ONE 170 Results: Estupinan Twins, Marcelo Garcia, Bampara Kouyate Shine On Wild Supporting Card
The world’s largest martial arts organization returned in Asia primetime on January 24 with a blockbuster 12-fight card at the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE 170: Tawanchai vs. Superbon II featured a trio of massive World Title fights, but first, fans were treated to nine compelling matchups in four different combat sports disciplines.
Here, we recap the entire supporting card of ONE 170, which included rising stars going head-to-head, the long-awaited return of a BJJ legend, and so much more.
Seksan Wins All-Out War Against Soe Lin Oo
Seksan “The Man Who Yields To No ONE” Or Kwanmuang emerged victorious in his all gas and no brakes 142.5-pound catchweight Muay Thai war against Soe “Man of Steel” Lin Oo.
The four-time Muay Thai World Champion’s attacks came fast and furious. He used his hands to back the lethwei specialist against the Circle Wall and followed up with wicked uppercuts, hooks, and elbows in the clinch.
While his Myanmar foe came forward with strikes that would have sent lesser men down, “The Man Who Yields To No One” ate them with ease and used his trademark aggression to power his way to a well-deserved unanimous decision.
With the victory, the 36-year-old legend moved to 203-75 overall and 10-1 in the organization.
Quick-Fire Kouyate Starches Nattawut In First Round
Fourth-ranked featherweight Muay Thai contender Bampara Kouyate took the biggest win of his career by finishing #2-ranked “Smokin” Jo Nattawut in the very first round of their pivotal encounter.
After sizing each other up with kicks in the early going, Kouyate scored the first of his three knockdowns when he caught Nattawut’s kick and countered with a straight right.
Seconds later, he scored another one by breaking through Nattawut’s guard and then wrapped up the fight with a third and final knockdown by being quicker to the punch, connecting with another right to put Nattawut away.
The victory pushed “Bambi Firelek” to 36-2 for his career as he made a strong case to challenge divisional king Tawanchai PK Saenchai.
Sinsamut Obliterates Trujillo In Opening Frame
Former ONE World Title challenger Sinsamut “Aquaman” Klinmee snapped his two-fight skid with a first-round demolition of Nauzet Trujillo in their lightweight Muay Thai clash.
The 29-year-old Thai quickly lit up the Impact Arena with a crushing right hand that staggered his Spanish opponent, then followed up with a right elbow and another right punch to score his first knockdown.
Trujillo beat the count but was floored again by a devastating right hand. Though he rose once more, a slicing right elbow from Sinsamut sealed the deal, securing the third and final knockdown at 2:34 of round one.
With the sensational TKO win, Sinsamut earned a $50,000 performance bonus and improved his professional record to 83-20.
Estupinan Emerges Victorious In Battle Of The Johans
Johan “Panda Kick” Estupinan kept his undefeated record alive with a gutsy performance against fellow rising star Johan “Jojo” Ghazali.
The flyweight Muay Thai strikers traded heavy and hard shots from the get-go, with Ghazali scoring the first knockdown on Estupinan courtesy of a right hand.
In round two, though, the 22-year-old Colombian returned the favor with crisp punches of his own. Ghazali, showing resilience, survived the round.
The fight was still up for grabs in the final frame, but Estupinan proved he wanted the victory that much more, blitzing the 18-year-old Malaysian-American with kicks and punches to the final seconds.
With the win, Estupinan joined his twin brother, Jordan Estupinan, in victory at ONE 170 and moved his professional slate to a blemish-free 27-0.
Abevi Mauls Mamedov To Take Third Straight Win
Maurice Abevi showcased his well-rounded arsenal as he handed Samat Mamedov his first professional loss in their 176-pound catchweight MMA bout.
Abevi was solid early, connecting with a bevy of huge strikes – including a booming straight right and a big body kick – forcing the Kazakh to change levels and take the fight to the ground.
The Swiss sensation was ready for that attempt, as he defended the takedown well, took his opponent’s back, and eventually landed in half-guard, where he dropped heavy ground-and-pound that busted open Mamedov’s head.
Soon after, Abevi secured the TKO win at the 2:46 mark of the first round to win his third consecutive fight in ONE and improve to 9-1 overall.
Garcia Debuts In Style, Taps Imanari Via North-South Choke
Marcelo “Marcelinho” Garcia overcame several battles throughout his almost 14-year layoff from professional competition, and there was no sweeter way to announce his return in this much-celebrated ONE Championship submission grappling debut.
The nine-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion made quick work of Masakazu “Ashikan-Judan” Imanari in their openweight legend vs. legend showcase to win by submission.
Garcia turned up the heat from the sound of the bell, instantly securing top control before working his way into half mount. From there, the debutant perfected his route to a highlight-reel finish.
The 42-year-old jumped on an arm-triangle choke, but after failing to tighten the squeeze from the top, Garcia switched positions to draw a tap from the Japanese veteran via north-south choke at the 4:49 mark.
Garcia’s 56th submission improved his professional slate to 86-17. Immediately after the triumph, the Brazilian shifted his attention to fellow grappling icon Shinya Aoki.
Noiri Pulverizes Al-Tekreeti With Second-Round TKO
Former two-division K-1 Champion Masaaki Noiri earned his first victory in ONE by stopping Shakir Al-Tekreeti in the second round of their featherweight kickboxing foray.
Al-Tekreeti pushed the pace in the opening frame, attacking with step-in knees. But once Noiri found his range, he began punishing his foe with low kicks. The tactic started to take its toll on Al-Tekreeti, who was forced to the canvas for an eight-count.
In round two, the 31-year-old Japanese superstar went right back to his low kicks. Al-Tekreeti, unable to withstand any more damage, fell at the 14-second mark and couldn’t get up.
The victory nudged Noiri’s record to 50-13 overall and delivered his 26th career finish.
Suriyanlek Survives Thant Zin’s Kicks In Sensational Comeback
Suriyanlek Por Yenying delivered a gutsy performance by scoring a second-round TKO over Thant Zin in their 137.25-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout.
Thant Zin took control of the bout early, as his low kicks nearly took out the Thai’s lead leg throughout the entire first round and the early parts of the second – but from there, Suriyanlek engineered an amazing comeback.
First, a left hook from Suriyanlek dropped the Myanmar athlete to the canvas. He soon followed it up with an overhand right to get his second, before wrapping things up with a beautiful straight to secure the third knockdown and the TKO win.
The finish came at the 2:09 mark of the second round, pushing the 28-year-old’s pro record to 82-28.
Jordan Estupinan Drops Freddie Haggerty Twice In Entertaining Debut Win
Jordan “Panda Kick” Estupinan put on an impressive performance in his ONE Championship debut against Freddie Haggerty in the flyweight Muay Thai opener.
The 22-year-old Colombian constantly utilized his kicks. However, those only served as a distraction from his true weapons, which he unleashed in the following frame.
As Haggerty stepped in with a looping hand in the second, Estupinan countered with a crushing right hand that sent the Brit to the canvas. Haggerty beat the count, but “Panda Kick” dropped him again with another thunderous punch.
The British youngster showed grit in the final round. He unleashed punching combinations to the body as he tried to turn the tide, but Estupinan absorbed the pressure and fired back when needed.
After three fiery rounds, the promotional newcomer earned a unanimous decision victory and moved to 8-0 overall.
