Adrian Mattheis Makes It 4 In A Row With Impressive TKO
Adrian “Papua Badboy” Mattheis made it four wins in a row with yet another thrilling performance at ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY.
On Friday, 12 July, the Indonesian star took on Chinese prospect Li Zhe in a strawweight contest in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and delivered a crowd-pleasing display to secure a second-round TKO finish.
Adrian Mattheis utilizes his RELENTLESS ground game to score a TKO victory over Li Zhe!
Adrian Mattheis utilizes his RELENTLESS ground game to score a TKO victory over Li Zhe!📺: Check local listings for global TV broadcast📱: Watch on the ONE Super App 👉http://bit.ly/ONESuperApp
Posted by ONE Championship on Friday, July 12, 2019
As the opening round started, Mattheis looked to connect with big strikes, but the Tigershark Fighting Academy product knew he would have to be on his guard to avoid the 19-year-old’s attempts to bring the match to the ground.
“Papua Badboy” was ready to fend off an early takedown attempt by scrambling out of danger, then punished his opponent with some powerful kicks to the Chinese star’s legs before he could get back up.
The man from Longyun MMA was successful with his second attempt to put his rival on his back, but Mattheis scrambled back to his feet once again and the crowd showed their appreciation.
Teenage star Li settled into his work as the round progressed and started to show the ground skills that took him to three wins in ONE Hero Series, but Mattheis would not be denied. His high-energy first-round performance saw him battle back to his feet again before he attempted a guillotine choke just before the bell.
Despite a breathless first five minutes, the 26-year-old from Jakarta somehow managed to increase his pace and intensity in the second stanza as he took Li to the mat, transitioned to his back, and locked up a rear-naked choke.
Li gamely held on for as long as he could, which forced the “Papua Badboy” star to give up on the hold. However, he did not get frustrated, and he quickly found another way to maintain the upper hand as he turned to his ground and pound.
The change of approach paid dividends, as some well-placed punches forced the referee to step in at the 1:51 mark in the second frame.
It gave Mattheis the 10th win of his professional mixed martial arts career and ninth in ONE Championship, which ties him as the Indonesian with the most victories in The Home Of Martial Arts with “The Terminator” Sunoto.
His fourth consecutive stoppage also extended his record for the most finishes in the strawweight division with eight.
