The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), returned Friday with ONE: FISTS OF FURY III at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The exciting card featured four mixed martial arts fights and a pair of ONE Super Series all-striking bouts, including a battle for the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Championship.
In the main event, reigning ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Regian “The Immortal” Eersel retained his World Title with a unanimous decision victory over #2-ranked contender Mustapha “Dynamite” Haida.
After a closely contested first round, action escalated in the second as Eersel put the pressure on Haida, using his height and reach advantage to stifle his opponent. Haida tried to keep up with Eersel’s furious pace and wanted to stay competitive throughout the third, but the defending World Champion proved to be the busier, more accurate striker.
In the championship rounds, Haida employed a sustained body attack, digging into Eersel’s midsection with frequency. But “The Immortal” put his superior athleticism on full display, ripping “Dynamite” with blistering combinations and a plethora of flying knees to maintain forward pressure until the final bell. In the end, both men were still standing despite a grueling five-round battle.
In the Muay Thai co-main event, ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion and #2-ranked atomweight Muay Thai contender Janet “JT” Todd put forth a commanding performance to outstrike and defeat #4-ranked atomweight Muay Thai contender Alma Juniku. Both fighters were aggressive throughout an even first round, with neither backing down from the center of the Circle. In the second frame, Todd showcased her impressive boxing skills and dropped Juniku for the count with a straight right hand. The women then went blow-for-blow in the third round, but it was Todd who secured the unanimous decision victory.
Hiroba Minowa took home the biggest victory of his young career, earning a close split decision over former ONE Strawweight World Champion and current #5-ranked strawweight contender Alex “Little Rock” Silva. Silva controlled the action early, as the fight quickly transitioned into a grappling match. “Little Rock” threatened with a host of submissions at every position, forcing Minowa to defend. In the third round, the Japanese phenom turned the tide with his striking, scoring in the damage category to narrowly edge out Silva on the scorecards.
ONE Warrior Series product Jenelyn Olsim produced a spectacular main roster debut, defeating #5-ranked women’s strawweight contender Maira Mazar by third-round submission in their mixed martial arts clash. Olsim showcased her patented Team Lakay wushu skills early on, keeping Mazar at range with her crisp striking combinations. The Brazilian tried to shorten the distance and grapple, but Olsim defended well against those advances. In the third and final round, Olsim secured a power guillotine against the Circle Wall, pulling guard to force the tap.
See full bout recap: Jenelyn Olsim chokes Mazar, made ONE debut a grand entrance
“The Indian Notorious” Roshan Mainam scored his third straight submission victory in the Circle, forcing Aziz “The Krauser” Calim to tap in the first round of their flyweight contest. Calim tried to use his striking to keep Mainam from closing the distance, but once in close quarters, the Indian star quickly took the action to the ground. With the hooks in, Mainam swiftly transitioned to the back and locked in a deep rear-naked choke that ended matters abruptly.
“Wolf Warrior” Hu Yong overcame a fast start from opponent Yodkaikaew “Y2K” Fairtex to win by unanimous decision in the opening bout of ONE: FISTS OF FURY III. The first round saw both men on the offensive, as they traded powerful strikes at the center of the Circle. After making a critical adjustment in the second frame, Hu used his world-class wrestling skills to dominate Yodkaikaew the rest of the way. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Hu.
Official Results for ONE: FISTS OF FURY III
Kickboxing – Lightweight: Regian Eersel defeats Mustapha Haida via Unanimous Decision
Muay Thai – Atomweight: Janet Todd defeats Alma Juniku via Unanimous Decision
Mixed Martial Arts – Strawweight: Hiroba Minowa defeats Alex Silva via Split Decision
Mixed Martial Arts – Strawweight: Jenelyn Olsim defeats Maira Mazar via Submission (Power Guillotine) at 0:41 of Round 3
Mixed Martial Arts – Flyweight: Roshan Mainam defeats Aziz Calim via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) at 2:45 of Round 1
Mixed Martial Arts – Flyweight: Hu Yong defeats Yodkaikaew Fairtex via Unanimous Decision
By: Armando M. Bolislis
