Indian Flyweight Gurdarshan Mangat Ignites Yangon With A Knockout Debut

ONEchampionship.com

Gurdarshan “Saint Lion” Mangat showed why he is considered India’s best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist with an extraordinary debut performance in ONE Championship on Friday, 8 March.

The 32-year old flyweight used his striking prowess to score a third-round knockout victory against former ONE World Title challenger Toni “Dynamite” Tauru at ONE: REIGN OF VALOR in Yangon, Myanmar.

Mangat did not experience any nerves in his first promotional appearance. Or, if “Saint Lion” did, he certainly did not show it.

In the opening stanza, the Indian flyweight quickly made his presence felt by peppering Tauru’s legs and body with a series of kicks.

He constantly switched stances and rarely left himself open to be attacked by Tauru, who struggled to find a home for his punches despite having the reach advantage.

With just over a minute to go in the frame, the debutant hit a takedown, but the action soon moved back to the feet where “Saint Lion” was timing his Finnish adversary’s punches and countering with two or three strikes in succession.

The second round saw Mangat turn up his volume while sticking with a southpaw attack.

He hammered away at Tauru with a series of kicks that continued to reverberate throughout the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium.

It was a tactical game plan from the Indian newcomer, who punished “Dynamite” with kicks that chipped away at the former ONE Bantamweight World Title challenger’s foundation.

The damage ultimately forced Tauru to change his stance.

Mangat attacked his flyweight rival with even more striking combinations in the third round, and his confidence grew with every shot he landed.

Although Tauru tried to defend from the onslaught, Mangat found an opening for a perfectly-timed left hook, which sent his European foe staggering backward.

With an opportunity to finish, “Saint Lion” poured on the pressure before landing a crushing knee strike against the cage.

That strike put “Dynamite” down for good, and referee Olivier Coste made the save at the 1:23 mark of round three.