Halil Amir, Ilya Freymanov Crash ONE’s Updated Rankings After Spectacular Debuts
ONE Championship closed the month of September in a big way with back-to-back events featuring three World Championship battles and plenty of other high-stakes matchups.
Promotional newcomers Halil Amir and Ilya Freymanov made a splash in their respective divisions, knocking off highly ranked veterans in highlight-reel fashion. Plus, the bantamweight Muay Thai and women’s atomweight rankings also saw some shuffling.
Let’s take a closer look at all the latest changes.
Lightweight MMA Rankings
Halil Amir shook up the lightweight mixed martial arts division at ONE on Prime Video 2 last Friday.
In the biggest win of his career to date, the Turkish rising star scored a spectacular second-round knockout of former ONE World Title challenger Timofey Nastyukhin. That KO improved his record to 8-0 and helped him to maintain his 100 percent finishing rate.
The victory also earned Amir a well-deserved US$50,000 performance bonus, as well as Nastyukhin’s #3 spot in the rankings.
In other lightweight action, Saygid Izagakhmaev rag-dolled Zhang Lipeng over the course of three rounds at ONE 161, improving his slate to 21-2 and bumping him up one spot to #4 in the division.
- WC: Christian Lee
- #1: Ok Rae Yoon
- #2: Dagi Arslanaliev
- #3: Halil Amir (NR)
- #4: Saygid Izagakhmaev (+1)
- #5: Shinya Aoki (-1)
Featherweight MMA Rankings
Featherweights, take notice. Ilya Freymanov has arrived.
The 28-year-old Russian announced his presence in a big way. He uncorked a picture-perfect knee to former two-division ONE World Champion Martin Nguyen‘s jaw, immediately dropped him with a straight right, and then followed up with a barrage of ground strikes to knock him out in the first round of their showdown at ONE on Prime Video 2.
With the win, Freymanov stole Nguyen’s #3 ranking and became an instant player in the ONE Featherweight World Title picture.
- WC: Tang Kai
- #1: Thanh Le
- #2: Kim Jae Woong
- #3: Ilya Freymanov (NR)
- #4: Martin Nguyen (-1)
- #5: Garry Tonon (-1)
Bantamweight Muay Thai Rankings
Alaverdi Ramazonov earned his long-awaited revenge and caused a shuffle in the bantamweight Muay Thai divisional rankings.
At ONE 161, “Babyface Killer” secured a hard-fought split decision over Capitan Petchyindee – the man who ended Ramazonov’s ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title reign in January 2021.
The 27-year-old Russian has now won three consecutive Muay Thai contests inside the Circle and moves up to #2 in the crowded weight class.
- WC: Nong-O Gaiyanghadao
- #1: Saemapetch Fairtex
- #2: Alaverdi Ramazanov (+2)
- #3: Rittewada Petchyindee (-1)
- #4: Rodlek PK.Saenchai (-1)
- #5: Liam Harrison
Women’s Atomweight MMA Rankings
The women’s atomweight division was undoubtedly watching when former two-time ONE Women’s Strawweight World Title challenger Tiffany Teo made her debut in the lower weight class on Thursday.
“No Chill” looked strong, healthy, and dangerous in her dominant first-round submission victory over Ritu Phogat at ONE 161. Having only ever lost to strawweight queen Xiong Jing Nan, Teo and her well-rounded skill set seem poised to take the atomweight division by storm.
She now enters the rankings at #5, taking that spot from Jihin Radzuan, who suffered a decision loss to #1-ranked Stamp Fairtex at ONE on Prime Video 2.
- WC: Angela Lee
- #1: Stamp Fairtex
- #2: Ham Seo Hee
- #3: Denice Zamboanga
- #4: Alyona Rassohyna
- #5: Tiffany Teo (NR)
