In the main event of ONE 167, One Championship Featherweight Muay Thai Champion Tawanchai PK.Saenchai successfully defended his belt against formidable challenger Natthawut Somkul.
Saenchai quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with, unleashing powerful leg kicks and sharp elbow strikes on Somkul. The challenger held his ground and found success with combination attacks when Saenchai weakened his offensive power, with Somkul gaining the upper hand in the third and fourth rounds. However, the champion showed his determination in the final three minutes as the fight continued to trade blows and there were highlights from both sides.
There was a gasp when the judges’ scores were read out, but ultimately the judges were impressed with the champion’s performance and he defended his belt by majority decision.
Rodtang dominates Priti
In the catchweight co-main event, Rodtang Jitmuangnon outmaneuvered Dennis Pulic in an intense kickboxing bout. Jitmuangnon got his act together early, landing multiple left hooks to Pulic’s face. But “The Bosnian Menace” never lost his offensive edge, more than happy to fight back despite the damage he was taking. Ultimately, Jitmuangnon’s pressure overwhelmed Pulic over the course of three rounds, and his striking variety kept Pulic from controlling the bout.
After three rounds, Jitmuangnon won by unanimous decision.
Musumeci easily taps out Souza.
The card’s lone grappling match featured Mikey Musumeci taking on Gabriel Souza.
Early in the bout, Musumeci grabbed Souza’s leg and tried to apply a Slicer to his calf. Souza held on to the submission for over a minute before Musumeci finally managed to secure it. In excruciating pain, the Brazilian had no choice but to surrender.
Souza’s tap was made official 3 minutes, 7 seconds into the bout.
Ruotolo submits Cooper
Award-winning fighter Cade Ruotolo made his mixed martial arts debut against Blake Cooper.
Ruotolo quickly settled in the stand and landed some nice kicks to the body. The 21-year-old’s impressive grappling was just as lethal, as he got Cooper (2-2) on his back and cranked him in the face. The tap was official at 3:20 of the first round.
Ruotolo is currently 1-0 as a professional mixed martial artist.
Sitsongpeenong defeats Noiri
The first kickboxing bout of the night saw Nojie Masaaki make his ONE debut against Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong.
Sitsongpeenong started strong, using his left hand to target the entire first round and deny Noiri any rhythm. The second round was more competitive and Sitsongpeenong’s relentless knees and body kicks were the deciding factor. Noiri became more aggressive in the final round and even returned punches, but to no avail.
All three judges scored the bout in favor of Sitsongpeenong, who now has a kickboxing record of 129-35.
Zamboanga passes Grandjean
The second atomweight MMA bout of the night saw Dennis Zamboanga take on Noel Grandjean.
In the first round, Zamboanga (11-2) got a takedown and threatened a rear-naked choke. On the ground and on the floor, Grandjean (5-3) was one step behind. After three hard-fought rounds, the judges awarded Zamboanga a unanimous decision victory.
This marks The Menace’s third consecutive win.
ONE 167 initial results:
Welterweight prospect Adrian Lee (1-0) submitted Antonio Mammarella (1-1) via rear-naked choke at 1 minute, 56 seconds into the first round in his MMA debut. Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat won a unanimous decision over flyweight Muay Thai contender Yohan Ghazali. Victoria Souza (8-2) submitted Itsuki Hirata (6-4) via guillotine choke at 1 minute, 31 seconds into the first round in her atomweight MMA bout. Yohan Estupinan knocked down Zafer Saik twice to win a unanimous decision in his bantamweight Muay Thai bout.
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