7 Fighters Earn US$50,000 Performance Bonuses At ONE X
A record-setting seven performance bonuses were handed out at ONE X.
This past Saturday, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong awarded US$50,000 checks to “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama, Hiroki Akimoto, Tang Kai, Sinsamut Klinmee, “Mighty Warrior” Kang Ji Won, and Danielle Kelly.
Lee earned one of the performance bonuses by defeating former two-sport queen Stamp Fairtex in the main event.
Despite eating a near-crippling body shot in the opening stanza, the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion survived and ultimately submitted her Thai rival with 10 seconds left in the second round.
“Sexyama” received a performance bonus for overcoming adversity to finish former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki in their Japanese legends fight.
After being heavily threatened by submission attempts from the #3-ranked lightweight contender in the first round, Akiyama stunned his compatriot and knocked him out in the second.
Akimoto left the Circle with a brand-new ONE World Title belt and a US$50,000 performance bonus.
The Japanese star ripped through Capitan Petchyindee in a five-round thriller to capture the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship. And though he wasn’t able to finish off the Thai star, his gamesmanship earned him the monetary prize.
Tang earned his 10th straight victory, as well as his first performance bonus, in the opening contest of ONE X: Part II.
The Chinese knockout artist floored #1-ranked featherweight Kim Jae Woong in the first round to claim the bonus check from Sityodtong.
Klinmee earned a performance bonus for his shocking upset of Dutch kickboxing legend Nieky “The Natural” Holzken.
In the second round of their lightweight Muay Thai battle, the Thai debutant stepped in and connected with a clubbing right hand that separated Holzken from his senses.
Kang also earned a cool US$50,000 for a thrilling KO of his own.
The South Korean powerhouse dropped British mammoth Paul Elliott with a booming right hook that knocked him out in just 58 seconds.
Kelly, meanwhile, was awarded the first performance bonus of ONE X.
The American BJJ phenom fought to a draw with Mei Yamaguchi, but her incredible scrambles and nonstop submission attempts won her the check from Sityodtong.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for more post-fight news on ONE X, including the result of our fan vote for the final US$50,000 performance bonus.
