Kongchai Topples Chokpreecha, PayakSurin Scores TKO In Firefight With Pettapee At ONE Friday Fights 87
Another night of scintillating combat sports action went down when ONE Friday Fights 87 took over Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium on November 15.
ONE Championship brought 11 thrilling Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA bouts to the Thai capital and showcased an array of rising stars who battled hard in the hopes of earning a place on the organization’s global roster.
In case you missed any of the thrilling finishes or intense exchanges, here’s a recap of everything that occurred live in Asia primetime.
Kongchai Ends Chokpreecha’s Streak In Three-Round Brawl
Kongchai Chanaidonmueang handed Chokpreecha PK Saenchai his first loss in ONE Championship in their strawweight Muay Thai matchup, but it didn’t come easy.
The Thai duo went hell for leather early on, with Chokpreecha getting the better of the trades and wobbling his foe with a sharp overhand left midway through the first round.
However, the Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion stayed upright and battled back in round two. He continuously tagged his compatriot with knees and elbows to gain control and put the bout on a knife-edge.
With it all to play for, Kongchai utilized his range and picked off his opponent from distance in the final frame. This proved enough to earn the nod from all three judges in the end.
With the unanimous decision win, he moved to 74-13 in his career.
Irvine Outmanoeuvers Denkriangkrai To Score Decision Victory
Stephen “El Matador” Irvine displayed slick footwork and sharp striking to secure the win against Denkriangkrai Singha Mawynn in their 129-pound catchweight Muay Thai showdown.
The opening round saw both fighters trade evenly, with kicks and combinations landing from each side.
However, Irvine’s movement became the difference-maker in the second frame. He evaded counters and delivered a slicing elbow that cut his opponent’s forehead, then followed up with precise punches, kicks, and a powerful uppercut to the body.
“El Matador” ramped up his aggression in the final round, closing the distance to land sharp elbows at close range.
After three intense rounds, the judges awarded the Scottish striker the unanimous decision win, moving his ONE Championship record to 5-1 and 28-4 overall.
Singdomthong’s Left Hooks Sends Watcharaphon Packing Early
Singdomthong Nokjeanladkrabang’s rocket of a left helped him exact revenge against Watcharaphon Singha Mawynn in their 128-pound catchweight Muay Thai rematch.
The 24-year-old was forced to operate off the back foot, but he caught his longtime rival with a step-in left hook against traffic to put him down for the count early in round one.
Singdomthong stayed out of Watcharaphon’s line of sight after the restart before countering with an identical strike that sent the Singha Mawynn man crashing to the canvas for good at the 1:38 mark.
With the KO win, Singdomthong took his overall slate to 83-21 and 5-1 in ONE Friday Fights.
Krisana Outworks Lamnamkhong In ONE Debut
Krisana Daodenmuaythai made the most of his ONE debut as he dominated Lamnamkhong BS Muaythai across three rounds of 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai.
The 23-year-old put the pressure on immediately, lighting Lamnamkhong up with heavy combinations before wobbling him with a head kick out of nowhere to finish the first frame strong.
With his confidence high, Krisana used his knees and punches to the body and head to force his man to the mat in the second frame. But, showing his mettle, Lamnamkhong recovered to see the bell.
Hunting for the finish, Krisana pushed his Thai compatriot into the corner to land short elbows and knees to the body in the final frame. He continued to rain down abuse on Lamnamkong from there to secure the unanimous decision win and move to 71-28 in his career.
Khunpon Shines In TKO Victory Over Petchayut
Khunpon Or AudUdon impressed in his ONE Championship debut, earning a second-round TKO win over fellow Thai newcomer Petchayut Nupranburi in 122-pound catchweight Muay Thai.
Petchayut landed the first significant strike, but Khunpon responded with a right hook to score a knockdown in round one.
The wild exchanges continued in the second frame, but Khunpon sent his Thai compatriot down a second time via a right hand. Petchayut beat the count but found himself on the mats again soon after, thanks to a lethal left punch.
The Nupranburi man got back up, but Khunpon intensified his attack and landed a crushing knee that forced the referee to stop the fight at 2:18 of round two.
With the win, the 17-year-old striking star improved his record to 19-6.
PayakSurin Storms Back to Shut Down Pettapee In The Third
PayakSurin Sit JP flipped the script in his 122-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle with Pettapee Rongrienkelasurat.
The JP Mansion Muay Thai athlete was on cruise control from the get-go, throwing leather at full speed throughout the opening round.
His confidence suffered a blow when he was sent to the canvas with a right hand from Pettapee early in round two, but he fired back to get a knockdown off an elbow-straight combo towards the end of the frame.
PayakSurin came into the third round with fire and sent Pettapee down with a dizzying left and again with an uppercut when the match resumed. The 19-year-old star knew the fight was his from there, and a final barrage of strikes secured the TKO victory at the 1:24 mark, improving his slate to 42-10.
Irving Dominates Miao To Kick Off Streak In ONE
Kendu Irving lived up to expectations once again as he put on a clinic against Miao Aoqi in bantamweight Muay Thai.
The American’s short elbow strikes quickly became the story of the fight, and none came sharper or stronger than when he downed his Chinese nemesis inside the clinch in the opening round.
Miao survived to see the second stanza, but Irving’s elbows and body kicks continued to stump him at every turn.
The bout had become routine for the 24-year-old in the final round. He dazzled with more short elbows in the pocket to secure the unanimous decision win and move to 2-0 in ONE Championship and 12-3 overall.
Dittrich Scores Buzzer-Beater TKO Against Li-Chih
Marvin Dittrich showcased excellent distance management and striking prowess to secure a last-second victory over Li-Chih “Yeh Sifu” Yeh in his ONE Championship debut.
The German fighter started the atomweight Muay Thai affair strong, landing a leaping left hook and following up with two looping right hands in round one.
Dittrich maintained control in the second round, with powerful punches and elbows, and he managed the distance to prevent Li-Chih from closing in.
Sensing he was behind, the Chinese Taipei athlete fought back with aggressive punching combinations in the third frame. But Dittrich countered with a left hook to send him crashing to the canvas.
Li-Chih beat the count, but a final onslaught of strikes forced the referee to stop the fight at the 2:59 mark, handing Dittrich the TKO win and pushing his record to 15-5.
Shiba’s High Kick Stuns Cooper Late In Round Three
Kojiro Shiba sent fellow ONE Championship debutant Jamark Cooper down in the final seconds of their 120-pound catchweight kickboxing contest to announce himself in style on the global stage.
Shiba swung in with sweeping low left kicks that slowed down his American foe throughout the opening round. But momentum shifted in Cooper’s favor in round two as he kept action tight behind lethal jabs.
The Tiger Muay Thai affiliate was confident heading into the final frame, but he struggled to keep up with Shiba’s pace and low kicks.
The Japanese striker sensed the change, and he feinted with a low kick before connecting high with his left leg to put Cooper down and out at 2:34 of round three. The knockout win bumped Shiba’s overall resume to 10-2.
Baluyot Weathers Early Storm To Submit Kara-Ool In ONE Debut
Eros Baluyot had some work to do in his promotional debut against Changy Kara-Ool, but the unbeaten Filipino showed his worth to score the finish.
Kara-Ool oozed confidence early on in the strawweight MMA tie, showcasing his striking superiority, and leaving Baluyot unable to respond.
However, the Atos Jiu-Jitsu product turned the tide in the second frame. Kara-Ool’s strong opener left him with a false sense of security, allowing Baluyot to score a takedown. He made the most of his positioning from there to sink in a heel hook and force the tap at 1:06 of the second frame.
The submission win improved Baluyot’s career slate to 5-0.
Matsuda’s Ground Game Overwhelms Hadzhiev
Seiya Matsuda showcased his versatile ground game to secure a win over Rusi Hadzhiev in their featherweight MMA clash.
The Japanese fighter shot for a double-leg takedown early and landed a punishing knee to take control, but Hadzhiev reversed position and forced a brief stand-up exchange before the end of round one.
The Bulgarian striker pushed for a brawl in the second frame, but Matsuda stuck to his grappling to secure another takedown and deliver elbows and knees from top position.
Matsuda quickly took things to the mat again in the final round, and he attempted a kimura. Hadzhiev escaped, but the Blue Dog Gym star delivered more crushing knees to secure the unanimous decision win and go 2-0 in ONE Championship and 5-0 overall.
