http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC121007-0000002/Kim,-Kotetsu-ascend-One-FC-throne
In the lightweight draw Kotetsu Boku took the second belt on offer, knocking out Brazilian Zorobabel Moreira with a stunning blow to the head.
In the battle of the Causeway, MMA debutant Gianni Subba of Malaysia made light work of Bruce Loh in just 33 seconds of the first round after the charging Singaporean failed to parry a right hook to the jaw.
Both Moreira and Issa are Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champions who moved to Singapore to train with Evolve MMA gym.
The odds were on them to claim the titles, but it eluded them on a night when opponents with big hearts refused to submit to their blistering power.
Entering the cage as the underdog for the bantamweight belt, the 20-year-old Kim faced an uphill battle against the far-more accomplished Issa, nine years his senior.
But he charged on once the bell rang and had the crowd gasping when he matched the Brazilian blow for blow, kick for kick.
With an attitude bigger than his punches, the young Korean charged into the second of the five-scheduled rounds with clenched fists and swung his right arm hard.
His knuckles met the head of Issa in an instant and sent the Brazilian reeling onto the canvas, with the referee stopping the fight 15 seconds into the round after the Korean followed it up with flurry of punches.
In the lightweight contest, Japan's Kotetsu had to fight hard for the belt after Moreira left him wobbling on his left knee after delivering a series of lightning-quick kicks.
Just as Kim made a pin-point strike to the head to claim the first world championship belt, Kotetsu found his mark to win the belt in similar fashion inside the third round.
That Asians rose to the challenge with wins over formidable international opponents was pivotal as MMA storms the region.
But with an increasing number of world-renowned fighters arriving in Asia and staying to train and compete, One FC founder Victor Cui said his property must remain all inclusive if it is to be an MMA world force.
"Here you got a Korean versus a Brazilian, a Japanese versus a Brazilian, and it's an international card in an international fight and they beat two previous world champions. These are really calibre fighters. So at the top of it you've got Asians as our first world champions and it is definitely exciting."
But the Japanese faces a formidable compatriot somewhere down the road.
In the last bout of the night, in the lightweight Super fight card, Shinya Aoki showed why he is the benchmark of the sport in Asia when he finished off Arnaud Lepont of France in less than two minutes with a triangle choke submission.
Taking to the microphone after the win, the Evolve-based fighter demanded a title shot to make up for his Brazilian team-mates' failure to deliver earlier in the evening.
And Cui hinted later he will get that chance: "Well yeah, he asked for it!"
All the results
Super fight card
Shinya Aoki (Jpn) beat Arnaud Lepont (Fra) by triangle choke submission at 1:25 minutes of round 1
Lightweight title card
Kotetsu Boku (Jpn) beat Zorobabel Moreira (Bra) by TKO at 1:02 minutes of round 3
Batamweight title card
Kim Soo Chul (Kor) beat Leandro Issa (Bra) by KO at 15 seconds of round 2
Batamweight Grand Prix
Melvin Manhoef (Hol) beat Ryo Kawamura (Jpn) by KO at 4:40 minutes of round 1
Jens Pulver (USA) beat Zhao Ya Fei (Chi) by unanimous decision of round 3
Masakatsu Ueda (Jpn)beat Song Min Jung (Kor)by unanimous decision at 3:00 minutes of round 3
Kevin Belingon (Phi)beat Yusup Saadulaev (Rus)by TKO at 3:18 minutes of round 1
Opening card
Gianni Subba (Mal) beat Bruce Loh (Sin) by KO at 33 seconds of round 1
Mitch Chilson (USA) beat Ngabdi Mulyadi (Ina) by TKO at 3:57 minutes of round 2
No comments:
Post a Comment