From a $100K Bonus to a Record Title Win, 3 Key Takeaways From ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic

ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic on Friday, 22 April, was a martial arts fiesta from start to finish.

The 15-match fight card thrilled fans with knockouts, submissions, and nerve-wracking battles decided by the narrowest of margins.

It was an eventful night inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium for fighters who picked up some important victories.

Three big winners at ONE 156

Meanwhile, those who unfortunately found themselves on the losing end should return stronger to get back into action inside the Circle.

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Here are some of the biggest takeaways from ONE 156.

#1 Will Jarred Brooks be the next ONE Strawweight World Champion?

Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks’ win over #1-ranked Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane last Friday extended his winning streak on the global stage to three.

That run has now granted him a chance of a lifetime to take on divisional king Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.

The American upstart notched up his 19th career win with a grappling clinic – outclassing the South African fighter across all departments on the canvas to take home a rear-naked choke win with only 21 seconds of the opening stanza remaining.

He has made it very public that he wants to become the ONE Strawweight World Champion ever since inking a deal with the Singapore-based organization.

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A five-round battle between the pair is guaranteed to be explosive. Pacio has been successful in his past three title defenses, but Brooks could just be his toughest test yet in the Circle.

The Absolute Display of Muay Thai at ONE 156

#2 Liam Harrison and Muangthai’s Battle Was An Absolute Classic

Liam “Hitman” Harrison and “Elbow Zombie” Muangthai PK.Saenchai participated in perhaps the most memorable Muay Thai round under the promotion’s all-striking division, ONE Super Series.

The legendary Englishman was sent to the canvas twice by the Thai’s heavy artillery just slightly over a minute into the contest.

Harrison, not one to quit, had to dig deep to turn the scores around, and boy, did he.

The veteran unleashed a left hook that sent his rival to the eight-count and relied on the same weapon to drop Muangthai once more.

At this point, both fighters needed a third knockdown to take home the TKO win, but Harrison seemed to have momentum on his side. He advanced with another set of haymakers that sent the Thai down for the third time. But this time, “Elbow Zombie” could not answer the referee’s eight-count.

It also earned him a whopping US$100,000 performance bonus and a crack at Nong-O Gaiyanghadao’s ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title next.

A young Swede achieved her dreams

#3 17-Year-Old Smilla Sundell Is Now The Youngest World Champion In ONE History

Smilla “The Hurricane” Sundell proved that age is no barrier as she dominated Jackie Buntan at ONE 156 to be crowned the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion.

The Swedish striking dynamo displayed a fearless and unrelenting performance to dominate her opposite number throughout the 15-minute contest.

Questions about Sundell’s lack of experience were instantly thrown out of the window against Buntan. She advanced with timely attacks, a high striking ratio, and an unbreakable defense versus her more senior adversary.

What’s even scarier is that “The Hurricane” is only 17 years old, which means there’s still plenty of room for her to grow.

If she can continue working on her craft at this pace, the sky will certainly be the limit for this young star.

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