Jaosuayai Dominates, Bravo Scores Late KO, Aliff Earns Six-Figure Contract At ONE Friday Fights 40
ONE Friday Fights 40 delivered another spectacle of Muay Thai and MMA action at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, November 10.
The explosive card offered 12 matchups across both sports, and the world’s largest martial arts organization’s highlight reel was topped up with blistering finishes and sensational battles as a result.
In case you missed any of the action, here’s what went down live in Asia primetime.
Jaosuayai Puts Paidang To Sleep In Second Frame
Jaosuayai Sor Dechapan got back to winning ways in the Thai capital with a cracking second-round finish of Paidang Kiatsongrit in their flyweight Muay Thai clash.
The 22-year-old phenom looked in cruise control throughout the tie, cracking his fellow Thai’s defenses open one occasion after another with punishing kicks and combinations.
Jaosuayai’s attacking instincts soon led him to a spectacular finish, as he found a narrow gap in Paidang’s guard and slammed in a straight right and precise left to see off the contest at 2:21 of the second frame.
The highlight-reel KO victory improved his overall slate to 54-20.
Aliff Stays Perfect In ONE To Earn Six-Figure Contract
Peyman Zolfaghari couldn’t withstand the onslaught of Aliff Sor Dechapan in their 120-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest.
Aliff dropped his Iranian opponent in the first 15 seconds, coming out ahead when the pair exchanged left hooks. However, instead of rushing in when Zolfaghari got to his feet, the Thai-Malaysian striker took his time to pick the right shots.
With the Team Mehdi Zatout man stuck in the corner, Aliff’s right hand sent him down again. Zolfaghari struggled back up, but it was only a matter of time before a final right cross from the 19-year-old sealed the deal at 1:44 of the first round.
With three KOs on his 4-0 ONE Friday Fights slate and a 57-7 record overall, Aliff is an undeniable star. And the higher-ups in ONE seemed to agree, as they gave him a six-figure contract to fight on the promotion’s biggest stage following his latest victory.
Petpairin Goes 2-0 In ONE Against Bhumjaithai
Following a successful debut at ONE Friday Fights 32, Petpairin Sor Jor Tongprachin boosted his stock further with a unanimous decision win over Bhumjaithai Mor Tor 1 in 123-pound catchweight Muay Thai action.
Petpairin controlled the early going, landing the better strikes on Bhumjaithai, but it wasn’t until the second frame that the 26-year-old truly let his hands loose.
He unleashed a perfectly timed elbow in the first ten seconds of the frame to drop the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym man and followed that up by sending him to the canvas again with a clean left hand off the break.
Somehow, Bhumjaithai survived to see the final frame, but it was plain to see that Petpairin would get the nod from the judges, which he did.
The Thai striker moved to 2-0 in ONE and 57-23 overall with the win.
Khunsuk Flattens Detphupa With Crushing Body Shot
Khunsuk Sor Dechapan relied on his monstrous hands to secure another win in ONE – this time in the form of a second-round finish – in his 113-pound catchweight Muay Thai clash with Detphupa ChotBangsaen.
The 20-year-old instantly went to work with his trademark weapons, but his debuting counterpart fired back with similar stings at every chance.
Detphupa’s attempt to take matters into his own hands in the second round proved costly, however, as Khunsuk found an opening to drill in a quickfire one-two to his foe’s solar plexus and end proceedings at 1:19 of the frame.
The Thai star bagged his fourth win at ONE Friday Fights with the knockout, and he moved to 54-12 in his career.
Khanzadeh Earns Debut Win In Three-Round Brawl
Mehrdad “Black Wolf” Khanzadeh is certainly going to have some sore hands in the morning.
“Black Wolf” beat the breaks off of Yangdam Jitmuangnon across three rounds to leave with a unanimous decision win, but the 122-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest was anything but easy for him.
Khanzadeh came out guns blazing in the first round, rushing Yangdam with everything he had in his arsenal to try and find a finish. But Yangdam took everything the Iranian had and then some.
The Thai star fought back in the second frame and opened cuts on Khanzadeh with brutal elbows, and the final frame saw both men throwing everything but the kitchen sink at each other.
But “Black Wolf” managed to land the more significant strikes, and he secured the unanimous decision win on his ONE debut.
Nongam’s Right Hand Makes The Difference Against Phetchumpair
Nongam Fairtex‘s dominant fists helped the Thai star post her fourth straight ONE Friday Fights victory against Phetchumpair Highland Gym in their 110-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest.
The Fairtex athlete had to work hard to get inside on her much taller foe, but she bravely charged forward with blistering overhand rights to score in round one.
Phetchumpair found her range more in round two, popping Nongam with her jab and right kick. The Highland Gym representative also caught and countered her opponent’s body kicks with well-timed sweeps.
There wasn’t much in it going into the final frame, but Nongam’s relentless charge forward and thudding right hands were enough for the judges to award her the win, and she extended her overall record to 47-5 as a result.
Bravo Survives Two Knockdowns To Crush Hansen At The Buzzer
The chances of surviving two quick-succession knockdowns are slim, but Ricardo Bravo beat the odds and punched his way to a late knockout win against Oliver Hansen in 165-pound catchweight Muay Thai action.
Bravo had a tough time closing the distance in the opening frame, as Hansen used his reach advantage to find a home for his missile-like rights and send him to the canvas twice.
That storm did little to dent the Argentinian’s confidence, however, and he dissected his rival’s defense with volume when the two got into close quarters in the second stanza.
With the win up for grabs in round three, Bravo made it count with his boxing combinations. He floored the Norwegian twice and then flew in with a final salvo of strikes to wrap the contest at the 2:59 mark.
Bravo earned his second promotional win with the finish and upped his overall slate to 26-2.
Gonzalez Outstrikes El Halabi For 20th Career Win
After a mixed bag of results, Xavier Gonzalez finally put back-to-back wins together in ONE when he met Omar El Halabi in a 126-pound catchweight Muay Thai thriller.
Gonzalez and El Halabi bit down on their gumshields from the first bell to the last, and both men were willing to take a licking and keep on ticking.
But the Spaniard’s strikes saw him maintain the edge over El Halabi throughout the nine-minute affair.
Gonzalez continuously caused his Lebanese counterpart to miss his target and made him pay with precise uppercuts and knees inside the clinch when he did.
The judges handed the 22-year-old the unanimous decision win in the end as a result, earning him his second victory in a row in ONE and the 20th of his career overall.
Felipe Narrowly Bests Samingdamn In Three-Round War
Rhuam “Show” Felipe edged past Samingdam Looksuanmuaythai in a back-and-forth flyweight Muay Thai brawl.
Samingdam drilled his Brazilian foe with hard counterpunches in round one and looked to have him wobbled, but Felipe came out firing in round two, adding heavy knees and elbows into his boxing offense to start turning the tide.
In round three, both men slugged it out inside the pocket, bludgeoning each other with heavy hooks and uppercuts.
However, Felipe’s aggression and intent were enough for him to win the favor of two judges, and the split-decision win saw him move to 56-5 and score his second ONE Friday Fights victory.
Gheirati Weathers The Storm To Finish Samingnum In Round Two
Parham Gheirati couldn’t have asked for a better ONE debut, as he returned from a knockdown to earn a second-round knockout win over Samingnum M Ekachart in their bantamweight Muay Thai matchup.
The 19-year-old striker was sent to the canvas early in round one when Samingnum caught him slacking and landed a snappy head kick. That juncture woke him up, though, and he came out in the second stanza with an entirely different plan.
Gheirati operated behind heavy combinations to cut off his Thai opponent’s piercing elbows and knees. That immense pressure paid off with less than a minute left in the frame.
The Iranian debutant connected with a blend of uppercuts, hooks, and straights that flattened Samingnum in the corner of the ring, causing the referee to wave off the fight.
Gheirati took home the KO win at 2:39 of the round as a result.
Royle Dominates Parshikov In Three-Round Dog Fight
Ben Royle returned to ONE for the first time in over two years and looked better than ever as he outworked Ivan Parshikov en route to a unanimous decision win in their bantamweight MMA battle.
The pair showcased their grappling expertise in the opening frame, with Royle fighting off his back to try and thwart Parshikov’s imposing top game.
They went to their feet for the remainder of the gritty contest, however, and traded heavy blows back and forth. But as Parshikov’s gas tank drained, Royle’s confidence grew.
The British star shot in with lethal elbows and high kicks in the final frame, cutting his Russian foe. Hoping for a finish, he locked in a rear-naked choke in the final seconds, but Parshikov was saved by the bell.
Nonetheless, Royle got the nod from the judges, and he moved to 2-1 in ONE and 7-2 overall.
Royal Finishes Fernandez Fast In MMA Opener
Coopar Royal opened the show in style with a dominant first-round victory over Ely Fernandez in their flyweight MMA clash.
The 24-year-old Australian was dominant on the feet, smashing Fernandez with heavy knees and elbows inside the clinch before deftly taking the Filipino’s back against the ropes.
Dragging his man to the canvas, Royal went on the hunt for a rear-naked choke straight away. He slid his left arm under Fernandez’s neck and squeezed hard to force the tap and earn a stunning debut victory after just 1:38 of the opening frame.
