3 of the Best Come-From-Behind Finishes We’ve Witnessed Inside the ONE Circle This Year

ONE Championship’s 2022 schedule is been littered with stunning highlight-reel finishes. Some of the heaviest hitters in ONE Championship showcased their brutal power to shut out rivals from the opening bell, while world-class grapplers showcased their wizardry on the canvas to earn career-defining wins. 

But a portion of the jaw-dropping wins inside the Circle has been overlooked, namely those that were achieved by fighters who looked like they were about to be beaten.

With that in mind, here are three of the best come-from-behind wins over the past 12 months.

Liam Harrison vs. Muangthai PK.Saenchai

Very few three-minute rounds pack a whole fight’s worth of action in Muay Thai. But when Liam “Hitman” Harrison and “Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK.Saenchai crossed paths at ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic in April, they did just that. Muangthai raced out of the blocks and sent chopping leg kicks at the veteran Brit before a fake low to high quickly sent him to the canvas for the first knockdown of the contest.

“Hitman” found his feet, but his Thai foe floored him again with a looping straight left. Another knockdown would have given Muangthai a memorable first-round TKO over the striking legend, but Harrison had other plans.

He unleashed two trademark left hooks that floored the “Elbow Zombie” not once but twice. That prompted Muangthai to come in guns blazing, which proved to not to be the wisest strategy against a man who hits with the power and accuracy that Harrison does.

READ MORE – “I’m Sorry, My Countrymen” – MMA Legend Brandon Vera Makes an Emotional Speech as He Hangs Gloves After a Two-Decade-Long Career

The 37-year-old stormed forward with another flurry of punches that forced Muangthai down on his knees for the third and final time at the 2:19 mark of the opening round, earning Harrison the 90th win of his storied career – and leaving the world stunned to silence in the process.

Adriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnson II

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson knocked out Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes to become the ONE Flyweight World Champion at ONE on Prime Video 1 on August 26. But he had to survive waves of attacks from the longtime divisional king to score the 13th World Championship of his career.

“Mikinho” controlled large portions of the first two rounds with his elite grappling. Johnson, to his credit, stayed active from guard and hit Moraes with some dangerous punches and elbows. The pendulum then began to swing in “Mighty Mouse’s” favor in round three. He stayed composed in the striking department and often kept himself out of Moraes’ takedown range.

With him eliminating the takedown threat, Johnson racked up damage on Moraes upstairs, swinging in from left to right and hurting the Brazilian superstar with plenty of knees and short-ranged punches.

“Mikinho” refused to let Johnson play the same strategy when the fourth stanza began, however, and he decided to stand and bang with the American in the pocket. Unfortunately, during one exchange, Johnson landed an overhand right that sent Moraes backpedaling.

Sensing that the finish was near, “Mighty Mouse” flew in with a left knee that instantly shut his opponents lights out at 3:50 of the fourth stanza, earning some redemption for the win “Mikinho” got over him in their first meeting a little more than a year before.

Shinya Aoki vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama

After spending almost a year calling out Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama, Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki finally got the chance to take him on at ONE X: Grand Finale in March. Unfortunately, things didn’t end as well as the Japanese legend had hoped.

Aoki controlled the opening frame by hanging onto his rival’s back for a neck crank and a couple of rear-naked choke attempts. Despite looking like a duck out of water on the canvas, Akiyama valiantly hung on.

READ MORE – ONE Championship Welcomes Stage Front VIP as Global VIP Experience Partner

“Tobikan Judan” carried that momentum into the second frame, shooting for yet another takedown. However, Akiyama fended it off on this occasion before countering with a crisp right hand.

His confidence grew from there, and he blasted his countryman with more rights and a final salvo of knees and punches that forced the referee to intervene at the 1:50 mark of the second round.