ONE Friday Fights 164 Main Event Result: Akram Hamidi Rallies To Outpoint Watcharaphon
Three-time ISKA Kickboxing World Champion Akram “La Pepite” Hamidi made sure his hotly anticipated return to the global stage was one to remember, as he outpointed Watcharaphon Laochokcharoen in the headline attraction of ONE Friday Fights 164.
Their three-round battle capped a massive double-header Asia primetime weekend for ONE Championship, which also saw undefeated star Elbek Alyshov claim the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title in the main event of The Inner Circle 24.
Action erupted almost immediately when Watcharaphon dropped the returning French-Algerian striker with a sharp left hook. The Thai, who vowed to tap into his trademark finishing power for this clash, kept his fists loaded while the referee initiated the count.
However, “La Pepite” quickly regained his footing and answered in kind, flooring the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym athlete with a right hook of his own to level the contest during a frantic opening round. With momentum on his side, Hamidi took the opportunity to display his full arsenal in the second frame.
The French-Algerian warrior disrupted Watcharaphon’s rhythm with slick sweeps, spearing knees, and well-timed teeps, while his opponent continued relying on heavy boxing. Those diverse attacks made the Team Valente representative increasingly difficult to read, and he punctuated one exchange by landing a right hand behind a knee.
In the third stanza, it was all Hamidi once more. The three-time World Champion pushed for the finish at a torrid pace. A slicing step-in knee opened a cut above Watcharaphon’s eye, and he even connected with two spinning back kicks to close the bout strongly.
Although he could not secure the stoppage, Hamidi’s crafty work across nine minutes of action was enough to earn the unanimous decision. The victory improved his professional record to 55-6 and snapped Watcharaphon’s perfect 5-0 run on the global stage.
