“Mighty” May Ooi Stuns Ann Osman With Comeback Submission Win

The heated Malaysia-Singapore rivalry was renewed on Friday, 18 August, at ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS. Singaporean Olympic swimmer “Mighty” May Ooi entered Kuala Lumpur’s Stadium Negara, hoping to take a win in her promotional debut against hometown heroine Ann “Athena” Osman.

This match belonged to Singapore, however, as the debutante submitted the veteran Osman via rear-naked choke in the first round.

Initially, things were not looking good for the 41-year-old Ooi. Osman, known for her excellent Muay Thai and grappling, managed to connect with a massive overhand right hook, which dropped Ooi to the canvas. The 31-year-old Malaysian proceeded to unleash powerful ground and pound, but her rival’s heart and determination showed that losing was not an option.

Moments later, Ooi successfully swept Osman, where she transitioned to side control and began dropping heavy elbows to the side of her opponent’s head. A quick scramble allowed the local favorite to free herself from the onslaught, but “Mighty” May regained control rather quickly.

Ooi moved towards a takedown, and quickly shifted her body to grab Osman’s back. From there, she proceeded to submit her foe with a rear-naked choke. Although it appeared the Malaysian would hang on, the submission hold tightened, and she was forced to tap out.

Throughout the duration of the match, Ooi showed showed tremendous composure. After being knocked down by a massive right hook, as well as facing a crowd that cheered for her opponent at every opportunity, Ooi stuck to her game plan, and got the rear-naked choke win that she had predicted before the match.

As a result, she earns her first promotional win and moves to 3-2. With the loss, Osman falls to 5-4.