Liu Peng Shuai Digs Deep To Win With Last-Minute Submission

After more than two years away from ONE Championship, Liu Peng Shuai made a triumphant return with a late submission of Elipitua Siregar at ONE: CLASH OF LEGENDS.

The Chinese strawweight looked like he might lose out on the judges’ scorecards after a back-and-forth three-round war of attrition on Saturday, 16 February in Bangkok, Thailand, but he pulled out a last-gasp kimura to score a fantastic victory inside the Impact Arena.

Liu took the center of the ring to start the first bout of the night. He did a good job attacking for takedowns, which allowed him to put the Indonesian Wrestling Champion on the back foot in the grappling exchanges and control the complexion of the match.

On the mat, Siregar was active off his back, as he attacked with an armbar, kneebar, guillotine, and triangle choke throughout the opening stanza. But the Fighting Bros Club representative was never a static target. He scrambled well to get out of danger and back to his feet.

Round two began with a Siregar takedown. He passed to mount, but the ONE Hefei Flyweight Tournament Champion got clear of danger again before he could absorb much damage from his opponent’s ground and pound.

Back on the feet, Liu took a kimura from the standing position, but after he dragged his rival to the canvas, he gave up his back and a deep guillotine choke. Somehow, he just managed to survive by peeling one of the Indonesian’s hands away.

After he escaped and both 22-year-olds were standing again, Siregar had started to show signs of fatigue. Even so, he brought the match to the ground, moved to mount, landed some punches, and took the back again.

Despite his aggression, he could not come as close to a submission this time. The Beijing native swept him and threatened on top with knees as the bell rang to end the second period.

Both athletes were tiring as the final frame got started, but Liu was sharper with his punches and kicks during the longest spell of striking in the match.

Siregar summoned all his energy to explode with a double-leg takedown and started unloading the heavy artillery in the corner of the ring. He let his rival back up to his feet, but the Chinese strawweight went for a single-leg.

The Indonesian wisely defended and took top position, where it looked like he would ride out the remainder of the bout.

However, he was swept again, and this time, Liu locked in a kimura. Siregar held on at first, but after both athletes exchanged positions in a final scramble, the Beijing resident ended up on top and coaxed the tap.

The finish came at 4:15 of the third round. By handing Siregar his first defeat as a professional mixed martial artist, Liu improved his record to 6-3.

He may have been away a while, but the ONE Hefei Flyweight Tournament Champion has emerged from the wilderness as one to watch in the strawweight division.