Duangsompong Dominant Against Petsukumvit, Ondash Bros Both Score Wins At ONE Friday Fights 61
Widely recognized as the world’s greatest weekly combat sports event series, ONE Friday Fights once again lived up to its stellar reputation on Friday, May 3.
ONE Friday Fights 61 showcased 12 Muay Thai and MMA battles when it went down inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and the fans in attendance and those watching around the world were treated to an electrifying night of action.
Before attention shifts to ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova later this evening, here’s a recap of everything that went down in Asia primetime.
Slick Duangsompong Towers Over Petsukumvit
Duangsompong Jitmuangnon got back on the winning track with a surgical performance against Petsukumvit Boi Bangna in their flyweight Muay Thai battle.
The 26-year-old utilized his four-inch height advantage to keep the former two-time Rajadamnern Stadium World Champion at bay with crisp jabs and combinations. Though there weren’t big shots thrown, the damage was visible on Petsukumvit’s face early on.
Nonetheless, the An Sukhumvit man showed signs of life in the second frame. He worked his way into the pocket and connected with a few clean punches, including a huge straight right that snapped Duangsompong’s head back.
But the Jitmuangnon Gym standout retook control in the third round by clinching him up with his fellow Thai and punishing him with knees.
After three action-packed rounds, Duangsompong got the nod from all three judges, and he improved his slate to 75-12 with the win.
Ondash Puts On Striking Masterclass, Scores Fourth Straight Win
With two knockouts in three outings, Abdallah Ondash has shown he’s value for money. And he proved his worth once again with another clinical performance against Suesat Manop Gym in their strawweight Muay Thai brawl.
The Lebanese brawler brought the fight to his Suesat from the get-go. He tested the waters with high kicks and hard hooks, while staying cautious of the Thai’s countering abilities, to put in a strong first round.
The 22-year-old went looking for a finish in round two, and he threw wild combinations at the head of Suesat. But the Manop Gym man’s durability was on display throughout, leading to an entertaining frame.
Ondash laid it on harder in the third frame and landed meticulous combinations in a final push to get the knockout. But he had to settle for a unanimous decision win in the end.
With the victory, the Tiger Muay Thai star moved to 20-1 overall and 4-0 in ONE.
Samanchai Dominates Brazil In A Thrilling Showdown
Brazil M Eakchat and Samanchai Sor Sommai launched into their strawweight Muay Thai battle with a flurry of attacks and set a fast pace that continued for three thrilling rounds.
Samanchai dodged a high kick and countered with a powerful left hook and right hand in the first round to establish early dominance, and his confidence grew from there.
The 24-year-old accelerated the action in round two, striking with a well-timed right hand and a stunning spinning elbow. Brazil remained undeterred, however, and his formidable defense kept him in the hunt.
Unfortunately, the 18-year-old’s focus began to slip in the final fame, allowing Samanchai to shoot in and drop him with a trio of knee strikes. Brazil desperately sought a comeback in the dying seconds, but the earlier knockdown sealed the victory for the Sor Sommai man.
All three judges awarded Samanchai the win, boosting his record to 61-20 overall.
Petpattaya Starches Chalawan In Impressive Show Of Power
Petpattaya Silkmuaythai proved he has bombs in his hands when he finished Chalawan Ngorbangkapi in the second round of their 122-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout.
Petpattaya was looking for that big punch from the outset, and he landed it via a booming right hook midway through the first frame. The 31-year-old continued to hunt from there, and he dropped Chalawan again with a right hook before the end of the round.
Sensing he had the former Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion on the ropes, Petpattaya continued his aggressive push, and he was rewarded with a third knockdown early in the second stanza.
A brief glimmer appeared for Chalawan when he landed a head kick, but his opposite man set up a mighty finish soon after. Pettpataya landed a lethal combination, and he finished proceedings with a left hook at 1:48 of round two to earn his second straight win in ONE.
Petsaenchai Edges Out Ruayjing To Go 3-0 In ONE
Petsaenchai M U Den KhonmaiBaowee entered his flyweight Muay Thai battle with Ruayjing Sor Wisetkit hot off back-to-back knockout wins in ONE Championship. And he wasn’t going to be denied his third straight victory.
With plenty on the line, the pair spent the early going feeling each other out. When the action did start to heat up, Ruayjing looked to get the better of his foe with low kicks that stifled his movement.
Petsaenchai worked his way through in the second round, and he held nothing back, peppering his Thai compatriot inside the pocket to earn some points back on the cards.
The fight was close going into the third frame. Sensing this, Petsaenchai went full throttle to show how much he wanted it. He put heavy pressure on Ruayjing throughout and connected with dangerous body-head combinations.
That was enough for him to earn the split-decision win in the end, and he moved his record to 3-0 in ONE and 53-13 overall.
Petnakian KOs SingUbon With Thunderous Left Hook
Petnakian Phuyaiyunan couldn’t have asked for a better ONE Championship debut, as he scored a second-round knockout win over SingUbon Or AudUdon in their 132-pound catchweight Muay Thai showdown.
SingUbon initially displayed aggression, landing a series of strikes that included a left hook, right hook, front kick, and left elbow. However, Petnakian absorbed the onslaught without faltering.
The action intensified in the second round. SingUbon threw an elbow, but he missed, which left him vulnerable to an attack. Petnakian seized that opportunity and floored his Thai compatriot with a thunderous left hook.
This prompted the referee to stop the action at 1:09 of the second round, and the win improved Petnakian’s record to 71-15-1.
Ondash Continues To Impress With Explosive Win Over Pichitchai
Ramadan Ondash showcased his power early and displayed grit to the end to come out on top in his tough three-round 121-pound catchweight Muay Thai war with Pichitchai PK Saenchai.
A lot has been said about Ondash’s left hand, and he quickly put it to use by dropping his foe twice in the opening frame.
But Pichitchai was the picture of toughness, and he came alive in the second round, attacking his Lebanese foe’s lead leg and landing kicks to slow him down.
The Thai veteran looked to work his way further into the match in the final stanza, but Ondash stopped his charge by wobbling him with another left hook.
Knowing he could take Pichitchai’s best shots, the 17-year-old phenom taunted him as the clock wound down, and he cruised to a comfortable unanimous decision win to go 2-0 in ONE Championship and 10-2 in his career.
Seto Scores Comeback Win Against Jelvan To Kick Off ONE Tenure
Muga Seto didn’t have it easy in his ONE Championship debut, but his come-from-behind victory over Kabilan Jelevan in their 137-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle spoke volumes of his ability.
The Japanese puncher was the taller and longer scrapper of the two, which forced Jelevan to put his foot on the accelerator and attack in flurries. Seto recognized his foe was there to fight, and he popped off jabs and long teeps to keep the Malaysian at bay.
The pace quickened in the second round, with Seto adjusting his game to fight fire with fire and give Jelevan a taste of his own medicine. That paid dividends midway through the frame when he landed a stern right hand to end his foe’s night.
The KO win came at the 1:29 mark of round two, and it moved Seto’s slate to 16-4-2 overall.
Palmquist Overwhelms Cooke To Earn Decision Win
Chloe “Cupcake” Cooke and Hanna “Hannimal” Palmquist wanted to impress in their respective ONE debuts, but it was Palmquist who clinched the win in their atomweight MMA clash.
Both women tested the waters in the opening minutes, but that all changed towards the end of the first frame when Palmquist took control with powerful shots and precise ground-and-pound.
Cooke responded with a solid left kick at the start of the second round, but “Hannimal” countered with two javelin-like right hands. Not out of the fight, the British star demonstrated her grappling skills and nearly secured a rear-naked choke.
Palmquist received a yellow card in the third stanza, but she upped her output soon after. Her right cross and elbows dominated the pace, and that proved enough to convince the judges to award the Swede the unanimous decision win in the end.
Tanitsu Debuts In Style By Outlasting Salchak
Haruyuki Tanitsu brought the complete package to his ONE Friday Fights debut, and he soundly outpointed Anton Salchak in their 119-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout.
The Japanese star strung together one combination after another in round one, while his Russian foe focused on loading up for that one big counterstrike.
Tanitsu was wise to Salchak’s plan, and he kept him guessing in the second frame by adding threatening body kicks to his arsenal.
Knowing he was down on the scorecards, the Russian swung for the fences in the final round, but his 20-year-old opponent showed composure beyond his age.
Tanitsu stuck to his game plan and avoided getting lured into a mistake, and this convinced the judges to hand him the unanimous decision win, which stood as his ninth career victory.
Min Kyaw Za Impresses In Clinical ONE Debut
Min Kyaw Za showed no nerves in his ONE Championship debut against Ryohei Igado.
The Myanmar star brought his fiery reputation to the 143-pound Muay Thai matchup, and his arsenal set a precedent in the first frame, as he connected with huge kicks to the head and body of Igado.
The second frame began as the first had ended, with the young phenom finding a home for multiple strikes inside the pocket. Min Kyaw Za then shifted into a new gear towards the end, and he dropped his Japanese rival with a beautiful left hand to the body in the final minute.
Igado’s grit pushed him to the final round, but it was all one-way traffic. Min Kyaw Za oozed confidence right to the end to walk away with the unanimous decision win and push his slate to 15-1 overall.
Eziyeu Goes 2-0 In ONE With Slick Submission Win
Ilyas Eziyeu and Joji “The Twister” Goto traded blows in their bantamweight MMA encounter to kick off the show in style.
Goto landed the first clean shot thanks to a heavy left hook. From there, he saw an opening and attempted to find a guillotine choke submission. But Eziyeu escaped and retaliated with a big right hand.
The Japanese star went to work with his hands once again in round two, firing off one-two combinations with intent. However, his opposite man countered with strong kicks.
It was all to play for in the final frame. Goto looked to find the upper hand when he floored Eziyeu with a left punch, but the Belarusian brawler recovered well, and his relentless pressure led him to secure a rear-naked choke.
Eziyeu forced the tap at the 3:01 mark to score his second consecutive victory in ONE Championship and elevate his record to 6-1 overall.
