ONE SAMURAI 4 Co-Main Event Result: Nadaka Electrifies Tokyo, Retains Atomweight Gold With Head Kick TKO Of Rifdean
Japanese megastar Nadaka Yoshinari delivered yet another masterpiece in front of his home crowd, stopping Rifdean “Magic Boy” Masdor via TKO at 58 seconds of round two to retain his ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title in the co-main event of ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
The stunning finish marked his second successful World Title defense, earned him a US$100,000 performance bonus, and further cemented his status as one of the most feared strikers in the sport.
Rifdean, to his credit, came with every reason to believe. The Malaysian slugger arrived with all the momentum of a five-bout winning streak and a knockout that earned him a life-changing six-figure main roster contract in ONE Championship. He had been calling out the champion for months, and when the youngster finally got his wish, he made clear from the opening bell that he had not come to Tokyo just to make up the numbers.
Nadaka had to be as sharp as a pin in the first round. The Sor Sommai and Sor Kitrungroj product attacked without notice, kicking and spinning into a backfist that clipped the Japanese icon. When Rifdean came in with a left hook, the 25-year-old Eiwa Sports Gym product answered with a left hook of his own that floored the Malaysian for an eight-count.
The beginning of the second looked like more of the same. After an exchange, the 23-year-old Rifdean tried to stab Nadaka with a push kick to the stomach, but the defending king sidestepped.
Reading his opponent’s movement, the Malaysian timed the shift and launched a spinning backfist – but Nadaka evaded again, stepping off to the side and twisting his entire body into a left kick that wrapped itself around Rifdean’s neck. His eyes went white, and the referee immediately waved it off.
The finish extended one of Muay Thai’s most extraordinary winning streaks. The multi-time Muay Thai World Champion, who has not tasted defeat since July 2019, now stands on a 43-bout winning streak and has proven once again that he is the most dominant striker in the atomweight division, bumping his record to 72-6.
