The Top Highlights From ONE: COLLISION COURSE
On Friday, 18 December, the Singapore Indoor Stadium played host to an incredible night of martial arts action with ONE: COLLISION COURSE.
The event was headlined by two ONE Super Series World Title bouts – both of which featuring a World Champion who was determined to extend their reign.
Meanwhile, four mixed martial arts contests rounded out the evening with athletes from six different nations trying to make an impact before the calendar year comes to a close.
When it was all said and done, three performances stood out among the rest. Here are the top three highlights from another memorable night in “The Lion City.”
#1 Kryklia’s Five Rounds Of Fury
Andrei “Mister KO” Stoica showed his toughness to hang around for five full rounds against ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion Roman Kryklia, but the Ukrainian was simply too strong, too long, and too skilled.
From the opening bell, the reigning king was all over Stoica with precise strikes from all angles.
The Gridin Gym representative used his reach to touch the Romanian with hammering jabs, damaged the body with crushing hooks, and scored with powerful kicks to the legs. He was effective at all three levels with all of his weapons.
Although he could not find an opening for the bout-ending blow, Kryklia ran away with the decision after five rounds of technical brilliance.
The victory marked the Ukrainian’s first ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Championship defense and proved emphatically that he’s the best light heavyweight striker in the world today.
- Gafurov Ends Tynanes’ Unbeaten Run With Gritty Decision Win
- Saadulaev Hands Worthen His First Loss After 3-Round Thriller
- Yodkaikaew Fairtex Shocks Tatsumitsu Wada, Takes Split Decision
#2 The Legend Reigns Supreme
Nong-O Gaiyanghadao’s legend continued to grow in Singapore with a third-round knockout to retain his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship.
Rodlek PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym was strong in the opening two rounds with his forward pressure and hammering leg kicks, but it was all Nong-O when the third stanza began.
First, the Evolve product stopped “The Steel Locomotive” in his tracks with a crisp left jab. And as the pace quickened, Nong-O unloaded his combinations and touched up Rodlek. The challenger tried coming forward again, but that aggressiveness would leave him open to the final blow.
That blow came courtesy of a simple jab-cross combination, but the piston-like cross connected flush and sent Rodlek crashing to the canvas. The challenger was unable to answer the count, and the official end came at 1:13 of the third round.
With his highlight-reel finish, Nong-O continued to rewrite the history books by extending his unbeaten ONE Super Series run to seven wins.
#3 “The Hunter” Gets His Prey
ONE: COLLISION COURSE got off to a roaring start thanks to flyweight mixed martial artist “The Hunter” Xie Wei, who faced off with the streaking Chan Rothana.
The 24-year-old Chinese standout began the action showcasing his power on the feet, but he also displayed his ground-and-pound in the second half of the frame after dragging Rothana to the canvas.
Xie’s fast-paced offense continued throughout round two, but the Cambodian superstar also started connecting with his own powerful strikes.
Everything would suddenly change just moments into the third and final stanza.
Xie countered a Rothana leg kick with a straight right-left hook combination. The right missed its mark, but the left did not. The hook hammered the jaw of the Cambodian and put him down on the mat.
The young Chinese fighter immediately rained down ground-and-pound strikes to earn the TKO stoppage at 1:39 of the final frame. His victory put the flyweight division on notice and moved his professional record to 12-3.
