ONE Fight Night 43 MMA And Submission Grappling Results: ‘Baby Shark,’ Henrique, And Adiwang Dominate
The mixed martial artists and grapplers delivered all the thrills at ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov, which aired live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, this past Friday, May 15.
A Filipino fan favorite registered a 34-second knockout, a Brazilian contender finished a former ONE World Champion, and the planet’s most dominant submission grappler showed that his stranglehold on the sport extends beyond flyweight.
Here is everything that went down in the MMA and submission grappling matches at ONE Fight Night 43: Tang vs. Gasanov.
‘Baby Shark’ Asserts Grappling Dominance At Bantamweight
ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Diogo “Baby Shark” Reis put on a masterclass in positional control, outworking Yuki Takahashi en route to a unanimous decision victory.
“Baby Shark,” who moved up to bantamweight for this submission grappling showdown, shot for a takedown the moment the match began and immediately hunted for a rear-naked choke. Takahashi spun into full guard to reset, but the 24-year-old Brazilian worked his way back to rear mount and locked in a body triangle, squeezing from behind while searching for the finish.
The 27-year-old Japanese sensation spun back to guard and postured up, only for Reis to scramble out and reclaim back control once more. Takahashi attempted to swing the momentum with a flying armbar, but the attempt missed cleanly. “Baby Shark” immediately pounced, sinking in a rear-naked choke and then transitioning to a face crank.
Takahashi defended well and slipped free, but the Brazilian climbed straight back onto his neck. In the final scramble, the Japanese grappler left his arm exposed, allowing Reis to lock up a late armbar. Fortunately for Takahashi, he was able to slip out of the hold in the waning seconds of the 10-minute contest.
The decision was never in doubt. Reis moved his record to 95-12 and proved his dominance translates across weight classes.
Henrique Bounces Back With Gritty Second-Round Stoppage
Fabio “The Giant” Henrique rebounded from his promotional debut loss in convincing fashion, stopping former ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Yosuke “The Ninja” Saruta via TKO at the 39-second mark of round two.
After an accidental low blow halted the action very early in their strawweight MMA match, both men threw fiery combinations in the center of the ring. Saruta then pinned the Brazilian to the ground and worked from the top, hunting for ground-and-pound to close the first stanza.
“The Ninja” came charging out in the second frame, snapping his opponent’s head back with a jab before shooting for a takedown. Henrique swung his way free, and then he sent left and right hands careening into the 38-year-old Japanese fighter’s chin.
Saruta secured the takedown he was looking for, but he landed awkwardly on his left arm, damaging his elbow and leaving him unable to continue. Henrique landed a few punches for good measure just as the referee stepped in.
The victory was the bounce-back statement the 34-year-old needed. With the stoppage win, he upped his record to 15-2.
Adiwang Finishes Saputra In 34 Seconds
Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang wasted no time in his first appearance in the bantamweight MMA ranks, as he stopped Indonesian Wrestling Champion Eko Roni Saputra via TKO at just 34 seconds of round one.
The Filipino, who trains at Soma Fight Club in Bali, stormed out of his corner swinging wild left and right hooks. One landed flush and sent Saputra stumbling backward.
Adiwang chased him around the ring, firing hooks to the body until the 35-year-old Indonesian lowered his hands to cover his face. When he did, the 33-year-old Filipino went upstairs with 10 unanswered punches, which prompted the referee to step in and call a stop to the contest.
The “Thunder Kid” looked phenomenal in his bantamweight debut, but he doesn’t plan to stick around there. Adiwang, who improved his career record to 18-6, told Mitch Chilson in his post-fight interview that he plans to move back down to the flyweight MMA division and wants one of the leading contenders in the weight class next.
