Sangiao, Khalilov, Meng Score Finishes On ONE 164 Lead Card
The second half of ONE Championship’s martial arts doubleheader in Manila, Philippines, kicked off with a trio of finishes and a back-and-forth thriller.
On Saturday, December 3, the lead card of ONE 164: Pacio vs. Brooks delighted fans at the Mall of Asia Arena with MMA and Muay Thai bouts that set a furious pace from start to finish.
Here, we recap all the early action from the first four fights of the Asia primetime event.
Sangiao Stays Unbeaten With Quick Submission Of Lauron
In the featured bout of the lead card, 20-year-old prodigy Jhanlo Mark Sangiao added another first-round finish to his record, needing just 1:48 to tap out short-notice replacement opponent Anacleto Lauron in their catchweight match.
In the all-Filipino battle, it was Lauron who came out firing. The former ONE Warrior Series competitor opened the fight with a flying knee – but it was all Sangiao from there.
“The Machine” swiftly took the fight to the ground, worked his way to the back, and closed the show with a rear-naked choke.
The Team Lakay representative scored the first win of the night for his team on home soil and netted a US$50,000 performance bonus in front of cheering fans.
With the win, Sangiao also improved to 5-0 in his burgeoning MMA career and continued to put the bantamweight division on notice.
Khalilov Stops Chorfah To Gain First ONE Victory
Tagir Khalilov was looking to make a point after losing his first two fights in ONE, and he bounced back with an impressive finish of Thai standout Chorfah Tor.Sangtiennoi in their flyweight Muay Thai clash.
“Samingpri” went toe-to-toe with his debuting opponent and absorbed his share of shots. But midway through the first round, he timed his moment perfectly and sent Chorfah wobbling to the ground with a devastating right uppercut.
That powerful strike was too much for the 29-year-old to recover from, forcing the official to award the TKO after just 2:29 of action.
It was a massive result for Khalilov, who earned his 23rd professional victory in highlight-reel fashion and picked up a US$50,000 performance bonus for his effort.
Fernandez Edges Out Dangkongfah In Striking Spectacle
Lara Fernandez and Dangkongfah Banchamek squared off in a heated atomweight Muay Thai match, and the Spanish star was overjoyed to earn a pivotal split-decision victory in her second ONE appearance.
Both athletes were coming off losses in their promotional debuts – Fernandez in a World Title bout against Janet Todd – and engaged in flurries of fast-paced exchanges throughout the contest.
Fernandez fought off the back foot for much of their bout, but she chipped away at her 21-year-old foe with alternating boxing and low kick combinations.
On the other side, Dangkongfah increased her aggression as the fight progressed, but Fernandez kept coming forward despite the Thai’s numerous push kicks. The 26-year-old Spaniard expertly closed into the clinch to halt Dangkongfah’s pressure and then wore her out with knees.
“Pizza Power” also utilized her length and quickness to connect with shots and exit out of her opponent’s range before a counter could arrive.
After three solid rounds of striking, Fernandez edged out the win on the scorecards. The former WBC Muay Thai World Champion earned her 16th professional win overall and showed why she’s one of the most exciting names in the division.
Meng Decimates Olsim In 24 Seconds
Meng Bo returned to her trademark power-punching ways with a devastating 24-second knockout win over Jenelyn Olsim in their catchweight MMA contest.
With a raucous crowd urging on the two athletes in the evening’s opening bout, Meng and Olsim came forward and immediately traded leather. The Chinese star soon dodged a right hand from Olsim, and the Filipina ended up near the fence.
As the Team Lakay star took a step forward, Meng leveled her with an overhand right that careened into her jaw like a rocket. She then followed Olsim to the canvas with smashing elbows, forcing referee Mohamad Sulaiman to stop the bout.
The lightning-fast KO was the 14th finish of Meng’s career, improved her overall record to 20-6, and put the former atomweight right into the conversation of contenders in the women’s strawweight division.
