Kulabdam Bests Musaev, Ronachai And Osmanov Dominant At ONE Friday Fights 19
ONE Championship kicked off an action-packed month with another stunning event at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium this past Friday, June 2.
In the latest installment of the organization’s weekly series, ONE Friday Fights 19 offered a bevy of elite Muay Thai contests in the sport’s spiritual homeland of Bangkok, Thailand, with exciting cameos in the kickboxing and MMA ranks.
But in case you missed it, here’s a rundown of everything that happened in the Thai capital on Friday.
Kulabdam Turns Up The Heat To Take Decision Over Musaev
The main event saw bantamweight Muay Thai standouts Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai and Ilyas Musaev put on a beautiful display of world-class striking.
Both men started with a calculated, patient approach, but as the match progressed, the Thai athlete began to press the action more and more, landing his notoriously powerful left hand behind thunderous leg kicks.
Musaev found a home for several counter-strikes of his own, but in the end, the former two-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion was a little sharper and walked away with the unanimous decision victory. The 24-year-old superstar now sports a 67-18-5 career record.
Ronachai’s Star Shines In Victorious ONE Debut
Making his debut in the co-main event, three-division Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Ronachai Tor Ramintra was determined to show up and show out, and that’s exactly what he did in the 124-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle.
The 25-year-old star overcame Aekkalak Sor Samarngarment‘s striking prowess, as he found a home for his kicks and gradually slowed him down. From there, he picked his shots, caused damage above his foe’s right eye, and controlled the remainder of the contest.
In the end, the judges awarded the unanimous decision to Ronachai, giving him an unforgettable debut victory and moving his career record to 91-18-2.
Rittidet Flips The Script, Finishes Barnes In Shocking Fashion
Jalill Barnes was in great form for the first two rounds of his 133-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle against Rittidet Sor Sommai – until his rival flipped the script, that is.
Barnes caught his Thai foe with hard punches and elbows for the first six minutes of the contest, including a thudding left uppercut that wobbled the Sor Sommai man, but Rittidet never took a backward step.
In round three, however, the Thai veteran came out firing and put “Green Lotus” down with a stunning left hook after just 20 seconds. That knockout performance moved his record to 83-8-1.
Petrapha Weathers Early Storm To Take Split-Decision Nod
In 122-pound catchweight Muay Thai action, Petrapha Sor Sopit put on an incredible display of heart and determination to capture a split-decision victory over his Thai countryman Den Sitnayoktaweeptaphong.
Den was aggressive from the jump, finding a home for his vicious elbows throughout the first frame. But the Sor Sopit product kept his composure and stayed the course through the final two stanzas, as he pressured his foe with heavy punching combinations.
That impressive boxing work would be enough to earn Petrapha the decision on two of the three judges’ scorecards, giving him his 51st career victory.
Kohtao Stops Amnartdet In Dramatic Third-Round Blitz
Having met twice outside of ONE, it was only right that this 116-pound catchweight Muay Thai trilogy between Kohtao Petsomnuk and Amnartdet Sitnayokmot would take place on the biggest stage possible – that being the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Despite knowing each other very well, the Thai compatriots committed to a frantic pace against one another from the get-go. However, the striking superiority favored Kohtao, who landed the sharper attacks across the board, and his late offensive would ultimately be too much for Amnartdet to handle.
Kohtao’s flurry of punches forced the referee’s stoppage with six seconds remaining in the contest, giving the Thai his first victory in ONE and elevating his career record to 51-13-1.
Teen Star Akbari Debuts With Split-Decision Win
Eighteen-year-old sensation Soroush Akbari impressed in his promotional debut, edging out Parnpet Sor Jor Lekmuangnon in their 126-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest.
Akbari dropped his 23-year-old rival with a well-timed right cross just seven seconds into the opening stanza, but the Thai dynamo quickly got back to his feet. The Iranian then continued this relentless assault in round two, countering Parnpet’s aggressive flying knees.
Parnpet tried to stage a comeback with multiple knee strikes in the third, but Akbari’s one-two combination and right cross sealed him the split-decision victory, improving his professional record to 22-3.
Osmanov Rips Through Kaonar, Keeps Perfect Record Intact
Undefeated rising star Elbrus Osmanov promised to put on a clinic in his bantamweight kickboxing clash with Kaonar Sor Jor Thongprajin, and “Dagestan Samurai” lived up to his vow.
Kaonar, a former Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion, couldn’t adjust fast enough to the pace of the new sport, as Osmanov relentlessly waded in with punches, kicks, and spinning attacks.
The Russian also replied to Kaonar’s trademark left kick with thudding counters, cruising to a unanimous decision victory and extending his unbeaten record to 8-0.
Cicek Stuns Panrit, Authors Stunning Comeback KO
Turkish star Ferzan Cicek dug deep to secure a shocking come-from-behind knockout against local hero Panrit Lukjaomaesaiwaree in their bantamweight Muay Thai thriller.
The Thai athlete punished “The Boogeyman” with slashing elbows through the opening stanza and dropped him with a rib-crunching body shot in the second. But in the third and final frame, Cicek let his hands fly, landing a flush left hook to Panrit’s jaw to send him crashing to the canvas.
The highlight-reel knockout came at 26 seconds into the round and pushed the Team Mehdi Zatout representative’s career record to 21-6.
Pongsiri Edges Silva, Gets Hard-Earned Unanimous Decision
Pongsiri Sor Jor Wichitpadriew fully expected to extend his winning streak in Lumpinee Stadium, and he did just that by scoring a unanimous decision victory over Noelisson Silva in their 128.8-pound catchweight Muay Thai affair.
The Thai striker controlled the opening fragments of the fight, landing the cleaner shots on his Brazilian counterpart. However, Silva responded in the second frame by pressuring his foe.
It was all to play for in the final stanza, as the two combatants let loose with their striking. Ultimately, Pongsiri managed the distance well to earn the judges’ nod.
The unanimous decision marked the Thai’s 42nd career victory, put him at 2-0 in ONE, and extended his winning streak to seven in a row.
Diachkova Shines With First-Round Victory Over Nocker
Natalia Diachkova displayed some ruthless aggression against Lena Nocker in their strawweight Muay Thai clash.
Less than 90 seconds after the opening bell rang, the Russian warrior fired off a strong right cross, resulting in the first knockdown of the match.
Nocker quickly returned to her feet, but “Karelian Lynx” gave her no room to breathe, as she landed a rapid one-two combination seconds later to floor her opponent again. The Italian answered the referee’s count once more, but Diachkova immediately attacked and launched a series of unanswered blows.
This offensive convinced the referee to stop the fight at 1:58 of round one, marking the Russian’s second straight first-round finish on ONE Friday Fights and boosting her overall striking record to 28-4.
Chen Earns Close Win Over Zamboanga With Heavy Body Shots
Chen Rui bludgeoned his way back into the winner’s circle with a split-decision victory over Drex Zamboanga in their bantamweight MMA war.
After feeling some early pressure from Zamboanga, the Chinese star went on the offensive and landed some wince-inducing body shots that almost put his rival away in the opening frame.
The Filipino fought back valiantly, connecting with strikes and hitting takedowns, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Chen’s near-finish. “The Ghost” earned the favor of two judges to improve his record to 16-5.
Umachiev Outpoints Shaymanov In Three-Round Battle
The show kicked off with a lightweight MMA scrap, as rising stars Murad Umachiev and Ibragim Shaymanov went head-to-head for three intense rounds.
Both men weren’t afraid to throw bombs on the feet or exchange freely on the ground, but it was Umachiev’s strong takedowns, top control, and general pacing through the first two stanzas that earned him a hard-fought unanimous decision.
With the win, the undefeated Russian earned his third career victory and looks to have the all-around skill set to make waves in the lightweight division.
