick finish, “Lil’ Monkey” jumped on top of her opponent and began to rain down hammerfists. Souza, however, survived the attack.
From that moment forward, the 27-year-old Thai-French athlete maintained control with her boxing and clever judo throws, leaving no doubt in the judges’ minds.
Bastos Outpaces Yamada For Exciting Decision Win
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu superstar Mayssa Bastos faced a stiff test but came out on top in her highly anticipated promotional debut, scoring a hard-fought decision over a game Kanae Yamada in their atomweight submission grappling tilt.
The eight-time IBJJF World Champion secured an early back-take and controlled much of the action from her guard as she constantly attacked the Japanese athlete’s legs. For her part, Yamada showcased excellent defense and a deep gas tank over the course of 10 fast-paced minutes.
Ultimately, the 26-year-old Brazilian earned the nod from all three judges, pushing her career slate to an incredible 109-12.
Cohen Puts On A Show With Debut TKO Of Kirilova
Israeli striker Shir Cohen dominated Bulgarian Teodora Kirilova in their atomweight Muay Thai clash en route to a second-round TKO win that kicked off ONE Fight Night 20 in style.
The 23-year-old impressed in her promotional debut, cutting the taller Kirilova down to size as she found her range and blasted away inside the pocket with boxing combinations from the opening bell.
After nearly scoring a finish in the first round, the Fairtex Training Center representative got things done in the second as she began mixing her deadly right hook with body shots and elbows.
With Kirilova having no answers and absorbing a barrage of shots, referee Olivier Coste was forced to stop the action at 2:27 of the second round, improving Cohen’s career record to 8-1.
