Superlek Knocks Out Danial Williams To Retain ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title
ONE Championship (ONE) returned to the Singapore Indoor Stadium with ONE Fight Night 8: Superlek vs. Williams. The event featured a showdown for the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship, as well as a ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title unification bout between two of the best female strikers on the planet.
ONE Championship, in partnership with leading premium lifestyle and luxury performance brand TUMI, presented the prestigious ONE World Title belt to the World Champions.
In the main event, Superlek Kiatmoo9 dropped short-notice challenger Danial Williams twice in the third round to keep the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship around his waist.
Right off the bat, Superlek lived up to his moniker of “The Kicking Machine.” He fired off his dreaded piston-like kicks, forcing Williams to scramble for a way to fend off the Thai’s advances. Little did “Mini T” know, Superlek’s strongest weapon would be detrimental to his cause for the rest of the fight, as it allowed the defending World Champion to land the much cleaner and crisper shots.
As the bout continued, it became more apparent that Williams was simply not ready for Superlek’s power. In the third round, Superlek knocked down the Aussie with a massive knee that was intended to be a head kick. Williams returned to his feet, but his legs were already wobbly. Superlek then put the finishing touches on “Mini T” with a solid boxing combination to send him to the canvas once more. This time, Williams could not beat the 10-count, prompting referee Olivier Coste to stop the contest.
In the co-main event, Allycia Hellen Rodrigues put everything on the line to unify the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship and beat interim titleholder Janet Todd by unanimous decision. “JT” started out strong, operating behind her pinpoint combinations and well-placed counterpunches to stifle the Brazilian in the opening two stanzas. However, Rodrigues came alive in the third round, where she brought the fight to the American with overwhelming attacks punctuated by her signature elbow strike. Rodrigues widened the gap in the championship rounds, punishing Todd with sharp knees and elbows in the clinch. Her captivating style of fighting manifested on the scorecards, leaving no doubts that Rodrigues is the one true queen of the division.
Ham Seo Hee prevailed in her heated rivalry with Itsuki Hirata, winning by unanimous decision. The #2-ranked atomweight sensation presented a more capable set of both striking and grappling skills throughout the match, stopping most of Hirata’s takedown attempts and then lighting her up on the feet. The Japanese rising star made a last-ditch effort to snatch the victory in the closing moments of round three with her grappling, but it was not enough to sway the decision of the three judges at Circle-side. In the end, Ham emerged triumphant on their scorecards.
Akbar Abdullaev turned heads in his promotional debut, finishing Oh Ho Taek in 44 seconds. Abdullaev brought Oh to his knees with a staggering uppercut, which allowed him to swarm the South Korean featherweight with a flurry of harrowing blows. It did not take too long for referee Mohamad Sulaiman to save Oh from further punishment, as he waved off the fight and awarded the TKO victory to Abdullaev.
Former ONE World Title challenger Zhang Peimian took care of business against Torepchi Dongak, as he dominated the promotional newcomer in their strawweight kickboxing tilt. Over the course of three rounds, the Chinese phenom outstruck and outworked Dongak with his vaunted speed and fierce combinations to earn a clear-cut unanimous decision.
Aslanbek Zikreev accepted a short-notice assignment against Rui Botelho and emerged victorious in a riveting Muay Thai clash. The two highly experienced strikers went toe-to-toe, exchanging impactful blows and blistering combinations from bell to bell. After three close rounds, two of the three judges scored the bout in favor of Zikreev to win by split decision.
Kicking off the card, Japanese debutant Keito Yamakita turned in a statement-making performance against former ONE Strawweight World Champion Alex Silva, utilizing his grappling-heavy offense to notch a unanimous decision victory. He showcased his strength throughout the contest, getting the better of the BJJ black belt on the mats. Silva tried his best to turn the tide in the third round, but Yamakita demonstrated resilience with his superb submission defense and then tallied points with his relentless work from top position. In the end, all three judges scored the bout for Yamakita.
Performance bonus winners: Superlek Kiatmoo9 (US$50,000), Akbar Abdullaev (US$50,000), Zhang Peimian (US$50,000)
ONE Fight Night 8 Complete Results
Kickboxing – Flyweight: Superlek Kiatmoo9 def. Danial Williams via Knockout at 1:55 of R3
Muay Thai – Atomweight: Allycia Hellen Rodrigues defeats Janet Todd via Unanimous Decision
MMA – Atomweight: Ham Seo Hee def. Itsuki Hirata via Unanimous Decision
MMA – Featherweight: Akbar Abdullaev def. Oh Ho Taek via TKO at 0:44 of R1
Kickboxing – Strawweight: Zhang Peimian def. Torepchi Dongak via Unanimous Decision
Muay Thai – Catchweight (128.0 lbs): Aslanbek Zikreev def. Rui Botelho via Split Decision
MMA – Strawweight: Keito Yamakita def. Alex Silva via Unanimous Decision
Muay Thai – Catchweight (158.5 lbs): Eddie Abasolo def. Niclas Larsen via Knockout at 2:14 of R2
Muay Thai – Strawweight: Iman Barlow def. Ekaterina Vandaryeva via Unanimous Decision
Submission Grappling – Strawweight: Tammi Musumeci def. Bianca Basilio via Unanimous Decision
