ONE: REVOLUTION Lead Card: ‘Buchecha’ Wins MMA Debut, Adiwang Impresses
ONE: REVOLUTION got off to a fiery start at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, 24 September.
The mega show began with an explosive lead card, which was headlined by a pivotal strawweight mixed martial arts showdown.
Also, two high-level strikers squared off in a closely contested bout, a legendary kickboxer returned to the win column, a BJJ legend made his MMA debut, and another mixed martial artist impressed in his first professional appearance.
Here’s what went down on the ONE: REVOLUTION lead card.
Adiwang Brings The ‘Thunder’
Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang put on a commanding display against “Wolf of the Grasslands” Hexigetu in their strawweight mixed martial arts clash, and after 15 minutes of action, the 28-year-old from Benguet, Philippines, earned the unanimous decision win.
The Filipino star controlled the tempo of the bout from the opening bell, pressuring his Chinese opponent to engage in a stand-up battle with him. Adiwang utilized his striking prowess, and even connected with a flying right kick that caught Hexigetu off guard. He did not give any room for the China Top Team athlete to operate, and even when Hexigetu tried, he was punished by “Thunder Kid’s” rock-solid kicks to the midsection.
Hexigetu was almost immediately on the back foot again in round two, as the Team Lakay superstar switched things around by chopping his opponent’s lead leg with heavy inside leg kicks. Every time he took the fight to the “Wolf of the Grasslands,” the Chinese martial artist had little to nothing to offer.
Adiwang got things off to another cracking start in the third and final round, uncorking a three-two combination that found the mark. He continued to damage his foe with his versatile striking arsenal, flying in with head kicks and more combinations that forced the Chinese athlete to the edge of the Circle.
“Wolf of the Grasslands” did attempt to swing the round in his favor on a couple of occasions, but Adiwang was always one step ahead, and that was enough to cap off a memorable night for “Thunder Kid.”
Naito Survives Early Scare To Earn Split Decision
Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito and Petchdam “The Baby Shark” Petchyindee Academy battled inside a pressure cooker for nine minutes of their flyweight Muay Thai bout. And when the lid finally blew, it was the Japanese athlete who walked away with the split-decision win.
The pair went straight to work at the opening bell, firing off punches and kicks. Naito stayed light on his feet and teased the Thai with combinations. Petchdam, on the other hand, remained flat-footed and countered with his trademark left body kick. However, it was a straight left from Petchdam that scored the only knockdown of the fight.
Naito had a better start to the second round, mixing up his attacks and scoring with punches and kicks. He was also countering the Thai’s left kicks more effectively. Because of that, Petchdam had a hard time tracking down his bouncy opponent. And just before the round closed, a short left-hand counter from Naito stunned Petchdam and gave “Silent Sniper” the momentum he needed going into the final stage of the bout.
Both athletes showed urgency in the third round, flashing kicks at each other and testing their foe’s reactions. Petchdam timed Naito’s left hooks with accurate left high kicks – but Naito began to pull ahead with his furious output. His pressure was too much for Petchdam to match, and after the final bell rang, two of the three judges awarded Naito the win.
After defeating the former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion, “Silent Sniper” moved his combined Muay Thai and kickboxing record to 34-9. He also holds the #4 contender spot in the flyweight kickboxing ranks.
‘Buchecha’ Dominant In MMA Debut
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida had a mixed martial arts debut to remember. The 17-time BJJ World Champion forced veteran striker Anderson “Braddock” Silva to tap at 2:55 of the opening stanza in their heavyweight clash.
After a brief touch of gloves, Almeida successfully took down his fellow Brazilian and dominated from then on. From the top position, he unleashed strikes to Silva’s head and ribs before dragging the action to the center of the Circle.
From there, “Buchecha” started plotting his way to a finish. He switched to a north-south position, dropped heavy right knees into “Braddock’s” head, and secured a choke around his neck. The 31-year-old Sao Paulo native continued to squeeze the choke, and Silva – who was lying flat on the canvas – had no choice but to tap.
With his flawless debut victory, the famed grappling wizard showed that he can be a true threat in ONE’s heavyweight mixed martial arts division.
Petchtanong Puts On Kickboxing Masterclass
Zhang Chenglong might be the “Muay Thai Boy,” but #5-ranked Petchtanong Petchfergus showed the Chinese athlete why he’s the Muay Thai legend. Petchtanong scored a unanimous decision win over his younger opponent under ONE Super Series kickboxing rules.
Both bantamweights began the fight by trading low kicks, but after Zhang landed a high kick that woke Petchtanong up, the Thai marched into the fray with step-in knees that racked up damage on his foe’s body. Zhang tried to counter, but everything he tossed at the four-time Muay Thai World Champion was either evaded or negated with left punches and kicks.
The bout continued like this throughout round two, with Zhang throwing one-off attacks and Petchtanong using his seasoned footwork to evade and counter. The Thai’s step-in knees were a thing of wonder as he stood in place – he generated devastating power and then sent his knee cap into Zhang’s stomach.
By round three, Petchtanong had found his range and timing, and he barely took any damage from “Muay Thai Boy.” And the final 45 seconds of the canto said it all. Petchtanong bull-rushed Zhang into the Circle Wall and tried to put the finishing touches on him. To his credit, Zhang fought back, but the last-minute attack from the Thai earned him the win over the #4-ranked kickboxer and moved his combined fight record to 357-56-1.
Yang Decimates Rosauro In Debut
James Yang lived up to the hype in his professional debut.
The protege of MMA GOAT Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson was absolutely dominant in the ONE: REVOLUTION curtain-jerker, handily defeating Filipino veteran Roel Rosauro via second-round TKO.
With DJ in his corner, Yang kicked off this featherweight mixed martial arts contest by marching forward with kicks, punches, and knees. Rosauro countered off the back foot with punches, but they didn’t find the mark, and the AMC Pankration man continued to step in with single shots.
A minute into the clash, Yang switched things up and hit a double-leg takedown. From there, he got into side control and went for a kimura. Rosauro defended well, but the American held onto the arm and moved to the other side of his adversary’s body.
The Filipino rolled in an effort to escape, but Yang wisely stepped over and sunk in his hooks. He softened up the Cebu City native with well-placed ground strikes and eventually went for the rear-naked choke. But Rosauro survived the attempt, as well as the ensuing armbar and ground-and-pound attacks to see out the round.
Things looked the same in round two. Yang immediately caught a left kick, swept his opponent’s right leg, and took side control. Rosauro rolled over, but the American once again took the back and sunk his hooks in. Yang continued throwing punches, and when the Filipino could no longer intelligently defend himself, the referee called off the action to give Yang a debut to remember.
Read more: ONE: REVOLUTION – Live Results And Highlights For Every Fight
