Kamikubo, Teo Score Rear-Naked Choke Wins On HEAVY HITTERS Lead Card
ONE Championship’s first event of 2022 provided fireworks from the very beginning.
The world’s largest martial arts organization aired ONE: HEAVY HITTERS live on Friday, 14 January, and both matchups on the lead card came to thrilling conclusions without needing the judges.
Here, we recap the exciting early action from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Kamikubo Earns Late Submission Of Worthen
Shuya “Stealth” Kamikubo opened the show in Singapore with a dramatic last-minute submission of Troy “Pretty Boy” Worthen.
Their bantamweight mixed martial arts bout started as expected, with the Japanese grappler immediately closing the distance and pushing Worthen to the Circle Wall. The first five minutes consisted of both men jockeying for position in close, and it ended with Kamikubo on the American wrestler’s back looking for a choke.
It was a tit-for-tat battle again in round two, with “Stealth” getting inside Worthen’s strikes early and initiating the wrestling game. Both men had opportunities to secure a dominant position, but their opponent did not give an inch. It made for a razor-close frame, although a late takedown for Kamikubo could have clinched it.
The relentless Japanese athlete continued to press in round three, though “Pretty Boy” managed to fend off a takedown and climb onto his rival’s back. However, Kamikubo survived and turned the tables.
He took Worthen down, worked his way to back control, and finally managed to lock in a rear-naked choke at 4:36 of the final frame – extending his impressive winning streak to six in The Home of Martial Arts.
Teo Dominates Meng To Protect #1 Ranking
Tiffany “No Chill” Teo wasn’t about to let former atomweight star Meng Bo walk into her division and secure an easy win. Instead, the #1-ranked women’s strawweight defeated Meng in the second round by rear-naked choke, moving her MMA record to 10-2 and cementing her top spot in the process.
The Singaporean took some time to get started, as Meng punished her with accurate left hooks and straight rights throughout the first round. But with 40 seconds left in the stanza, Teo snatched the Chinese striker and dragged her to the canvas. “No Chill” then took her back, but the bell rang before she could slap on a submission.
In round two, Meng went back to her hands, but Teo juked the shots and searched for a way past her rival’s offense. That opening came when Teo slipped under a punch and wrapped Meng up for a takedown. The Chinese athlete kept herself on both feet, but the hometown hero eventually dragged her down – not once, but twice.
After hitting the canvas, Teo smothered her foe, locked up her left hand, and dished out punches and knees until Meng gave up her neck. “No Chill” locked up the rear-naked choke and sunk it in, forcing the tap at 3:45 of round two in front of a jubilant Singaporean crowd.
Read more: ONE: HEAVY HITTERS – Full Results For Every Fight
