Tawanchai, Lineker, Reug Reug Shine With Highlight-Reel Wins At ONE Fight Night 13 On Prime Video
ONE Championship kicked off the month in epic fashion this past Friday, August 4.
Just hours removed from ONE Friday Fights 27, the world’s largest martial arts organization returned to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, with ONE Fight Night 13: Allazov vs. Grigorian on Prime Video.
The North American primetime event was headlined by a pair of captivating World Title bouts, but the supporting card was just as entertaining. It featured five jaw-dropping highlight-reel finishes and a trio of back-and-forth thrillers.
Here’s a recap of all the undercard action that went down.
Tawanchai Shatters Kiria’s Arm With Damaging Kick
Tawanchai PK Saenchai has claimed another limb. This time, it was Davit Kiria’s arm that felt the Thai superstar’s wrath.
The ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion was successful in his first promotional kickboxing contest, earning a third-round stoppage victory.
Tawanchai’s ferocious kicking arsenal transitioned perfectly into the kickboxing realm, as he used slick footwork to frustrate Kiria and chop away at his arms and body in the opening two stanzas.
Kiria’s right arm appeared to be compromised at the start of the third round, and the Thai southpaw wasted no time in exploiting the vulnerable limb, landing yet another thunderous left kick. The blow severely damaged the Georgian’s arm, forcing him to surrender just 29 seconds into the frame.
The TKO victory moved Tawanchai’s combined striking record to 130-31-2 and also earned him a US$50,000 performance bonus.
Lineker’s ‘Hands of Stone’ Powers Him To Buzzer-Beating TKO
John Lineker lit up the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium with late drama in this 151-pound catchweight MMA match, and it was all due to his “Hands of Stone.”
He faced stiff opposition from “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong in the first and second rounds, but he ultimately authored a spectacular highlight-reel TKO at the 4:56 mark of the third and final frame.
The South Korean came prepared to throw down and take the former divisional king into deep waters on the canvas. However, nothing really troubled the Brazilian athlete.
And just when Kim grew confident in his striking in the third stanza, Lineker replied with a glancing overhand left that flattened him. “Hands of Stone” followed up with a bevy of strikes on the ground that forced referee Herb Dean to call a stop to the contest with only four seconds left on the clock.
Lineker’s victory improved his record to 36-10 (1 NC) and may have earned him a rematch against reigning ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio Andrade, who was in attendance in the Thai capital.
Supergirl Outpoints Fernandez In Three-Round Scrap
Teenage prodigy Anna “Supergirl” Jaroonsak impressed in her 118-pound catchweight kickboxing battle against Lara “Pizza Power” Fernandez.
The 19-year-old Thai athlete consistently found a home for her punishing straight right hand – a damaging weapon she was able to land on both the lead and counter. At times, she even connected with her world-famous spearing knee.
Fernandez fired back with some offense of her own in the third and final round, scoring with punches and her right kick. But ultimately, “Supergirl” was awarded the unanimous decision on the strength of her early work.
The victory pushes the Thai’s overall striking record to 40-6-1 overall.
Reug Reug Prevails Over Buchecha In Heavyweight Classic
“Reug Reug” Oumar Kane may have been the underdog, but he rose to the occasion and handed 17-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida his first MMA blemish in this heavyweight classic.
The two behemoths traded leather early in the opening frame, but when the action hit the canvas, the Senegalese wrestling star displayed phenomenal athleticism to scramble his way out of trouble and land some ground-and-pound.
Eventually, the action returned to the feet. “Reug Reug” would wobble his rival late in the first stanza, but Almeida hit a takedown in a desperate bid to survive the round.
The roles were reversed in the second canto, as “Buchecha” took Kane to the mat. The Brazilian unloaded some ground-and-pound of his own and hunted for submissions, but the Senegalese athlete escaped and hit a takedown to finish the frame on top.
A battle of positioning embodied most of the third round, and “Reug Reug” would be issued a yellow card for repeatedly grabbing his opponent’s shorts. But Kane was undeterred, and both fighters swung for the fences in the final minute of the epic contest.
In the end, the Senegalese sensation was awarded the unanimous decision to push his record to 6-1. He was also given a US$50,000 performance bonus to boot.
Mahmoudi’s Knees Destroy Tabares In 98 Seconds
After two years on the sidelines, #5-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Elias Mahmoudi smashed his way to a stellar first-round TKO victory over Edgar Tabares in their 135.25-pound catchweight battle.
The Algerian’s triumph was quick, decisive, and destructive. Mahmoudi floored the Mexican with a left uppercut from close range for the first knockdown of the contest, and he continued his onslaught after the restart.
A bucketload of knees to the jaw sent Tabares to the canvas for the bout’s second knockdown, and another round of knees in the clinch earned him the highlight-reel finish just 98 seconds into the battle.
It was a statement-making performance from Mahmoudi, who pushed his record to 33-7 and reminded everyone just how dangerous of a threat he is to the flyweight Muay Thai division’s pecking order.
Ruotolo Taps Arslanaliev, Earns World Title Shot
Tye Ruotolo was in the driver’s seat for essentially all of his 180-pound catchweight submission grappling clash with #2-ranked lightweight MMA contender Dagi Arslanaliev.
After a brief feeling-out period on the feet, the American prodigy brought the action to the canvas, rolling into a deep leg entanglement. Arslanaliev survived several leglock attempts, but Ruotolo continued to chain submissions together with ruthless intentions.
Eventually, the 20-year-old’s aggression paid off as he sunk in a deep rear-naked choke, bringing an end to the contest at the 2:39 mark of the single 10-minute round.
With the victory, Ruotolo improved his career record to 25-10, secured a US$50,000 performance bonus, and was given a shot at the inaugural ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title in his next appearance.
Rungrawee Dominates Trujillo In Three-Round Battle
Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong continued his string of success, defeating brave Spaniard Nauzet Trujillo via unanimous decision to secure his 11th straight victory.
The left kick was the story of the fight for the southpaw Rungrawee, who continued to move forward and threaten Trujillo throughout the 174-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest. Ultimately, “Legatron” was the sharper striker and deservingly got the judges’ nod after three rounds of action.
That win was Rungrawee’s third under the ONE banner, and it elevated the 27-year-old Thai star’s career mark to 155-46.
Baatarkhuu Taps Out Sangiao, Breaks His Perfect Record
Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu impressed in his U.S. primetime debut by submitting Jhanlo Mark Sangiao with a second-round kimura and handing the undefeated Filipino his first career loss.
The Team Lakay prince utilized his fierce striking to great effect in the opening round, dropping Baatarkhuu twice with a pair of dizzying right hands. But the Mongolian returned the favor and rocked his foe with a left elbow early in round two of their bantamweight MMA duel.
Baatarkhuu followed his 21-year-old rival to the canvas, where he immediately began his hunt for a kimura. Sangiao withstood the pressure for as long as he could, but the Team Tungaa representative soon used top pressure to find an opening and cranked the Filipino’s right arm to force the tap at 2:53 of the second frame.
With the highlight-reel win, the Mongolian secured his third promotional victory, upped his record to 10-2, and earned a US$50,000 performance bonus for his efforts.
