Sitthicai Sitsonpeenong and Chingis Allazov barged advance to the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final following impressive victories inn the ONE: Only The Brave on Friday night at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Third-ranked featherweight kickboxing contender 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.
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.