Sitthichai, Allazov Advance To ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final With Dominant Victories
ONE Championship (ONE) returned with ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE, which aired live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The stacked fight card included a pair of ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix semifinal bouts, a highly anticipated lightweight encounter, and a showdown between top strawweight mixed martial arts contenders.
Third-ranked featherweight kickboxing contender Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong dominated Davit Kiria from start to finish and punched his ticket to the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final. Sitthichai established himself early in this semifinal clash, picking apart Kiria with his signature left kick from range. In the second round, a left high kick landed for Sitthichai, sending the Georgian striker down for the count. The third round saw Sitthichai build an even wider lead, as he cruised to a unanimous decision win. The decorated Thai athlete will now face Chingiz Allazov in the final round of the prestigious tournament.
Fourth-ranked featherweight kickboxing contender Chingiz Allazov advanced to the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final with a knockout victory over Smokin’ Jo Nattawut. Allazov put Nattawut on the seat of his pants with a combination early in the fight, but the Thai warrior made it back to his feet and beat the mandatory eight-count. Shortly after, a well-placed left hook to the temple dropped Nattawut again, ending the fight. Due to his strong performance, Allazov earned a US$50,000 bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Chinese veteran Zhang Lipeng made quick work of highly regarded lightweight Ruslan Emilbek Uulu, putting together one of the fastest finishes in divisional history with a 32-second knockout. As Emilbek Uulu rushed forward with a combination, Zhang caught him with a destructive left hook to the jaw, instantly separating the Kyrgyzstani fighter from his senses. The Chinese star earned a US$50,000 bonus for his performance and made his case to battle a top lightweight next.
Heavyweight kickboxing sensation Rade Opacic scored his fourth consecutive win in ONE Super Series with a stoppage of Francesko Xhaja. Opacic sent Xhaja to the canvas in the first round with a left high kick, which was followed by stinging straight punches. In the second round, Opacic sent Xhaja crashing to the mat once more with a devastating body shot. The Serbian star quickly scored another knockdown, landing a bludgeoning right hand to the head. Finally, a devastating body shot crumpled Xhaja, giving Opacic the technical knockout victory due to three knockdowns in a single round and earning him a $US50,000 bonus.
Hard-hitting Japanese welterweight Hiroyuki Tetsuka made a massive statement, putting together an impressive performance against Edson Marques. Tetsuka utilized his raw strength and power to keep Marques honest throughout the contest. The Brazilian tried to use his boxing to keep Tetsuka at bay, but he was unsuccessful. In the third and final round, Tetsuka caught Marques in a fiery exchange of strikes, connecting with a monstrous left hook on the chin to end matters abruptly.
A highly anticipated strawweight showdown between #3-ranked Jarred Brooks and #4-ranked Hiroba Minowa kicked off the main card broadcast. Brooks authored a commanding performance across all three rounds, blasting Minowa with thunderous punching combinations while dominating the intense grappling exchanges. Minowa scored with a couple of flying knees late, but it wasn’t enough, as Brooks easily took home a unanimous decision.
In the action-packed ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE lead card, Ivan Kondratev stopped previously unbeaten kickboxer Dovydas Rimkus when he connected with a blunt left hand on the chin in the third round. Tatsumitsu Wada snapped Wang Shuo’s five-bout winning streak, stifling his Chinese opponent with a relentless ground attack to win via unanimous decision. And bantamweight upstart Purev Otgonjargal overwhelmed newcomer Micael De Jesus with forward pressure to capture a unanimous decision victory.
Official Results for ONE: ONLY THE BRAVE
Kickboxing – Featherweight: Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong def. Davit Kiria via Unanimous DecisionKickboxing – Featherweight: Chingiz Allazov def. Jo Nattawut via KO at 1:55 of R1Mixed Martial Arts – Lightweight: Zhang Lipeng def. Ruslan Emilbek Uulu via KO at 0:32 of R1Kickboxing – Heavyweight: Rade Opacic def. Francesko Xhaja via TKO at 2:00 of R2Mixed Martial Arts – Welterweight: Hiroyuki Tetsuka def. Edson Marques via KO at 1:05 of R3Mixed Martial Arts – Strawweight: Jarred Brooks def. Hiroba Minowa via Unanimous DecisionKickboxing – Catchweight (71.65 KG): Ivan Kondratev def. Dovydas Rimkus via KO at 0:35 of R3Mixed Martial Arts – Catchweight (61.50 KG): Tatsumitsu Wada def. Wang Shuo via Unanimous DecisionMixed Martial Arts – Bantamweight: Purev Otgonjargal def. Micael De Jesus via Unanimous Decision
