Top 6 Performances From The Stars of ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY

ONE Championship returns to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY with a card packed full of world-class martial arts talent.

When the Circle arrives at the Axiata Arena on Friday, 12 July, some of The Home Of Martial Arts’ most iconic athletes will put on a show for fans watching around the world.

As the event approaches, take a look back at six of the best performances from some of the stars set for action to get a taste of what you can expect next month.

Petrosyan’s Masterful ONE Debut

Hyperbole is a near-constant in sport these days, and often it is unwarranted or over the top, but Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan is worthy of every superlative that describes him.

The Italian first showcased his pound-for-pound kickboxing greatness when he outpointed Thai star “Smokin” Jo Nattawut last year. He lived up to his moniker as he delivered a performance of surgical precision to earn a unanimous decision at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR.

Petrosyan picked apart Nattawut from all angles as he shut down the Thai’s powerful offense with his pinpoint punches and well-placed kicks.

“The Doctor” did what few other athletes can manage and forced Nattawut to move backward with his offense. Whenever the Thai attempted to get on the front foot, he was met with hard and fast counter-attacks.

If he can win in the main event in KL, he will meet “Smokin” Jo again in the semifinals of the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix.

Petchmorakot’s Maiden Kickboxing Win

Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy proved his kickboxing credentials as he switched from his usual Muay Thai to defeat Japan’s Kenta Yamada by unanimous decision at ONE: REIGN OF VALOR.

The crowd inside the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium were thrilled at the Thai’s varied offensive arsenal as he outstruck Yamada en route to a unanimous decision victory – beginning with his trademark left roundhouse, cross, and knees.

The match-up was not one-way traffic for three rounds, as Yamada put up stern resistance and battled back through the second half of the contest, but the two-division Lumpinee Stadium and WMC Muay Thai World Champion found a second wind in the final frame.

His power, accuracy, and output was just too much for his opponent – and that paid dividends when the scorecards were totaled.

Petchmorakot will rematch Petrosyan in the main event on 12 July as he aims to move towards the US$1 million World Grand Prix prize.

Lee’s First World Title Triumph

Inarguably one of the greatest match-ups in ONE history, the ONE Atomweight World Title match between “Unstoppable” Angela Lee and Mei “V.V.” Yamaguchi at ONE: ASCENT TO POWER had everything.

After a back-and-forth opening to the contest, Yamaguchi dropped Lee with a big right hand at the start of the third round and it looked like the Japanese star was on the verge of victory.

But Lee came storming back into the contest and finished strong to earn the unanimous decision victory after five of the most thrilling rounds ever seen in the world’s largest martial arts organization.

It proved that Lee was capable of battling through adversity, and it was no surprise that it was 2016’s Bout of the Year.

The Singaporean hero will return to action against eight-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Michelle Nicolini.

Ting Shows His Grit

Malaysia’s Ev “E.T.” Ting proved his credentials as one of ONE’s elite lightweights with victory over former World Title challenger Koji “The Commander” Ando at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER in Macau.

Ting utilized his head kicks and powerful punching combinations to establish his striking dominance over Ando, who took the Bali MMA representative’s best strikes and kept walking forward.

It forced Ting to adapt his game plan to counter such a durable opponent, and he showed his excellent ring IQ to nullify the Japanese star’s best offense as he pressed forward, before he sealed the win with a knockdown off a big knee in the closing moments.

Ting will return to compete in his native land for the first time in more than two years to take on Daichi Abe at the Axiata Arena.

Jihin Rises To The Occasion

Malaysian rising star Jihin “Shadowcat” Radzuan announced her immense promise as she claimed the notable scalp of Indonesian contender Priscilla Hertati Lumban Gaol at ONE: PURSUIT OF POWER.

Aged just 19 at the time, Jihin dazzled on the mat as she showcased a plethora of submission attempts throughout a battle of incredible scrambles and she continually threatened to finish the contest against her more experienced opponent.

“Shadowcat” came close to finishing “Thathie” with a tight armbar, but in the end had to content herself with a unanimous decision victory as she delivered the biggest performance of her fledgling mixed martial arts career.

The Ultimate MMA Academy product will be back in action against Jomary “The Zamboanginian Fighter” Torres in front of her compatriots.

Chuang Goes Fast And Furious

“Killer Bee” Kai Ting Chuang experienced a dream ONE Super Series debut as she captured the inaugural ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Title with a thrilling performance at ONE: BATTLE FOR THE HEAVENS.

The Chinese kickboxer outworked multi-time Muay Thai World Champion Yodcherry Sityodtong over five rounds to earn a clear unanimous decision at China’s Guangzhou Tianhe Gymnasium.

Chuang’s aggression and relentless output overwhelmed her teenage opponent as “Killer Bee” dominated almost the entire contest with her explosive forward pressure and lightning-fast punches to write her name into the history books.

The Iron Boxing representative will begin her quest to win back the belt against Janet “JT” Todd at ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY.