Ramazanov, Ferrari Win On ONE 161 Lead Card; Marello Earns Historic Submission
A record-breaking finish, a sensational debut, and a heated rematch highlighted the lead card of ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs. Tawanchai.
Fans were treated to a variety of exciting action across five opening bouts, which delivered fireworks and hard-fought battles on Thursday, September 29.
Here, we recap all the MMA, submission grappling, and Muay Thai action on the lead card of ONE 161 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Ramazanov Gets Even With Capitan In Closely Contested Rematch
After dropping the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title to Capitan Petchyindee last year, Alaverdi Ramazanov got his revenge at ONE 161 – this time under Muay Thai rules.
The pair of former ONE World Champions met in the final bout of the lead card, as #4-ranked Ramazanov earned a tight split decision over the Thai star and showed he’s a serious threat in the division.
“Babyface Killer” put heavy pressure on Capitan from the get-go, wearing him down with heavy boxing combinations. It appeared the Thai would be able to mount a comeback in the second stanza, but the Russian stunned him – and fans worldwide – with a powerful elbow.
In the final round, Ramazanov threw everything at Capitan, stalking him around the Circle and closing the distance despite absorbing numerous kicks. And in the closing seconds, the 27-year-old landed another heavy blow that dropped the Thai to his knees and cemented the pivotal win.
Sangmanee Outlasts Zhang In Return To Winning Ways
“The Million Dollar Baby” Sangmanee PK.Saenchai shrugged off a slow start and got back on track by outlasting “Muay Thai Boy” Zhang Chenglong via split decision in a three-round bantamweight Muay Thai bout.
It wasn’t an ideal start for the PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym representative, as Zhang utilized his reach and mixed his boxing with kicks to frustrate the Thai.
Soon after, though, Sangmanee began to figure out the Chinese heavy hitter. He managed to close the distance and turned the rest of the bout into a grind, landing elbows and knees in the clinch repeatedly.
After three rounds, two judges were convinced “The Million Dollar Baby” had edged out Zhang, giving him the hard-earned victory.
And now that he’s finished receiving his Master’s in Law outside of competition, it appears the 25-year-old is focused on making a run in the division ruled by longtime king Nong-O Gaiyanghadao.
Ferrari Stuns In ONE Debut
In the first Muay Thai match of the evening, Ferrari Fairtex proved why he’s one of the hottest promotional signings of recent times by putting on a striking clinic against former ONE World Title challenger Han Zi Hao.
The 25-year-old Thai star showed glimpses of greatness in the first round of this featherweight battle, fending off his aggressive opponent with push kicks and jabs. And in rounds two and three, he upped the tempo, attacked more frequently, and left Han picking himself up off the canvas.
Meanwhile, fans were left picking their jaws up off their laps. No matter what the Chinese athlete threw, Ferrari would evade and counter. Then, in a display of pure striking wizardry, he would stop Han dead in his tracks with an attack to halt any counters.
After nine minutes of head-spinning action, the judges gave the nod to the Fairtex standout, who showed that he’s one of the most exciting names to watch in ONE’s all-striking divisions.
Marello Submits Ruslan Bagdasarian In 15 Seconds
Rodrigo Marello wasted no time making a statement in his promotional debut, as he achieved the fastest finish in ONE submission grappling history with an astonishing 15-second victory over Ruslan Bagdasarian at bantamweight.
The 27-year-old Brazilian took the action to the floor immediately against his Russian adversary, wrapping around the sambo specialist’s leg and putting him on his back.
From there, Marello tightly reaped at the Achilles of Bagdasarian and secured an ankle lock that left no room for escape and forced the hurried tap.
With the remarkable submission, the BJJ wizard earned a US$50,000 performance bonus, entered the record books, and showcased his sky-high potential in ONE Championship’s burgeoning submission grappling divisions.
Foladi Debuts In Style With First-Round KO Of Felipe
Ali Foladi announced his arrival in ONE Championship in explosive fashion with a fiery first-round knockout win over Matheus “Ta Danado” Felipe in their three-round middleweight MMA bout.
The Iranian wrestling sensation utilized his movement and patiently sat back while waiting for the opportunity to take out the aggressive Brazilian with one shot.
That opportunity came inside the final minute of the first round, as he parried Felipe’s lead hand before sending a booming straight right to finish off “Ta Danado.”
Herb Dean stopped the bout at 4:20 of the first frame, keeping Foladi unbeaten in mixed martial arts, with all of his wins coming inside the distance.
The 31-year-old’s impressive knockout also showed there’s another intriguing contender in town with their eyes on ONE Middleweight World Champion Reiner “The Dutch Knight” de Ridder.
