Kulabdam KOs Lobo In First Round To Cap Off Finish-Filled ONE Friday Fights 52
ONE Friday Fights 52 kicked off a massive double-header weekend for the world’s largest martial arts organization when it went live from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium on Friday, February 16.
Thirteen Muay Thai and mixed martial arts bouts were on offer inside Bangkok, Thailand’s storied striking venue, and the action was world-class from start to finish.
Before all attention shifts to ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo on Prime Video later today, let’s recap everything that went down in Asia primetime at the latest installment of ONE Friday Fights.
Kulabdam’s “Left Meteorite” Ousts Lobo In Round One
Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai showcased why he’s known as “Left Meteorite,” in his 144-pound catchweight Muay Thai showdown with Julio Lobo.
The two-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion was in cruise control from the get-go of the evening’s main event as he timed his barrage of strikes to precision while loading up his left fist with intent.
A pair of left hooks dropped the lanky Brazilian early on before Kulabdam went in for the kill with a bucketload of punches and uppercuts that forced referee Olivier Coste to halt the action for good at 2:47 of the opening frame.
The Thai star earned his third successive highlight-reel finish in ONE Friday Fights with the win, and he pushed his professional slate to 70-18-5 as a result.
Theptaksin Overcomes Singdomthong In Nail-Biting Battle
After suffering a two-fight skid in ONE Championship, Theptaksin Sor Sornsing edged past Singdomthong Nokjeanladkrabang in 127-pound catchweight Muay Thai action to silence the doubters and return to winning ways.
The 27-year-old managed to land the more pivotal strikes in a very narrow opening round, with his pressure on the front foot helping him take the lead.
Both Thai strikers let go of their restraints in the second frame, allowing for a back-and-forth showcase that saw Singdomthong fight his way back into the contest with clean kicks and counter right hands.
All the marbles were up for grabs in the final frame, and it didn’t get any easier to pick a winner as it progressed, as the pair traded blow with blow again and again.
Ultimately, though, Theptaksin’s output was deemed more significant, and he was handed the split-decision win to end Singdomthong’s three-fight streak and move to 74-27-4.
Chalawan Goes 3-0 Against Kaoklai With Epic Comeback
Chalawan Ngorbangkapi used his giant heart to turn the tide in jaw-dropping fashion in his trilogy bout with Kaoklai Chor Hapayak.
The Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion overcame adversity to snatch a third victory against his old foe in their strawweight Muay Thai bout.
After a tense first round, Kaoklai found his range with his hands in round two, dropping Chalawan twice with his huge left hooks.
Somehow, the Sor Sommai star regained his footing and fired back to stay in the fight. He then did one better by turning the tables less than half a minute into round three.
Chalawan stung Kaoklai with a straight right, drilled him with heavy knees, and finished proceedings with a crunching right elbow to earn the KO win at 0:27 of the frame, extending his record to 109-27.
Samingnum Finishes Thanungern Inside Two Rounds
Teenage star Samingnum M Ekachart dished out a textbook Muay Thai display to overcome an ultra-aggressive Thanungern FA Group in 146-pound catchweight action.
The 18-year-old timed his counters to perfection in the opening round and put Thanungern down with a high kick – all while eating a mix of straights and hooks from the FA Group affiliate.
It was the same plot in round two. But instead of deploying his heavy kicking game, the Singpatong man mixed things up with elbows and punches to rack up the damage.
A counter elbow soon flattened Thanungern, and sensing blood in the water, Samingnum wrapped things up with a right hand to take home the TKO win at 2:47 of the second frame.
The Thai star’s resume now stands at a respectable 39-16.
Petpattaya Pummels Got With Clinical Right Hand
It looked to be a game of inches in the first round of Petpattaya Silkmuaythai‘s 121-pound catchweight Muay Thai collision with Got Taipetburi. But he needed just under a minute in the second round to finish proceedings.
The opening three minutes showcased a tentative affair, with Petpattaya landing early and Got responding in kind before both men settled into a period of feeling one another out.
With dangerous blows traded in the first frame, there was potential for something explosive to happen as the fight moved into the second round.
And it came 59 seconds in when Petpattaya countered his Thai compatriot with a ruthless right hand to send him to the mat, where he stayed.
The bout was waved off, and Petpattaya put a cherry on his ONE Championship debut by earning his 101st career victory.
Jongangsuk Sends Payakmekin Down Three Times For TKO Win
Jongangsuk Sor Theppitak‘s cool head paid off in his 132-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout against Payakmekin Jomhodmuaythai.
Both men worked well with their jabs in round one and scored with a variety of shots. But things really heated up in round two.
Payakmekin came out throwing hands with serious intent, and that pressure seemed to charge up his 28-year-old opponent.
Jongangsuk turned the tables with his own concussive fists. He then dropped his younger rival twice, first with a knee behind a salvo of punches and again with another barrage of body shots.
A final right hand registered Jongangsuk’s third and final knockdown and secured the TKO win at 1:54 of the second frame to move his record to 81-25.
Usubyan’s Drops Shadow Twice En Route To Decision Win
In featherweight Muay Thai action, Mamuka Usubyan’s power and precision overcame Shadow Singha Mawynn’s aggression and output.
The Singha Mawynn athlete hacked in with thunderous kicks to the midsection in the first round, but his work was cut short when the Russian landed a straight left against traffic to send the Thai superstar to the canvas.
Shadow’s eagerness to find something significant left him open again in round two, and the Archangel Michael standout snuck in another left to earn a second eight-count.
Knowing he was down on the scorecards, the Thai brawler took control of proceedings in the final frame, and he went berserk with kick-punch combinations to score a knockdown.
But that push ultimately proved too little too late, as Usubyan’s earlier knockdowns helped him across the finish line via unanimous decision, and the win improved his slate to 20-2.
Yodthongthai Gets Even With El Halabi Via Final-Round TKO
Following a majority decision loss in their first encounter at ONE Friday Fights 45 last December, Yodthongthai Sor Sommai successfully sought revenge on Omar El Halabi via a second-round finish in their 130-pound catchweight Muay Thai rematch.
The three-division Rajadamnern Stadium World Champion was relentless in his pursuit of a knockout in round one, storming El Halabi from the first bell and catching him by surprise. The Lebanese star struggled to find his composure as a result, giving Yodthongthai the advantage throughout the frame.
Sensing the end was near, the Sor Sommai man swarmed El Halabi with a barrage of strikes that handed his rival a standing eight count. When the action resumed, he attacked “Ironside” once again, forcing a stoppage from the referee at 1:38 of round two.
Yodthongthai earned his first promotional victory with the TKO and his 57th overall.
Thant Zin Scores Debut Victory Over Jaising With Big Left Hook
Thant Zin made a huge first impression in ONE Championship by stopping Jaising Sitnayokpunsak in the second round of their 138-pound catchweight Muay Thai clash.
The Myanmar athlete walked his foe down and blasted him with hard low kicks in round one, but Jaising countered well with powerful leg strikes to the body and legs.
Thant Zin continued in the same vein in round two, and he threw a left hook-right low kick combination that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas.
Jaising returned to his feet but on shaky legs, forcing the referee to stop the match after 40 seconds of the frame, giving Thant Zin the win by TKO and pushing his record to 25-10-3.
Eziyeu Sees Off Anarbayev After Dominant Three-Round Showing
Ilyas Eziyeu’s relentless pressure and solid all-around arsenal powered him to a memorable debut win against Asset Anarbayev in bantamweight MMA action.
The Akhmat star had the upper hand in every exchange throughout the 15-minute scrap, dictating the stand-up proceedings with his dangerous left hand and controlling the pace whenever the match hit the canvas.
The 22-year-old, who had two-division king Anatoly Malykhin in his corner, even came close to a finish with a cracking overhand left midway through the third frame, but his Kazakhstani opponent hung on to see the bell.
All three judges handed Eziyeu the victory in the end, earning him his fifth career win.
Djantou Nana’s Power Forces Larry To Quit On The Stool
Maxwell Djantou Nana brought the goods in heavyweight MMA action to earn a fifth consecutive finish in his ONE Championship debut against Adnan Larry.
Larry was the aggressor in the early going, but the Cameroonian crusher demonstrated his elite Judo skill set and rapid fists to counter the New Zealander’s body of work.
Djantou Nana continued to find success with his handiwork in the second frame, and he pushed Larry to close the distance. The action got close as a result, but whenever “Leonidas” found space, he attacked his foe with brutal combinations of elbows and uppercuts.
After taking everything Djantou Nana threw at him in rounds one and two, a punished Larry was unable to return for the third frame, so the Combat Sambo World Champion was awarded the TKO victory to move his slate to 5-1.
Soe Lin Oo Absorbs Early Pressure To Finish Tsuhashi
“Man of Steel” Soe Lin Oo lived up to his moniker in his bantamweight Muay Thai clash with Masayoshi Tsuhashi.
The Myanmar slugger ate kick after kick from Tsuhashi in round one but continued to march forward undeterred.
He then found his form in the second frame and worked his way inside to land his punches and elbows. This continued into the third round, where his relentless pressure began to pay off.
With Tsuhashi fading, “Man of Steel” moved in for the finish, and he sent the Japanese powerhouse to the deck with a hurtful body shot and a flurry of strikes.
Soe Lin Oo waded in from there and landed another onslaught of punches to seal the deal at 2:40 of the final frame, earning a debut win and extending his record to 72-3.
Luapong Starches Sato In 62 Seconds To Score Debut Win
Luapong Kaewsamrit saw off Makuto Sato with relative ease in 126-pound catchweight Muay Thai action to open the evening in style.
The 16-year-old debutant met his dance partner in the center of the ring and found success almost instantly. A lethal left elbow and hook sent Sato to the canvas twice in quick succession and showed that Luapong was in control of the battle.
With his Japanese foe walking on thin ice, the Kaewsamrit affiliate went to work with a final salvo of strikes to secure a TKO win at 1:02 of round one that improved his professional slate to 39-13.
