ABDULLAEV, MENSHIKOV HIGHLIGHT ONE FIGHT NIGHT 22 SUPPORTING CARD WITH CRUSHING KNOCKOUTS
On May 3, the world’s largest martial arts organization returned with a U.S. primetime card at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Before the headline attraction of ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video, 10 intriguing matchups went down across four different combat sports disciplines, delivering everything from record-breaking submissions to three-round wars and highlight-reel knockouts.
Here, we recap the entire supporting card of ONE Fight Night 22.
Abdullaev Starches Amir To Stay Unbeaten
The co-main event saw undefeated phenoms Akbar “Bakal” Abdullaev and Halil “No Mercy” Amir lock horns in a high-stakes featherweight MMA showdown.
While both men are best known for their venomous striking games, the pair spent much of the first frame jockeying for position in the clinch and on the ground. Abdullaev showcased his rarely seen wrestling attack, securing top position while hammering his Turkish foe with ground strikes.
At 2:52 into the second round, the Kyrgyz rising star landed a picture-perfect left hand on the break that sent Amir melting to the canvas for a spectacular finish.
With his victory, the 26-year-old Abdullaev earned his third consecutive knockout in ONE and his third US$50,000 performance bonus – all while improving his career record to a flawless 11-0 with a 100 percent finish rate.
Menshikov Stuns Sinsamut With Come-From-Behind KO
You can never count out Dmitry Menshikov’s ferocious fists. Just ask Sinsamut “Aquaman” Klinmee, who found out the hard way in their lightweight Muay Thai war.
Menshikov marched forward with intent from the start, throwing haymakers that grazed the leather and chin of the two-time ONE World Title challenger.
However, none of the Russian’s shots truly ruffled the feathers of Sinsamut, as the latter connected with combinations and leg kicks, appearing to take a commanding lead on the scorecards. All of that changed in the final round, though.
As Sinsamut grew confident in attack, he left his defense wide open. In turn, Menshikov shifted into gear, going low with body shots and alternating between elbows and knees to the head that eventually folded the Thai near the ropes.
The highlight-reel finish at 1:33 of the third stanza improved Menshikov’s slate to 30-2, gave him a three-fight knockout streak, and might have landed him another shot at divisional king Regian “The Immortal” Eersel.
Abevi Outworks Zhang In Three-Round Scrap
Swiss standout Maurice Abevi picked up the biggest win of his career with a stellar three-round performance against “The Warrior” Zhang Lipeng in their 174-pound catchweight MMA showdown.
Abevi pressed the action early and often, wasting little time dragging the Chinese veteran to the canvas, where he proceeded to throw big ground strikes and constantly hunted for the submission. The 24-year-old then found similar success through the second frame.
While Zhang was able to mount some late offense with a solid choke attempt, Abevi had done plenty with his nonstop aggression to secure the unanimous decision win.
The rising star now boasts an 8-1 career record and looks to be a real player in the talent-rich lightweight MMA division.
Wei Overcomes Akimoto In High-Profile ONE Debut
“Demon Blade” Wei Rui made good on his reputation by defeating #1-ranked bantamweight kickboxing contender and former divisional king Hiroki Akimoto in his highly anticipated first promotional appearance.
The former K-1 World Champion struggled to find his footing early as Akimoto pummeled him with body kicks and punch combinations. But as the intense exchanges wore on, Wei furiously came to life.
The Chinese sensation scored with slick sanda kicks to counter Akimoto’s striking barrage. He scored with punches to stop the Japanese star in his tracks. And when the dust settled, all three judges scored the unanimous decision for Wei.
With the victory, the 32-year-old striker nudged his overall record to 70-3, extended his winning streak to 21, and may have taken Akimoto’s spot as the next ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title challenger.
McLaren Storms Back To Edge Past Hu
Fourth-ranked flyweight MMA contender Reece “Lightning” McLaren eked out a split-decision win over #5-ranked “Wolf Warrior” Hu Yong to get back to winning ways inside the Thai capital.
Before ending the contest in the driver’s seat, the Australian veteran had to fend off a valiant effort from Hu, who came in with massive left hooks that struck “Lightning” early.
However, by the midway point of the second stanza, McLaren’s composure and all-around arsenal saw him pepper the Chinese phenom with jabs while finding success on the canvas.
With momentum on his side, McLaren took charge in the third round, closing the encounter with a rear-naked choke attempt and a barrage of hammerfists to secure his 17th career win and defend his spot in the divisional rankings.
Rungrawee Toughs Out Razor-Close Victory Over Shumarov
In the night’s first kickboxing bout, lightweight standout Rungrawee “Legatron” Sitsongpeenong defeated Bulgarian striker Bogdan Shumarov by a tight split decision.
The exhausting three-round battle started and ended with “Legatron” forced to fight off the back foot, as Shumarov launched himself at the Thai for nine straight minutes.
Despite being pushed backward, Rungrawee countered effectively with kicks, punches, and damaging step-in knees to control the action and get the nod from two of the three ringside judges.
With the win, the 28-year-old upped his professional striking record to 157-47. And after putting together a 4-1 slate in ONE Muay Thai bouts, he proved to be a legitimate World Title threat in his first promotional kickboxing appearance.
Sawada Dominates Grandjean To Maintain Unbeaten Record
Japanese phenom Chihiro Sawada put on a ground-and-pound clinic en route to a one-sided unanimous decision victory over Noelle “Lil’ Monkey” Grandjean in their atomweight MMA showdown.
A talented wrestler with a seemingly endless gas tank, Sawada scored early takedowns in all three rounds. From there, she applied suffocating top pressure while employing calculated yet relentless ground strikes, putting a savage beating on her French-Thai foe over the course of 15 grueling minutes.
For the 26-year-old rising star, the win improved her career record to a pristine 8-0 and marked a big step in her climb toward the atomweight MMA division’s top-five rankings.
El Jamari Overcomes Thongpoon In Three-Round Thriller
In strawweight Muay Thai action, Zakaria El Jamari earned his first ONE Championship victory with a gritty and entertaining performance against tough-as-nails Thongpoon PK Saenchai.
Both men swung for the fences throughout the back-and-forth scrap, but the Moroccan’s heavy hands and forward pressure helped him earn the hard-fought unanimous decision victory.
El Jamari absorbed the Thai’s powerful right kicks and lead lefts across all nine minutes, and he replied with stinging overhands and straights down the pipe that slowed his foe down as the match progressed.
Though Thongpoon tried to turn the tide, El Jamari bit on his mouthpiece to score the more decisive shots in the final frame. Ultimately, the 34-year-old’s offense in the pocket impressed all three judges and delivered his fifth career win.
Basilio Puts Ichikawa To Sleep In Record Time
Three-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Bianca Basilio enjoyed a short day of work in her 132-pound catchweight submission grappling tilt against promotional newcomer Nanami Ichikawa.
The Brazilian superstar wasted no time, attacking with a front headlock in the opening seconds. Ichikawa looked to defend the choke but was dragged to the canvas for her efforts. In a flash, Basilio spun to her foe’s back and sunk in the match-ending choke.
The tap came after just 35 seconds of action, marking the fastest-ever finish in a ONE women’s submission grappling match. With the victory, the 28-year-old Basilio improved her career record to an impressive 106-38.
Climaco Finishes Cruz In Less Than A Round
Sean “The One” Climaco barely took his foot off the gas, and that aggression paid off as he scored a statement first-round knockout in his flyweight Muay Thai clash against Josue “Tuzo” Cruz.
The 29-year-old debutant relied on his kicks to counter the Mexican striker’s combinations early. And once he had his rival’s number, the Filipino-American went to work upstairs with one-twos.
From there, “The One” trimmed the gap with a left before following with a right to the face and a left to the solar plexus.
The last body shot sent Cruz crumbling down to the canvas and sealed the deal at 2:06 of the opening round, improving Climaco’s professional slate to 11-2.
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