Top 5 Finishes By Malaysian Athletes In ONE Championship
ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY is only a week away from showcasing some of Malaysia’s finest martial arts talent in front of their home fans in Kuala Lumpur.
Next Friday, 12 July, the Axiata Arena will welcome a quartet of the nation’s most popular athletes, who will all aim to write another chapter in their nation’s inspiring history on the global stage.
Before these heroes step into the ring to compete in front of thousands of their fans, take a look at the best knockouts and submissions they and their compatriots have pulled off in the world’s largest martial arts organization.
#5 Keanu Subba‘s Superb Submission
Keanu Subba walked into the lion’s den in March when he entered the undefeated Phoe “Bushido” Thaw’s hometown of Yangon, Myanmar.
Though he faced a ton of pressure, Subba rose to the occasion as he cooly secured an early takedown to nullify his rival’s offense, and then worked his way into an inescapable guillotine choke inside three minutes.
#4 “Jordan Boy” Brings The Heat At Home
At ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS last December, Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud made one of the most spectacular debuts in The Home Of Martial Arts of 2019 with this incredible knockout in front of his hometown crowd.
The man from Kuala Lumpur came out throwing with power from the opening bell, and he scored his first knockdown with a massive elbow. Somehow, Stergos Mikkios got to his feet, but “Jordan Boy” did not give him any time to recover and put him away with a straight right hand shortly after.
Mohammed will be back in action in a ONE Super Series bantamweight Muay Thai match against Saiful Merican at ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY.
#3 Jihin’s Ground Game Clinic
For an instant, it looked like Jihin “Shadowcat” Radzuan might be in trouble when she slipped against Puja Tomar, but the Wushu World Champion merely found herself in a position to dominate.
Though she was just 19 and making her first appearance in ONE, she showed the maturity of a veteran to survive, establish a dominant position, and then strike hard to set up a triangle choke. It took a moment for the Johor Bahru native to adjust to get the tap, but her rival was soon forced to surrender.
Jihin will face Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres on 12 July.
#2 Thani Does What He Does Best
The last thing any opponent of Agilan “Alligator” Thani’s wants to do is end up on the ground with him when he competes in front of his Malaysian faithful.
That is the unfortunate position Jeff Huang found himself in at ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS. As soon as the Sentul kid took top position, he was in total control. Ground and pound softened Huang up, and a rear-naked choke booked a shot at the ONE Welterweight World Title for Thani.
#1 “Jungle Cat” Pounces To Break “Rock Man”
The odds seemed to be stacked against Muhammad “Jungle Cat” Aiman when he traveled to China last September to face “Rock Man” Chen Lei. He had to contend with an undefeated opponent, the crowd was against him, and he absorbed two low blows in round two.
However, the Bali MMA-trained athlete kept his composure and countered a takedown by literally climbing onto his rival’s back. Once he was there, he locked up a rear-naked choke to seal the biggest win of his career.
