Martial arts fans have come to love ONE Championship's Friday Fights series for its non-stop action.
ONE Friday Fights 29 reminded everyone of that once again, as 24 athletes from MMA, kickboxing, and Muay Thai battled it out to advance their ranks in the world's largest martial arts organization.
The event took place at its usual venue, Lumphini Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and featured a number of stunning finishes, three thrilling rounds, and one star who grabbed the ultimate opportunity.
In case you missed the action, here's a recap of what happened at the iconic venue on Friday, August 18th, during Asia's prime time.
Seksan puts Araya to sleep and gets a multi-fight contract
Seksan Olu Kwanmuang scored a second-round knockout win over Isaac Araya, earning him a $100,000 multi-fight contract to compete on the ONE world stage.
“The Unyielding Man” used the first frame of the 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai showdown to read his Spanish opponent's movements and thought Araya might have a chance against the four-time Muay Thai world champion.
Seksan picked up the pace in the second round, punishing the debutant star with right hands.
The Ol Kwanmuang superstar used a combination of kicks, elbows and follow-up punches to knock Araya down, and when the match resumed he delivered more blows and sprinted towards his opponent.
Seksan's straight right ended the match 46 seconds into the match, making the score 198-74.
He will be hoping to build on his perfect 5-0 record the next time he competes on ONE's biggest stage.
Duan Sompong defeats Pai Dan in flyweight thriller
Duansongpong Jitmuangnon and Phaidan Kiasongrit fought for everything in the flyweight Muay Thai scrap, but it was Duansongpong who did enough to take Lumphini Stadium to victory.
The Thai standout started the match aggressively, throwing a head kick to Phaidan, who countered in kind.
Still, Duansongpong continued to pick up the pace and improved his accuracy in the second match. Phaidan managed to pin his compatriot on the ropes, but Jitmuangnon shook him off.
A close final round ensued as both scrappers unleashed everything they had. But in the end, Duansongpong's series of efforts during the match were enough to get him back on winning ways, and the unanimous decision victory gave him an impressive overall score of 72-11. .
Mr. Comawut passed with majority vote on Panlit.
Elbows, kicks, punches, knees – the 143-pound catchweight shootout between Komawut FA Group and Panrit Rukjaomesaiwary had everything to captivate Muay Thai viewers.
In the end, Komawut performed well enough to catch the attention of the judges and won by majority vote.
Both stocky Thai stars stood neck to neck and contentedly attacked each other from inside the pocket. Blows were exchanged. The jaw was tested. But neither of them flinched under the pressure. In fact, even after three rounds of action, the referee had to tear them apart.
However, when the bout ended, two of the three judges gave the nod to Komarut, improving his Muay Thai record to 49 wins and 13 losses.
Petahin makes his debut with an exceptional performance against Pongsiri
Petuahin Jitmuangnon's pace and aggressiveness helped him defeat Pongsiri Sor Jor Wichitpadrew in the 128-pound catchweight Tomay Thai contest, but his Thai compatriot showed his mettle until the end. Ta.
The debutant star controlled the fight throughout the first round, crushing Pongsiri with low kicks and punches. And while that one-way traffic continued at the start of the second stanza, Pongsiri quickly began to find gaps as he unloaded his baggage.
With the scorecards close heading into the final frame, both fighters let their guard down and tried to snatch a late victory. However, the Jitmuangnon standout achieved further success with a powerful right shot that overwhelmed his rivals.
As a result, Petahin was awarded the 45th victory of his career by all three judges and proudly announced his entry into ONE Friday Fights.
Sindamthong overwhelms Surachai and wins by decision
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Sindamthorn Nokjanratkraban earned a 2-0 victory over Surachai Soe Sonmai in a 126-pound catchweight Muay Thai match at ONE Friday Fights.
Surachai showed some hard hitting against his fellow Thai opponent, but Sindamthong's precise striking quickly began to find a home.
Midway through the first round, Surachai fell to the mat after a short counter elbow from Nokjanradkraban, and from then on, it was a chase.
Sindamtone continued to land clean combinations throughout the remainder of the action despite heavy attacks from her opponent.
Both fighters went head-to-head in the final frame, looking for the finish, but Sindamton continued to land hard and was rewarded with a unanimous decision victory for his efforts, pushing his overall score to 77-18.
Eix defeats Petrafa in a three-round shootout.
Faith Erawan dragged her arch-rival Petrafa Soh Sopit into the trenches and won a majority decision in her ONE debut.
The two bounced four ounces of leather off each other's heads for nine minutes in a 122-pound catchweight Tomay Thai clash, but it was one high kick in the first round that sealed the deal for Faith.
Just as Petrafa delivered a left hook, Faith delivered a left kick that hit the fellow Thai in the head. The So Sol Pit standout responded to the eight count, but was unable to take the lead after that.
When the match was over, Faith had a razor-thin victory, pushing his overall batting record to 75-14.
Amipur's fist defeats Pongsiri with a decisive blow
Faryal Amipur's skilled boxing and counters proved to be the deciding factor in his heated bantamweight Muay Thai showdown with Pongsiri PK Saengchai.
The undefeated striker used his punching power to stop his Thai opponent's forward pressure, catching Pongsiri in the jaw and body on numerous occasions.
But the PK Saenchai Muay Thai gym fighter refused to back down and continued to swarm his opponent, even as he was staggered by Amipur's hooks.
Unfortunately for the two-time Muay Thai world champion at Lumphini Stadium, the Iranian star's attacks only increased, and the fighter struggled upstairs to earn a unanimous decision from the judges. continued.
Amipur's record currently stands at 15-0, including four perfect showings at ONE Friday Fights.
Osmanov defeats Karumi in 3 round clinic
Elbrus Osmanov delivered one of the best performances in ONE history with a unanimous decision victory over Wail Karoumi in the kickboxing bantamweight division.
The two hard-hitting fighters got a feel for each other at close range in the first round, but it was Osmanov's flashier strikes that made the difference.
With calculated distance, 'The Samurai' grew in confidence in the second section, wobbling Karumi with a dangerous left hook.
In the third frame, Osmanov made a similar play, as Osmanov burst in and dropped his Dutch-Moroccan opponent with a highlight-reel spinning backfist.
The undefeated Russian's relentless pressure ultimately earned him the nod from the judges, making him 3-0 in ONE and 9-0 overall.
Lambon Blitz Silva wins by TKO
In a Muay Thai match at a catchweight of 128 pounds, local star Lambong Sor Serapat put up a good fight against dangerous Brazilian scrapper Noelison Silva.
Fighting from a southpaw stance, Lambon always found a home for powerful straight lefts, interlaced with devastating kicks aimed at his opponent's body.
That relentless aggression quickly added up, and after two rounds of intense action, Silva found himself unable to answer the bell for the third round.
As a result, Lambon earned a TKO victory, marking his second finish in a ONE Friday fight.
Yu dominates Hansen and wins by unanimous decision
Yu Yau Pui didn't let up for a second in his atomweight Muay Thai match against Celeste Hansen, winning four consecutive ONE Friday Fights with an overwhelming performance.
The 30-year-old broke through the Australian star's stiff defense with a push kick, followed by a series of high and low strikes that kept Hansen from backing down throughout the tie.
After successfully kicking out the Fairtex Training Center and Phuket Singha player's gas tank, Yu went upstairs and continued to make her life even more difficult until the final bell rang.
The performance of the Chinese and Hong Kong star was recognized by the judges, improving his overall record to 26 wins and 2 losses.
Thani turns back the clock with second-round submission of Hasayev
Agilan Thani notched his first consecutive win in five years against Magomed Murad Hasayev in the second round of their welterweight MMA showdown.
“Alligator” engaged his Russian opponent right from the start and had to overcome Khasayev's ruthless wrestling pedigree in the opening frame.
However, Thani appeared ready to make a statement in the second round and quickly succeeded in defeating Khasayev.
From there, the Malaysian veteran waited patiently for the season to open. Turney found out and forced a tap with a rear-naked choke at 3:14 of the second round.
The impressive submission finish earned him his 13th win in professional MMA.
Orzhak's dynamic striking stops Cherbayev in two rounds
Chayan Orzhak and Andrei Cherbayev opened the night with a fast-paced flyweight MMA battle, with the former emerging victorious.
Alljak was competing in his second ONE Friday Fight and wasted no time putting together some flashy combinations after the opening bell rang.
The Mongolian and Russian stars chased their opponents around the ring, constantly attacking and spewing venom.
Cherbayev fought back using some dangerous boxing, but in the end Allzhak's pace and power proved too much for the Russian, who was unable to answer the opening bell of the third frame.
The dominant TKO victory was Alljak's second in ONE, and improved his professional record to 7-2.
