5 Unforgettable Highlights From ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES

It was an electrifying night in Bangkok, Thailand as the elite athletes of ONE Championship thrilled the crowd in the Impact Arena with a full spectrum of martial arts.

In a first for the promotion, a boxing contest headlined the ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES bill on Saturday, 6 October, which also featured mixed martial arts, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz battled for the WBC Super Flyweight World Title in a main event that had the sell-out crowd in full voice, after the supporting card set the tone with knockouts, submissions, and closely-contested decisions.

The 14-bout card offered up plenty of terrific moments, but these are the pick of the bunch from Bangkok.

Srisaket Dominates Despite Diaz’s Heroic Challenge

Many opponents would have faltered, but Iran Diaz (14-3-3) never took a backward step and absorbed every solid shot that Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (47-4-1) threw in his direction in an absorbing 12-round boxing battle.

Srisaket continually landed hard shots to the body and the head over the course of 36 minutes of action, but the will of the challenger could not be broken. He was competing for his family and his country, and quitting was not an option.

The Thai hero was comfortable throughout the contest and worked hard for a finish on his way to a win via unanimous decision, but “MagnifiKO” earned his respect by making it through every tough moment and biting down on his mouthpiece to fire back.

Srisaket has won 20 matches in a row and has now defended his WBC Super Flyweight World Title three times. He continues to build his legacy, and earn the love of Thai fans for his exciting style and humility.

Stamp Fairtex Claims Her First World Title

“Killer Bee” Kai Ting Chuang (17-6) was a revelation to kickboxing fans when she defeated Yodcherry Sityodtong to claim the inaugural ONE Kickboxing Atomweight World Title at ONE BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS.

This time, it was ONE Warrior Series product Stamp Fairtex (61-15-5) who shone when she displayed her skills on the global stage for martial arts.

Chuang’s previous win proves she has the tools to overcome the Thai striking style, but Stamp’s power and timing made the difference in this contest.

Although her Muay Thai roots meant she received some warnings for dumping her adversary in the early running, Stamp got more comfortable as the bout wore on.

“Killer Bee” rallied with solid boxing in the later stages, but the Thai’s earlier success was enough, and she earned all three judges’ scorecards after five rounds.

She lifted her first World Title – which is by far the biggest accolade of her career – in front of a raucous home crowd in Bangkok to make her achievement even sweeter.

Aoki Runs Through Ting To Earn A Title Shot

Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki (42-8, 1 NC) has been a man on a mission in 2018.

Driven by his desire to get back to the ONE Lightweight World Title, he had already defeated Rasul Yakhyaev and Shannon Wiratchai in the first round before he arrived in Bangkok.

In this match-up with Ev “E.T.” Ting (16-5), the winner was guaranteed a shot at either Eduard Folayang or Amir Khan, who will do battle for the vacant belt at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS in Manila, Philippines.

Aoki wasted no time in maximizing the opportunity and took Ting down within seconds. Arguably the greatest submission specialist in mixed martial arts history, “Tobikan Judan” quickly latched on to an arm-triangle choke and proceeded to render his foe unconscious with a tight squeeze after only 57 seconds.

This remarkably quick win shows he is still hungry to win back the biggest prize in martial arts.

Ishige Shows Courage To Break Atomweight Records

Rika “Tiny Doll” Ishige kept her 100 percent finishing rate alive with a first-round TKO over Bozhena Antoniyar, prompting a passionate response from her compatriots in attendance.

It was not all smooth sailing for the Tiger Muay Thai athlete, however. Early on, the Myanmar striker showed her boxing pedigree, landing solid combinations on the Thai star. It looked as though Ishige was in trouble, but she managed to survive and turned things around with a takedown.

From there, the gulf in grappling ability was clear, and “Tiny Doll” dominated the proceedings – unleashing hard ground strikes on her opponent until the referee was forced to stop the contest.

Ishige became the top finisher in the ONE atomweight division with her fourth stoppage, and tied “Unstoppable” Angela Lee and Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol for the most victories in the weight class.

Petchdam Sets ONE Super Series Speed Record 

Lumpinee and WBC Muay Thai World Champion Petchdam Kaiyanghadao (92-13-7) reminded everyone just how dangerous his left kick is.

Kenny “The Pitbull” Tse (39-6) was well aware of the threat after seeing the 20-year-old knock out Josh Tonna in his ONE debut, but he still could not stop it.

Tse tried hard to move forward with boxing combinations, but the Bangkok competitor’s intentions were clear. He struck hard to the body and legs as the Chinese athlete charged in.

The Thai saw a gap as his opponent looked to step in with a jab, and let loose with a high kick that landed right on target. Tse was out on his feet, and Petchdam followed up with a knee and elbow that sealed the deal.

It took just 86 seconds, making it the fastest knockout in ONE Super Series history.