It has been a busy start to 2023 for ONE Championship. With its “ONE Fight Night” events occurring monthly from various locations, and its “ONE Friday Fights” series going down each week at Bangkok’s fabled Lumpinee Stadium, the Singapore-based promotion has stepped it up a notch in showcasing the very best martial arts in the first quarter of the year.
And the sensational storylines and captivating battles speak for themselves. World Titles have changed hands, new stars have been born, and there’s been plenty of highlight-reel finishes inside the Circle. The MMA athletes on ONE’s star-studded roster contributed their fair share of blistering knockouts between January and March. And as we move into the second quarter of the year, we wanted to relive the three most spectacular finishes in MMA over the last three months.
Akbar Abdullaev’s Booming Uppercut Stops Oh Ho Taek
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At ONE Fight Night 8 on March 24, Akbar “Bakal” Abdullaev wrapped up a dominant promotional debut with a devastating 44-second TKO against Oh Ho “Spider” Taek. The undefeated star wasted no time after the opening bell went, connecting with jabs and body shots while closing the distance. Oh tried to put up a defense, but as he threw combinations of his own, he inadvertently dropped his guard, allowing Abdullaev to capitalize.
He slipped through those punches and connected with a massive uppercut that he followed up with a barrage of hammerfists to secure his eighth first-round victory and improve his overall record to 9-0.
Fabricio Andrade Starches John Lineker
Fabricio “Wonder Boy” Andrade wasn’t blowing smoke when he dubbed himself the “uncrowned king” of the bantamweight division last year. It may have taken the dangerous Brazilian some time, but at ONE Fight Night 7 on February 23, he claimed the coveted throne with a massive TKO win in his rematch with former titleholder John Lineker.
Andrade threw everything he had at “Hands of Stone” for four hard-fought rounds, using his boxing combinations, Muay Thai weapons, and canvas skills to frustrate his countryman and inflict some serious damage.
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By the end of the fourth round, it all proved too much for Lineker, and he was forced to quit on the stool due to a nasty cut above his right eye. As a result, Andrade earned the win and the vacant ONE Bantamweight World Title.
Aung La N Sang’s Venomous Fists Stops Gilberto Galvao
Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang dominated Gilberto “Giba” Galvao from the start of their 215-pound catchweight MMA contest at ONE Fight Night 6 on January 13. And then he gave the audience exactly what they had come for – a sensational knockout.Galvao entered the pocket with power punches, looking to make a statement, but that only ignited a fire in “The Burmese Python’s” belly.
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He stung his foe with a quick-fire uppercut, sending the Brazilian down. “Giba” promptly returned to his feet, but the former two-division king was relentless. He dragged his foe to the Circle fence and unleashed a bucketload of elbows – one of which sent Galvao to the deck once again.
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Aung La N Sang pounced from there, and a final round of hammerfists sealed his victory at the 89-second mark of the opening round.