ONE Fight Night 42 MMA And Submission Grappling Results: Minowa Returns To Form, Leon And Perreira Dominate
The MMA and submission grappling action at ONE Fight Night 42, which aired live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, April 10, delivered fireworks.
A Japanese veteran silenced an undefeated promotional newcomer with a suffocating rear-naked choke, two welterweight submission grapplers settled the question of who belongs in the ONE World Title picture the hard way, and a Hawaiian sensation made the most spectacular return from a difficult injury.
Here’s what went down in the Thai capital on Friday evening.
Minowa Chokes Out Ghazaryan To Get Career Back On Track
A rough patch in Hiroba Minowa‘s career is firmly behind him. The Japanese star weathered an explosive start from unbeaten promotional newcomer Karen Ghazaryan, but then he was able to drag the fight to the canvas and make the Armenian debutant tap out at the 4:07 mark of round one.
Ghazaryan started the strawweight MMA affair by firing sharp boxing combinations and heavy calf kicks, which forced Minowa to reset his footing early. But the Japanese veteran absorbed the blows and then shot for a double-leg takedown, planting the Armenian on the canvas.
From there, it was a clinic. Minowa settled into heavy side control, pinning Ghazaryan’s arm and grinding short elbows into his head. The Armenian returned to his feet, only to be dumped straight back down to the mat. Then, Minowa quickly worked to the back, sank in a rear-naked choke, and trapped the left arm. With no escape route available, Ghazaryan was forced to tap out with his free hand.
Minowa, who moved his career record to 15-6, authored the kind of performance that announces his return to form and proved the prodigious talent that made him one of Japan’s most promising young MMA fighters hasn’t gone anywhere.
Leon Outgrapples Iwamoto In Thrilling Rematch
Former ONE World Title challenger Dante Leon doubled down on his old rival Kenta Iwamoto, claiming a unanimous decision in their welterweight submission grappling thriller.
Three years after submitting the Japanese grappler at the AIGA Champions League, Leon picked up where he left off. Iwamoto entered the 10-minute contest with a clear game plan, grinding from the top with heavy pressure to drain the Canadian’s energy and neutralize his notorious leg lock game.
And for stretches, it worked. He spun Leon around the canvas, negating inversion attempts and dictating the geography with his physicality.
But Leon was never truly in danger. The 30-year-old threaded his legs through the middle and inverted with the fluidity of a breakdancer, keeping a constant force field between himself and Iwamoto’s passing attempts. Every time the Japanese sensation surged forward, Leon used his knee shield like a gladiator’s buckler to reset the distance.
The final minutes belonged to the Canadian. He swept Iwamoto with an X-guard and then immediately transitioned into a ferocious attack on his adversary’s right Achilles tendon. But then, he hunted for a triangle choke in the waning moments of the bout, eventually catching Iwamoto in his spider’s web. The Chiba native eventually escaped, but before he could mount any additional offense, the final bell rang.
Leon improved to 156-53, earned his second victory over his Japanese rival, and took a decisive step back toward another crack at Tye Ruotolo‘s ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Title.
Perreira Announces Return With Stunning Spinning Backfist KO
After sitting on the sidelines for over a year due to injury, Joshua “Flyin Hawaiian” Perreira made his highly anticipated return and delivered the most emphatic statement possible, as he knocked out Gilbert Nakatani with a spectacular spinning backfist just 38 seconds into their flyweight MMA tilt.
The “Flyin Hawaiian” was fluid from the opening exchange, establishing his range with thudding body kicks that kept Nakatani honest. The Californian tried to close the distance and drag the fight toward the ropes, looking to neutralize his opponent’s reach in the clinch. Perreira, however, had other ideas.
When Perreira’s high kick missed its mark, he didn’t reset. He used the momentum to spin and unleash a backfist that caught Nakatani flush on the chin, which caused him to instantly crumble to the canvas. Perreira pounced on his downed opponent and unloaded rapid-fire punches until the referee stopped the contest. The “Flyin Hawaiian” then celebrated by jumping onto the ropes and surfing the turnbuckle.
Perreira improves to 6-0 in his career, emphatically announcing his return after a torn ACL and meniscus damage derailed his ONE Championship journey. He also kept his 100 percent finishing rate alive with one of the most eye-catching knockouts seen inside the squared circle this year.
