Rittewada Scores Stunning TKO Victory Over Top-Ranked Bantamweight Contender Saemapetch at ONE: NEXTGEN II
ONE Championship (ONE) returned with ONE: NEXTGEN II, a previously recorded event from the Singapore Indoor Stadium which aired via tape delay on Friday, 12 November. The card featured a pair of ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix alternate bouts, two intense mixed martial arts battles, and a pair of Muay Thai thrillers.
In the main event, ONE Super Series debutant Rittewada Petchyindee Academy overcame some early adversity to win by technical knockout in the second round against #1-ranked bantamweight Muay Thai contender Saemapetch Fairtex.
A sharp right hook connected for Saemapetch, sending Rittewada tumbling to the canvas in the first round and forcing referee Olivier Coste to administer the mandatory eight-count. In the second round, Saemapetch landed another beautiful right hook that had Rittewada reeling. However, the Petchyindee Academy product came storming back, opening up a gash on his opponent’s eyebrow with a left elbow.
After a review by the Circle-side physician, Saemapetch was deemed unable to continue and Rittewada was awarded the stoppage win.
In the co-main event, Chinese firecracker Tang Kai extended his phenomenal winning streak, as he stopped Yoon Chang Min in the first round of their featherweight showdown. Tang pressed his opponent early, forcing Yoon’s back up against the Circle Wall with his boxing combinations. Yoon looked to counter with a takedown, fishing for a single-leg off the back foot. A wild left hook caught Yoon on the chin as he was backpedaling, and Tang moved in for the thunderous finish. With the victory, Tang has now won eight straight contests, and he is inching closer to a top-five spot in the featherweight rankings.
Dovydas Rimkus did just enough to thwart a heavy-handed Zhang Chunyu and secure an alternate spot in the 2021 ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix. Chunyu was aggressive from the opening bell, closing the distance with powerful punching combinations. However, Rimkus was calculated with his strikes, as he threaded the needle to power through his opponent’s defense. It was a close fight through the third and final round, but Rimkus ultimately edged out Chunyu by majority decision to take home the victory.
Smokin’ Jo Nattawut made quick work of Yurik Davtyan, scoring a scintillating one-punch knockout to clinch an alternate spot in the 2021 ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix. Nattawut and Davtyan both met at the center of the Circle looking to trade shots from the opening bell, but it was the Thai fighter’s right hand that broke through the guard and turned the Armenian-Russian’s lights off.
Japanese knockout artist Hiroyuki Tetsuka authored an emphatic finish over former ONE World Title challenger Agilan Thani in a thrilling 86-kilogram catchweight contest. Both men started off fast, transitioning seamlessly between striking and grappling exchanges in the first round. Tetsuka maintained the pressure in the second stanza, bringing the fight to Thani at every opportunity. A back-and-forth third round saw both men have their moments. However, with a little over a minute left to go in the fight, Tetsuka hurt Thani with punches and swiftly moved in for the finish.
Kicking off ONE: NEXTGEN II was a heated rematch between former foes Han Zi Hao and Victor Pinto. Han put on a blistering pace in the first round, and he even knocked down the Frenchman with a combination along the Circle Wall. In the second frame, Pinto returned the favor, sending Han crashing to the canvas with a left hook. The Chinese star kept his composure, however, and put Pinto on the defensive in the third to capture a unanimous decision victory and even up their rivalry at one win apiece.
Official Results for ONE: NEXTGEN II
Muay Thai – Bantamweight: Rittewada Petchyindee Academy def. Saemapetch Fairtex via TKO at 2:10 of R2
Mixed Martial Arts – Featherweight: Tang Kai def. Yoon Chang Min via TKO at 4:03 of R1
Kickboxing – Featherweight: Dovydas Rimkus def. Zhang Chunyu via Majority Decision
Kickboxing – Featherweight: Smokin’ Jo Nattawut def. Yurik Davtyan via KO at 2:50 of R1
Mixed Martial Arts – Catchweight (86.0 KG): Hiroyuki Tetsuka def. Agilan Thani via TKO at 3:45 of R3
Muay Thai – Bantamweight: Han Zi Hao def. Victor Pinto via Unanimous Decision
Up next, ONE Championship returns with ONE: NEXTGEN III, which will air via tape delay on 26 November. In the main event, #5-ranked strawweight contender Lito Adiwang takes on promotional newcomer Jarred Brooks. Also, in the co-main event, former ONE Super Series World Champion Alaverdi Ramazanov faces Pongsiri PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym.
