5 ONE Stars Awarded US$50,000 Performance Bonuses At ONE Fight Night 12
The bonuses were flying at ONE Fight Night 12: Superlek vs. Khalilov on Prime Video, as five athletes took home extra cash thanks to their highlight-reel performances at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, July 14.
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was happy to award US$50,000 performance bonuses to Bulgarian standout Bogdan Shumarov, atomweight Muay Thai prodigy Phetjeeja, undefeated knockout artist Akbar “Bakal” Abdullaev, surging heavyweight MMA contender Amir Aliakbari, and submission ace Garry Tonon – all of whom scored impressive finishes.
Tonon – the #2-ranked featherweight MMA contender – shined in his high-stakes matchup against previously undefeated #5 contender Shamil Gasanov, securing an exciting second-round submission.
The finish came midway through the second round, as “The Lion Killer” rolled into a gorgeous knee-snapping kneebar.
Iranian behemoth Aliakbari made his case for a ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title shot with his bonus-winning performance against Dustin Joynson.
After putting in strong work on the feet, the Greco-Roman Wrestling World Champion took the fight to the canvas, where he hammered the Canadian with dozens of unanswered elbows, bringing a merciless ending to the bout at 1:48 of the first frame.
Abdulaev claimed his second consecutive performance bonus and hardly broke a sweat in his featherweight MMA showdown with highly regarded Ecuadorian standout Aaron Canarte.
“Bakal” was aggressive from the opening seconds, blasting his opponent with a spinning back kick that signaled the beginning of the end.
Smelling blood, the Kyrgyz rising star followed with massive punches to finish the bout after just 41 seconds.
Thai sensation Phetjeeja needed just 26 seconds to score her third straight knockout in ONE and secure a well-deserved performance bonus with her starching of dangerous Spaniard Lara Fernandez.
“The Queen” wasted no time in attacking her foe, wobbling Fernandez with a massive right hand before finishing her off with a flurry of ruthless strikes.
Shumarov had to dig deep to score his come-from-behind head kick knockout of Constantin “Lioncrusher” Rusu in their high-paced lightweight kickboxing affair.
The stoppage came midway through the third and final round, earning the 26-year-old striker the first US$50,000 performance bonus of the evening
