Sam-A, Seksan, Muangthai Earn Thrilling Highlight-Reel Victories At ONE Friday Fights 9
The world’s largest martial arts organization brought its biggest ONE Friday Fights card yet to Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on March 17, and the blockbuster spectacle did not disappoint.
ONE Friday Fights 9 showcased elite-level Muay Thai action at the iconic venue in Bangkok, Thailand, as well as a pair of exciting MMA bouts with some of the most talented international stars in the sport.
Here’s the rundown of all the intense battles and spectacular knockouts from the evening’s supporting cast.
Muangthai Takes Out Rival Kulabdam With Scorching Elbow KO
The epic series between bantamweight Muay Thai warriors Muangthai PK Saenchai and Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai finally came to the global stage, and the duo produced an instant classic.
For more than two rounds, both men dug into their bag of tricks in a sterling showcase of “the art of eight limbs.”
But in the end, Muangthai lived up to his “Elbow Zombie” nickname by stepping in and leveling his rival with a right elbow for the ages. The strike instantly dropped Kulabdam, causing the referee to stop the contest at 1:37 of the third and final stanza.
With the win, Muangthai moved his record to 203-43-4 and pulled ahead of his compatriot in their series, taking a 2-1-1 lead.
Sam-A Impressive In Comeback, Knocks Out Ryan Sheehan
Muay Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao sent the crowd inside the iconic venue into a frenzy with a second-round knockout victory over Ryan Sheehan in their strawweight Muay Thai battle.
After pelting the Irishman with leg kicks and straight lefts for the majority of the opening frame, the former two-sport, two-division ONE World Champion stuck to the same tactics in the second round, and it didn’t take him long to wrap up his comeback fight in typical fashion.
A massive counter left dropped Sheehan for the first eight-count, and just a minute later, another stinging left connected cleanly on the jaw, giving the Thai hero the knockout at the 2:52 mark of round two. The win elevated his combined striking record to 373-48-9.
Petjeeja Finishes Fani Peloumpi With Crushing Body Shot
Petjeeja Lukjaoporongtom was calm and calculated like a world-class surgeon in her near-perfect ONE debut, earning a mesmerizing TKO victory in the second round of her 121-pound catchweight Muay Thai showdown.
From the opening bell, the 21-year-old walked down Fani Peloumpi with brilliantly placed strikes. Her forward march continued in the second round until she had her prey backed into a corner. It was there where Petjeeja unleashed the crushing body blows that finished the Greek-Albanian dynamo.
The referee stopped the tilt at 1:38 of the second frame, giving Petjeeja a statement-making win and pushing her overall record to 203-12.
Sulaiman Ruins Chaongoh’s Spotless Record
Sulaiman Looksuan couldn’t have wished for a better start to life in the world’s largest martial arts organization, as he earned a second-round knockout over Chaongoh Jitmuangnon in their 134-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest.
The Myanmar athlete quickly put on the pressure, firing jabs, straight punches, and crosses from all angles. Chaongoh willingly engaged in the melee, but that tactic would ultimately backfire.
Seconds into round two, Sulaiman dropped his Thai rival with a combination for the first eight-count of the bout. Chaongoh tried to score with his weapons after the restart, but Sulaiman connected with another pair of jabs off the back foot – the second of which effectively turned off his foe’s lights and caused the referee to stop the contest just 90 seconds into the frame.
With the KO victory, Sulaiman pushed his record to 14-3 and handed Chaongoh his first loss.
Seksan Gets The Nod In Epic Battle With Silviu Vitez
Fans know to expect chaos every time Seksan Or Kwanmuang steps into the ring, and he didn’t disappoint in his 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai showdown with Silviu Vitez.
Vitez played his part in the thrilling battle, wading into the Thai legend with heavy boxing combinations and thudding low kicks. Those strikes, however, could not fend off “The Man Who Yields To No One.”
Seksan fired back with all of his weapons, including his thunderous right hand, and never let up on the pressure. This earned him the unanimous decision win and pushed his incredible record to 195-74-8.
Yodlekpet Sleeps Saman Ashouri In Muay Thai Firefight
In 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai action, local hero Yodlekpet Or Atchariya went to war and came out the victor against Saman Ashouri.
The contest was a barnburner for as long as it lasted, with both combatants willing to trade heavy blows throughout the first round. But just 27 seconds into round two, the Thai star connected with a massive right hand to put the Iranian down for the count.
That knockout performance improved “The Destroyer’s” career record to an impressive 86-33-3.
Tagir Khalilov Wipes Out Black Panther With Ripping Body Shot
Tagir Khalilov showed his devastating power once again as he took out Black Panther in the opening frame of their flyweight Muay Thai contest.
The Russian slugger had to contend with some aggression from his Thai rival early on, but once “Samingpri” started to land his punches, there was no slowing him down.
Khalilov sent Black Panther reeling with a huge uppercut to start the finishing salvo. Then he followed up with a wince-inducing right hook to the body to seal the deal at 2:04, extending his record to 24-11-2.
Tatsumitsu Wada Submits Ernesto Montilla In Under 2 Minutes
Japanese veteran Tatsumitsu Wada made quick work of promotional newcomer Ernesto Montilla in their flyweight MMA bout.
“The Sweeper” put his foe on the canvas early with a stunning punch and then secured his back on the mat. The Filipino athlete held out for as long as he could, but Wada sunk in the rear-naked choke before he could defend it and forced him to tap at the 1:52 mark of the opening stanza.
That lightning-fast submission gave Wada his 25th career victory.
Yoon Chang Min Edges Out Kirill Gorobets In Exciting MMA Scrap
“The Big Heart” Yoon Chang Min and Kirill Gorobets thrilled the Bangkok crowd with a back-and-forth MMA clash that went the distance.
Fought at a catchweight of 159 pounds, the three-round battle saw both men score with some powerful strikes. However, South Korea’s Yoon edged ahead by getting the better of the grappling exchanges.
Ultimately, “The Big Heart” earned the split-decision nod from the judges, which pushed his record to 7-2 and put him on a two-bout winning streak.
Nakrob Overwhelms Chen Jiayi, Gets Shocking Finish
ONE Friday Fights 9 started with fireworks, as Nakrob Fairtex secured a second-round TKO victory over promotional newcomer Chen Jiayi in their flyweight Muay Thai scrap.
Nakrob weathered an early storm, eating several flurries of punches from the Chinese standout. But the Thai quickly turned the tide in the second stanza with an outpouring of offense that put an exhausted Chen on his last legs.
The finish came at the 2:45 mark of round two when a seemingly defenseless Chen ate a number of knees to the gut, forcing the referee to call an end to the action-packed contest.
With the win, the 24-year-old rising star improved his ONE record to 2-0 and his overall career slate to 61-20.
