Tsogookhuu Frustrates Ben Wilhelm At ONE: FULL BLAST II
Amarsanaa “Spear” Tsogookhuu came up with the perfect game plan for his matchup with Ben Wilhelm and then executed it to near perfection.
The Mongolian striker dominated Wilhelm on the feet from start to finish en route to a unanimous decision win in their lightweight mixed martial arts fight at ONE: FULL BLAST II, which aired on Friday, 11 June, from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Along the way, Tsogookhuu utilized his superior footwork, lightning-quick hands, and tremendous takedown defense to frustrate the debuting Hawaiian, who entered this co-main event clash with a 5-0 professional record and a 100 percent finishing rate.
The American submission specialist made his intentions known early, taking the center of the Circle before cutting the distance and going for the clinch. However, Tsogookhuu responded with a knee and some short left and right hooks – a sequence that foreshadowed what was in store for Wilhelm.
Putting his karate base to good use, “Spear” continued to dance around the Gracie Technics product, waiting for his foe to come in before landing some beautiful punches from the clinch.
Realizing he needed to change things up, Wilhelm went for a single-leg takedown, which Tsogookhuu was ready for. The American then chased his opponent halfway around the Circle to force an exchange.
That didn’t work well for Wilhelm, as Tsogookhuu’s dirty boxing was on full display. The Team Amaraa representative landed a solid uppercut from the clinch before unloading another left-right hook combo as they separated.
That was followed up with a head kick, which Wilhelm took well as he moved forward and tried to force an exchange in the pocket. The round ended with the Hawaii native once again trying to close the distance, to no avail.
Tsogookhuu opened the second round by landing a clean left hook on Wilhelm. The American responded by taunting his opponent to throw that left again, and the Mongolian accommodated those wishes by sticking another solid one in his jaw.
The Gracie Technics representative tried to close the distance once more, but just like in his previous attempts, it ended up in the clinch, where “Spear” continued to land hooks freely before leaving a fierce elbow as a parting shot.
Wilhelm continued to chase, and he briefly found some success, landing a front kick and a counter right hand – but that was just about all the offense he could muster.
They would clinch once more, and Tsogookhuu connected with hard uppercuts, which Wilhelm gamely took on. While his toughness was commendable, it was not doing him any favors on the scorecards, as “Spear” had answers for every bit of aggression the Hawaiian threw out.
Wilhelm stayed aggressive to open the third, but the quickness of his opponent was simply too much. After trying an overhand right, the debuting fighter successfully cut the distance again, but like clockwork, he ate a knee and a solid right hand for his troubles.
All of a sudden, the veil of invincibility in Wilhelm’s face started to wear down as signs of damage began to show after all those clean punches. Visibly frustrated, he tried to woo Tsogookhuu into a careless phone-booth battle, but the Mongolian wasn’t having any of it.
Wilhelm did get his wish of a good flurry near the end of the third round, but Tsogookhuu’s work in the clinch was too good, as he landed a massive left just when they separated.
Once the final bell sounded, the decision was a mere formality, as “Spear” got back on track with the clear-cut unanimous nod and put the first dent in Wilhelm’s erstwhile immaculate record.
Read more: ONE: FULL BLAST II – Full Results For Mahmoudi Vs. Mongkolpetch
