5 Top Highlights From ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS

ONE Championship closed its 2018 calendar of events with a thrilling night of action in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday, 7 December.

The promotion’s final show of the year, ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS, was packed with nonstop action from beginning to end.

From promising local stars to legends of the game, this 11-bout card delivered exciting mixed martial arts and Muay Thai action all night long.

As we wave goodbye to 2018, here are five of the top highlights from the organization’s last show of the year.

Yodsanklai’s Unstoppable Uppercuts

Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex once again showed why he is one of the most electrifying strikers of all time.

The Pattaya, Thailand native is renowned for his technical proficiency, but it was brute power that prevailed in the Axiata Arena.

Luis Regis made his debut in ONE Super Series, and came highly regarded as a WFO Muay Thai World Champion. However, the accolades make no difference when the 4-ounce glove of “The Hero” lands on your chin.

Yodsanklai backed his man to the fence and unleashed a flurry of shots. The dazed Australian was a sitting duck for a barrage of lead uppercuts, and the Thai’s blows sent him face-first to the canvas with less than a minute remaining in the first round.

“The Hero” looks to be back at his best, and there are several enticing match-ups awaiting him in ONE.

“Shadow Cat” Climbs The Ladder

Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan and Jenny “Lady GoGo” Huang engaged in an epic three-round battle, with the Malaysian extending her unbeaten record to 4-0 in front of her compatriots.

Her first two victories inside The Home Of Martial Arts came with strong grappling displays. On Friday, “Shadow Cat” showcased even more of that, but she also gave fans a glimpse of her versatility.

Jihin outgunned the Chinese athlete on the feet by consistently landing solid punches. She combined her stand-up attacks with takedowns and submission offense on the ground, moving through the ranges and looking adept in every scenario.

Although Huang nearly submitted her with a triangle choke late in the second frame, it was the Johor Bahru native who dominated the majority of the contest. In the process, she climbed up the ranks and emerged as a top contender for the atomweight crown.

Petchmorrakot’s Phenomenal Elbow KO

Petchmorrakot Petchyindee Academy welcomed the UK’s Liam “Hitman” Harrison to the ONE Super Series fold.

In the opening stanza, the Englishman took it to his Thai foe, as he landed hard low kicks, punching combinations, and sweeps.

This forced the two-division Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion to put his foot on the gas in the second round. He came out with more intent and began to return fire.

Harrison was content to stand and trade, but that worked out in Petchmorrakot’s favor. The Thai stepped in with a crushing left elbow to the head, which sent “Hitman” down for the count.

Following his surprise defeat to Alaverdi Ramazanov, the knockout victory put the Petchyindee Academy representative back on the winning track.

Bigdash Flashes His Submission Prowess

Both Vitaly Bigdash and Yuki “Yu-King” Niimura entered ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS with a reputation for powerful striking, but it was the ground game of the former ONE Middleweight World Champion that earned him a memorable finish in Malaysia.

The Akhmat Fight Team representative took the Pancrase Middleweight World Champion down at the start of the contest. He quickly looked to land strikes and set up a submission, and it came at the 4:24 mark of the opening stanza.

Bigdash secured a reverse triangle from Niimura’s back, and locked the choke in tightly. “Yu-King” resisted, but he could no longer hold off the tap when the Russian cranked his left arm to add an armbar into the mix.

Mohammed Stops “Greek Dynamite”

Local favorite Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud made a stunning debut when he took on Stergos Mikkios in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai bout.

The durable striker known as “Greek Dynamite” had gone the distance with high-level opposition in his first two promotional appearances, but Mohammed made a statement by knocking him out in the very first round of their bantamweight tilt.

Seconds after Mikkios jumped forward with a superman punch, “Jordan Boy” grabbed for a clinch and dropped him with an elbow. When the Greek rose, the Malaysian stayed on the offensive and quickly connected with a pair of straight rights to pick up a memorable finish.