Use the video player above to watch along with the show and read below for a detailed report from Cole Henry. The YouTube stream may be blocked in some regions so head on over to B/R Live or the ONE app to view the show if it doesn’t work in your region.
ONE Championship: A NEW ERA
March 31, 2019
Tokyo, Japan from Sumo Hall
Live on B/R Live and YouTube (3:30 AM ET Prelims, 5:30 AM ET Main Card)
Danny Kingad def. Senzo Ikeda Decision (Unanimous) Flyweight Grand-Prix Quarter-Finals
Kairat Akhmetov def. Reece McLaren Decision (Unanimous) Flyweight Grand-Prix Quarter-Finals
Rodtang Jitmuangnon def. Hakim Hamech Decision (Split) Muay Thai
Joseph Lasiri def. Hiroki Akimoto Decision (Majority) Kickboxing
Mei Yamaguchi def. Kseniya Lachkova Submission (Armbar)Round 3, 3:18
Garry Tonon def. Anthony Engelen TKO (Punches) Round 1, 4:12
Yoon Chang Min def. Bala Shetty Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) Round 1, 4:16
Main Card:
Yodsanklai Fairtex def. Andy Souwer via KO (Punches) Round 2, 0:51 (Kickboxing Rules)
Eddie Alvarez vs. Timofey Nastyukhin (Lightweight) (LW Grand Prix First Round)
Round 1: Both guys are coming out aggressively. Alvarez scores with a low kick but Nastyukhin returns the favor. Alvarez so far hasn’t connected with anything notable. Nastyukhin is staying right in his face. Big right-hand lands for Nastyukhin! Alvarez scores with a short-left hook. Alvarez scores again with a short right hand but Nastyukhin makes him pay with a combination! Alvarez still seems to be looking for his rhythm here with just over a minute left in the round. Nastyukhin lands a right hand and Alvarez is hurt! Alvarez is backing against the cage but Nastyukhin is following him and turning up the pressure and this fight is all over! Wow what an upset! Timofey Nastyukhin has knocked out Eddie Alvarez!
Result: Timofey Nastyukhin def. Eddie Alvarez via TKO (Punches) Round 1, 4:05
Analysis: Eddie Alvarez just never looked like himself. This is the worst possible outcome for him here in his One debut but it’s a huge victory for Nastyukhin and it will be on him to continue on in the tournament.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Yuya Wakamatsu (Flyweight) (FW Grand Prix First Round)
Round 1: It’s a bit surreal seeing Mighty Mouse outside of the UFC… Wakamatsu closes the distance early, but Johnson circles away from him and lands a nice right hand. Big size difference here that Johnson is going to have to deal with. He changes levels for a takedown and completes it, but Wakamatsu is right back on his feet. Johnson still has a body lock though and uses it to drag Wakamatsu down on top of him, but they scramble right back to the feet. Johnson secures a clinch and they exchange a series of knees. Johnson connects with a right hand, but Wakamatsu is staying on him with just over a minute left in the round. Johnson lands a short-left hand and takes Wakamatsu down! He moves right into side control and from there he lands some knees to the head. He’s looking to isolate an arm, but Wakamatsu is up. (10-9 Johnson)
Round 2: Wakamatsu lands to the body to start the round. He’s attempting to chase Johnson down, but Johnson changes levels and takes his opponent down. Wakamatsu is up but Johnson still has a body lock and drags him down again, looks like a common theme for this fight. Johnson is looking to take the back and does so, he has one arm under the neck, but Wakamatsu appears to be okay. Wakamatsu rolls, but Johnson rolls with him and takes the mount position, only to give it up for side control. Johnson is looking for a guillotine and Wakamatsu taps! Great debut for Johnson and he should remain the favorite to win this tournament.
Result: Demetrious Johnson def. Yuya Wakamatsu via Submission (Guillotine) Round 2, 0:40
Bibiano Fernandes def. © Kevin Belignon via DQ (Illegal Elbows) Round 3, 1:20 for One Bantamweight Championship
© Aung La N Sang vs. Ken Hasegawa (Middleweight)
Round 1: Sang opens up early with a series of head kicks. Hasegawa is playing it safe early on, he’s mostly being defensive here in the early part of the round. Hasegawa avoids a big right hand from Sang. He still seems to be looking for an opening, meanwhile Sang is advancing almost constantly. Sang scores with a kick to the midsection. Sang connects with a right hook! Sang lands another right hand and Hasegawa is down! (10-9 La N Sang)
Round 2: Hasegawa seems a bit more alive here in the second round. Sang lands a right hand and then a big knee! Hasegawa changed levels for a takedown and ate that knee for his efforts. He’s still looking for a takedown though. Sang lands a right straight and Hasegawa is down! Sang lands one or two more on the ground before the ref steps in! Definitive win there for the two-division champion.
Result: Aung La N Sang def. Ken Hasegawa via TKO (Punches) Round 2, 4:41
Analysis: Brandon Vera is in the cage right now and he wants to face La N Sang for the light-heavyweight Championship later this year.
© Xiong Jing Nan vs. Angela Lee (Strawweight) (One Strawweight Championship)
Round 1: Lee is looking to land early but Nan is right back in her face. Lee is looking for a clinch, she secures a body lock and secures a takedown against the fence. Nan recovers guard but Lee is looking to pass. Lee is looking for a guillotine, this would be a dominant win if she can pull this off, but Nan is defending so far. Nan is free and connects with a stiff leg kick. She follows it up with a solid combination in the final moments of the round. (10-9 Lee)
Round 2: Lee closes the distance early on and forces the fight against the fence. She is controlling Nan with a pair of under hooks. Lee is looking for a takedown, but Nan is so far defending well, and Lee is settling for knees. Nan connects with a side kick to the body, but Lee is just keeping up a steady amount of pressure and Nan seems just a little bit out matched at this point. (10-9 Lee)
Round 3: Jing Nan comes out aggressively and she is tagging Lee quite a bit here in the early part of the round. Lee is returning fire but she’s mostly playing defense here. Nan is moving forward with punches and she’s finding Lee’s chin. Nan connects with a spinning back kick to the neck of Angela Lee! Nan flurries forward and lands several more good shots on Lee! (10-9 Nan)
Round 4: Lee scores early with a takedown and she moves right into side control. Nan recovers a half guard, but Lee passes right back into side control. Lee attempted moving into mount, but Nan instead recovers guard. Lee again passes though, this time back into side control. Nan attempts to scramble out of the position, but Lee stays with her and manages to take the back. She’s very high on the back and Nan is attempting to pull out from the back but Lee might be transitioning to a triangle here! Lee nearly has a triangle/armbar here, but Nan is defending so far! Lee has a deep armbar, but Nan won’t tap out! Nan is tough but her arm is being twisted in some weird directions… Nan is saved by the bell! Impressive stuff there by the champ to survive a very bad position. (10-9 Lee)
Round 5: Nan opens up with a jab and a big right hook to get things going! Lee was in trouble there for a moment, her knees looked like they almost buckled! Lee is clearly exhausted, and Nan is turning up the pressure! Nan scores with a side kick to the body, and the another and Angela Lee is hurt! This fight is all over! Wow what a comeback by Xiong Jing Nan to hand Angela Lee her first defeat!
Result: Xiong Jing Nan def. Angela Lee via TKO (Kick to Body and Punches) Round 5, 1:37
Eduard Folayang vs. Shinya Aoki (Lightweight Championship)
Round 1: Folayang connects with a right hook to get things going. The crowd is very pro Folayang I think, the fans seem to be chanting his name despite being in Aoki’s home country… Aoki is looking for a takedown but Folayang is so far defending with the aid of the fence. Aoki re-adjusts and completes the takedown. Aoki is looking for an arm-triangle and Folayang could be in serious trouble here! Folayang is out! Shinya Aoki put him right to sleep! We have a new World Champion!
Result: Shinya Aoki def. Eduard Folayang via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) Round 1, 2:34
Analysis: Shinya Aoki made quick work of Folayang. It was a classic performance, and at 35 he remains one of the top lightweights in all of Asian MMA. Thanks for sticking with me and I apologize for everything being out of order as the card was progressing… I tried taking one nap before the main card started and that turned out to be a mistake. Can’t win them all I guess…
Leave a Reply