The Best Elbow Knockouts In ONE Championship History

Elbows may not be as common as punches, kicks, or even knees in ONE Championship’s mixed martial arts and Muay Thai ranks, but when they land, their finishing ratio is impeccable.

The short-range strikes need to be carefully orchestrated so that they will find their target. However, when the hard bone meets the head, the effects are instant — and often bout-ending.

Here are six of the greatest elbow knockouts ever seen on the global stage.

Sam-A’s Elbows Make History

Muay Thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao made history when he won the first-ever ONE Super Series World Title against Sergio “Samurai” Wielzen at ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS in May 2018.

The inaugural ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship bout ended in round four as Sam-A first dropped the Dutchman with a clean left elbow as he reached for the clinch.

Wielzen got back up to his feet and tried to get himself back into the match, but the former two-division Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion waited until the time was right to unleash that strike again.

“Samurai” pressed forward, but he ate a succession of left elbows and left kicks. Sam-A let rip with a final left elbow-right elbow combination, which dropped his foe to the mat and ended the contest.

Sagetdao Brings “The Art Of Eight Limbs” To Mixed Martial Arts

Multiple-time Muay Thai World Champion Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai brought the tools he honed in “the art of eight limbs” with him into his mixed martial arts career.

That was especially apparent in his victory over Mahmoud Mohamed at ONE CHAMPIONSHIP: SHANGHAI in September 2017.

The Egyptian tried to wrestle Sagetdao to the ground immediately to take away his outstanding striking arsenal, but instead, he found himself inside the Thai’s renowned clinch game.

It looked like the match was over when he planted Mahmoud on the canvas with a hard left elbow. But somehow, Mahmoud found the grit to continue, and the Evolve representative attacked again.

“Deadly Star” backed the Cairo native to the Circle Wall, and then he stepped in with three consecutive crossing left elbows to the dome, which ended the match emphatically this time.

Khan Ends Umar With Huge KO

Amir Khan is the joint-leading knockout artist in ONE Championship, and he gave fans an early indication of that potential back in November 2014 in just his second bout on the global stage.

The Evolve product faced off against Pakistan’s Waqar Umar at ONE: BATTLE OF LIONS, and he finished his foe in just 85 seconds with some concussive elbow strikes.

Khan closed the distance off a left hook and pulled his foe into the clinch. From there, he scored with two knees to the body, and then he opened up the taps with a pair of right elbows to the temple, which knocked Umar out cold.

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Petchmorakot Opens Up Harrison For Crunching Elbow

After a troubling first frame, Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy stormed back in the second round of his match with Liam “Hitman” Harrison at ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS in December 2018.

The future ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion stuck his long jab in the Englishman’s face, and then he used it to drag “Hitman’s” right arm down away from his head.

With the route now cleared, Petchmorakot launched a crunching left elbow into Harrison’s temple, which instantly dropped him to the mat. 

Harrison tried to regain his feet after the powerful strike, but he was counted out, which gave the Thai a huge knockout victory.

Subba Scores Aggressive Finish From Top Position

Malaysian star Keanu Subba made his promotional debut at ONE: TIGERS OF ASIA in October 2015, and he earned a thrilling first-round TKO victory over Florian Garel in front of a raucous Kuala Lumpur crowd.

Garel was game and looked to control from the top position early on, but he could not secure his dominance. However, once Subba tripped his way into a commanding spot, it was one-way traffic.

The Monarchy MMA representative quickly moved from half guard to the mount position, and he made the most of it.

Subba softened his man up with some punches, and then he changed tack with a barrage of elbows, which earned him a memorable victory in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

Pinas Nails Drai With Rapid Spin

Brown Pinas’ durability kept him in the match against an aggressive Yohann Fairtex Drai at ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM in November 2018, and it was his composure that allowed him to score a stunning second-round finish.

The Frenchman landed solid boxing combinations and continually tried to pressure his Dutch opponent, but as he grew in confidence, he started to leave gaps.

Pinas bided his time and, when Drai moved in behind his jab, he stepped and turned with a lightning-fast spinning elbow, which bounced off his foe’s forehead and left him in a heap on the canvas.

Read more: A Journey Of A Thousand Miles