Christian Lee Knocks Out Ok Rae Yoon To Reclaim ONE Lightweight World Title
ONE Championship (ONE) returned to the Singapore Indoor Stadium with another thrilling evening at ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II. The stacked card featured two ONE World Title bouts, with the ONE Lightweight World Championship and the ONE Featherweight World Championship both on the line.
ONE Championship, in partnership with leading premium lifestyle and luxury performance brand TUMI, presented the prestigious ONE World Title belt to our World Champions.
In the main event, Christian Lee reclaimed the ONE Lightweight World Title from Ok Rae Yoon with one of his most dominant performances to date.
Lee closed the distance early and circled his rival with constant pressure. It was an offensive assault for the Singaporean-American in the first round, as he hurt Ok on multiple occasions with a plethora of jabs, knees, and low kicks. From that point, it was one-way traffic, and Lee maintained his attack well into the second frame.
The finish came soon enough. Lee surprised his foe with a superman punch and a quick low kick. He then caught the South Korean with an overhand right and proceeded to unload a volley of technical ground strikes to complete the demolition job.
With the victory, Lee recaptured the ONE Lightweight World Title and took home a hefty US$50,000 bonus.
In the co-main event, Tang Kai made history by becoming the first-ever male Chinese MMA World Champion. He did so with a striking masterclass against defending ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le.
Tang, the top-ranked featherweight, employed a brilliant strategy, as he chopped away at Le’s legs to hamper the taekwondo specialist’s movement. Le threw heavy leather in return, but it did little to break Tang’s confidence.
The Chinese athlete stuck to his game plan and by the second half of the fight, he was firmly in control. Le also tried to bring the action to the mat, but he was unsuccessful. After five rounds, Tang earned the judges’ nod and the ONE Featherweight World Title.
Top-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Saemapetch Fairtex earned a second-round knockout victory over #2-ranked Rittewada Petchyindee. Rittewada opened the first stanza by taking the fight to Saemapetch, and every time the Fairtex athlete stepped into range, he was caught by jabs and hooks. Rittewada maintained the same pressure in the second round. However, Saemapetch began to turn the tide. During a frantic exchange, he connected with an overhand left that separated Rittewada from his senses. The Fairtex star obtained a US$50,000 bonus for his impressive display.
Fiery Malaysian featherweight Keanu Subba shut down the division’s #5-ranked contender Amir Khan. The latter tried to find a home for his jab-cross combinations, but the Team Subba representative ducked away and replied with more accurate shots. That gave the Malaysian the confidence to exploit his opponent’s defense, and he sent Khan down with a straight left and a solid overhand right to end the proceedings.
Martin Batur took home an impressive victory over Paul Elliott in a back-and-forth heavyweight showdown. Elliott’s left kicks repeatedly threatened Batur, and he even launched a thumping left hand that momentarily put the Croatian on unsteady footing. However, once Batur regained his composure, he replied with more fire in the pocket before successfully securing a takedown. From there, he plotted his way to a TKO with a barrage of hammer fists and elbows. The finish earned Batur a US$50,000 bonus.
In a submission grappling contest, Tommy Langaker outmuscled Renato Canuto on the canvas to gain his first victory in the Circle. Langaker fended off the spirited Brazilian, who constantly threatened with his slick BJJ game. The Norwegian proved he had elite skills on the canvas too, and he closed out the 10-minute contest with a series of submission attempts, including an arm-triangle in the dying seconds of the match. The performance earned Langaker a US$50,000 bonus.
Kantharaj Agasa scored a sensational TKO of Thales Nakassu in the opening bout. Agasa went at his rival with wild combinations, which threw Nakassu off his game. A left hook to the body and a thudding right hand eventually sent the Brazilian to the canvas. He followed up with two more hammer fists to secure the win just under the three-minute mark of the first frame.
Performance bonus winners: Christian Lee (US$50,000) Saemapetch Fairtex (US$50,000), Martin Batur (US$50,000), Tommy Langaker (US$50,000)
ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II Official Results
MMA – Lightweight: Christian Lee def. Ok Rae Yoon via TKO at 1:00 of R2
MMA – Featherweight: Tang Kai def. Thanh Le via Unanimous Decision
Muay Thai – Bantamweight: Saemapetch Fairtex def. Rittewada Petchyindee via Knockout at 1:35 of R2
MMA – Featherweight: Keanu Subba def. Amir Khan via Knockout at 3:29 of R1
MMA – Heavyweight: Martin Batur def. Paul Elliott via TKO at 3:38 of R1
Submission Grappling – Lightweight: Tommy Langaker def. Renato Canuto via Decision
MMA – Bantamweight: Kantharaj Agasa def. Thales Nakassu via TKO at 2:55 of R1
