Nothing captures the heart and the eyes of fans like knockouts and submissions. Thankfully, there was an abundance of that at ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III, inside 1stBank Center in Denver, Colorado, last Friday, May 5. Seven stars from the 11-fight bill captivated the worldwide audience and the fans inside the sold-out venue with a number of highlight-reel finishes.
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That being said, here’s our top three finishes from the promotion’s first show on American soil.
#1 Zebaztian Kadestam Starches Roberto Soldic
Zebaztian “The Bandit” Kadestam crushed Roberto “Robocop” Soldic’s ambitions of cruising to a first promotional win – literally. The former divisional king exploited the Croatian’s defensive fortitude with a couple of precise combinations in the opening five minutes of the duel. Although he had the upper hand, “Robocop” stung the Swede slugger with strikes of his own.
But the back-and-forth duel took a quick turn when “The Bandit” planted an elbow smack on Soldic’s face. With his foe dazed, Kaadestam hopped in with a flurry of punches, closing the tie just 45 seconds into round two.
#2 Rodtang’s Elbow Dismantles Edgar Tabares
ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangon arrived in Colorado with plenty of confidence. And the Thai star left with just as much conviction – if not more – after his knockout win over debutant Edgar Tabares.
The longtime divisional king took control of the tie from the opening bell, smacking the Mexican dynamo with heavy hands and stinging kicks. The challenger, however, refused to back down, and attempted to threaten the Thai with elbows.
Unfortunately, his aggressiveness led him to his own downfall just moments later, as “The Iron Man” placed a picture-perfect elbow square on the jaw. Tabares failed to answer the count, and the action was waved off at 1:34 of the second stanza.
#3 Mikey Musumeci Chokes Out Osamah Almarwai
Mikey “Darth Rigatoni” Musumeci surely enjoyed his post-fight pasta and pizza just as much as he liked his submission win over Yemeni athlete Osamah Almarwai at ONE Fight Night 10 last week.
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The BJJ black belt pressed at his foe with waves of submissions, targeting Almarwai’s lower limbs before working his way to the upper half of his frame. That ruthlessness eventually forced the Yemeni star to give up his leg in the process. Musumeci, with his computer-like brain, instantly saw that as an opportunity to lock in a heel hook. However, Almarwai used his expert technique to fend off every possible crank to frustrate “Darth Rigatoni.”
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Not one to quit, though, the ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion focused on his rival’s back, eventually forcing a tap from his opposite number via a rear-naked choke at 8:03 of the battle.