By Onefc.com
ONE Championship returns to Bangkok, Thailand with a stacked card on Friday, 16 August, and there are plenty of superstar strikers ready to let their best shots fly inside the Impact Arena.
In the home of “the art of eight limbs,” ONE: DREAMS OF GOLD will bring four hard-hitting Muay Thai bouts, as well as a selection of world-class kickboxing and mixed martial arts contests.
Competitors from each discipline have shown their ability to end contests in highlight-reel fashion on the global stage, so fans will keep a keen eye on the action in case a finish happens in the blink of an eye.
Here are some examples of what you can expect – six of the best KOs from the stars set for action at the Impact Arena.
#1 Petchdam’s Patented Left High Kick
When Petchdam “The Baby Shark” Petchyindee Academy made his second appearance in The Home Of Martial Arts, he delivered his second consecutive KO over Kenny “The Pitbull” Tse.
At ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, the Thai hero fired away with his left kick from the opening bell, but Tse continued to walk him down. As he tried to step in with punches one final time, “The Baby Shark” uncorked a powerful left head kick.
His shin crunched into the side of “The Pitbull’s” head and wobbled him, and Petchdam’s finishing instinct saw him land a hard left knee and left elbow almost instantly to seal the deal.
The ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion will defend his belt in front of his countrymen when he takes on debuting Dutch star Ilias Ennahachi.
#2 Nattawut’s Rapid-Fire Hands
“Smokin” Jo Nattawut’s first-round win over Yohann Fairtex Drai at ONE: PURSUIT OF POWERis still one of the most spectacular stoppages in ONE Super Series to date.
The power-punching Thai dropped Drai to the canvas with a right hand, and when the Frenchman found a way back to his feet, Nattawut dialed up the pressure.
First, he dumped his rival to the ground, and when he picked himself up, the Bangkok Boxing representative unleashed a barrage of hooks and crosses until Drai folded onto the canvas.
“Smokin Jo” will aim to earn redemption in his rematch with Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan in the ONE Featherweight World Grand Prix semifinals in Bangkok.
#3 Stamp’s Stunning First Impression
Before she became a two-sport ONE World Champion, fans of the world’s largest martial arts organization were introduced to Stamp Fairtex via Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series (OWS).
The Thai phenomenon impressed in the trials in her homeland to earn a shot on the OWS 2 card, where she met India’s Rashi Shinde in her first professional mixed martial arts contest.
Stamp only needed 19 seconds to dispatch her rival after throwing just two kicks. The first went low, and the second shot up high to connect cleanly on the jaw, and drop her rival.
The 21-year-old will return to mixed martial arts against undefeated boxing specialist Asha “Knockout Queen” Roka inside the Impact Arena.
#4 Le’s Crunching Knee Lands For Debut Win
Thanh Le could not have made a more definitive statement in his ONE debut than this KO of seasoned campaigner Yusup “Maestro” Saadulaev.
Although the Russian grappling specialist had the run of play in the opening stanza at ONE: FOR HONOR, Le came out firing in round two.
A high kick prompted “Maestro” to shoot for a takedown, but as he did, the taekwondo specialist let go with another powerful right kick.
Saadulaev shot right into the path of the strike, and the Vietnamese-American’s knee drove right into his jaw and left the Russian supine on the mat to end the match.
#5 Boku’s Body Blitz
Kotetsu “No Face” Boku’s refined boxing game is as slick as it is powerful, and he used it to great effect against Arnaud “The Game” Lepont at ONE: WAR OF NATIONS.
The Japanese athlete was always a second quicker and an inch more accurate than his rival, and some well-placed body shots helped him to seal the victory late in round one.
First, a straight right to the solar plexus made the Frenchman wince and reel away. Boku chased him down and then plunged a left hook-right hook combination into his gut that dropped him, and set up a finish via ground and pound.
Boku will face Le in a battle of expert strikers in Thailand.
#6 Ramazanov’s Incredible Uppercut
Alaverdi “Babyface Killer” Ramazanov hit the quickest finish in ONE Super Series history against Andrew “Maddog Fairtex” Miller at ONE: HEART OF THE LION.
The 24-year-old Russian waited for his opponent to step in, and when the Scottish athlete faked with his legs, Ramazanov’s reply was devastating.
He stepped forward with a fake right knee of his own and moved into a right straight. A left straight followed swiftly after, and then a right uppercut lifted Miller from his feet and deposited him on the canvas. The referee began an eight-count, but “Maddog Fairtex” could not answer.
“Babyface Killer” takes on Serbian-American technician Ognjen Topic in a Muay Thai clash on the evening’s preliminary card.
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