ONE Championship 2019: ONE Hero Series August Results and Highlights
Aug 26, 2019
FILE - In this April 21, 2017, file photo, Philippines' Eduard Folayang raises his championship belt during an award ceremony after beating Malaysian-born Ev Ting in the lightweight Mixed Martial Arts title fight dubbed One FC (Fighting Championship), in Pasay city, south of Manila, Philippines. One Championship, the MMA organization out of Asia, is going global in 2019 and it's making the kind of moves that shows it plans to become a player in combat sports. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File)
Liu Gui Cheng beat Xu Liu in the hard-fought headline matchup of the ONE Championship's ONE Hero series August event Monday.
Earlier, Pan Jia Yun overcame Liu Wei in their bantamweight kickboxing event in Beijing.
Meanwhile, Zhang Tao picked up a unanimous-decision victory over Yang Hua in their catchweight bout.
Here are all the results from the eighth edition of the monthly event in 2019:
(Catchweight 73.5 kg Kickboxing) Liu Gui Cheng def. Xu Liu via unanimous decision
(Bantamweight Kickboxing) Pan Jia Yun def. Liu Wei via unanimous decision
(Featherweight) Luo Zhou Jiang Cuo def. Li Hong Jiang via Round 2 submission
(Catchweight 63.0 kg Kickboxing) Zhang Tao def. Yang Hua via unanimous decision
(Strawweight) Bian Ye def. Wang Mao Lun via Round 1 TKO
(Lightweight) Yuan Yi def. Wang Hu via Round 2 submission
(Flyweight Muay Thai) Wiang Jia Le def. Huang Ding via Round 3 TKO
(Flyweight Muay Thai) Zhao Bo Shi def. Liu Hai Yang via unanimous decision
(Bantamweight) Xie Xiao Hong def. Meng Ketuogesi via unanimous decision
(Flyweight) Yan Zhi Yuan def. Wen Yun Bin via unanimous decision
(Flyweight Kickboxing) Wei Zi Qin def. Liu Quan via Round 2 TKO
Recap
ONE Championship shared video of the event :
In the headline match, Liu edged out Xu after an aggressive showing from both fighters.
The pair traded blows throughout, with Liu's speed getting the better of his opponent in the first round, including cutting Xu's cheek with a strong right hook.
Xu battled back in the second and threw Liu to the mat twice. The fight was also briefly stopped after the former caught the latter with an accidental headbutt.
Having been caught often by Liu's hands in the first round, Xu relied more on his footwork in the second round. It proved an effective tactic, and he caught Liu clean in the head with a left kick as he evened up the contest.
Liu was more aggressive in the third round, though. He had Xu up against the ropes repeatedly, which allowed him to land some powerful combinations that evidently worked in his favour when the fight went to the judges.
The penultimate fight, between Pan and Liu Wei, was similarly close as both fighters gave as good as they got.
The former was rewarded for a relentless performance that gave the latter no breathing room, with a final-round knockdown also counting in his favour.
ONE Championship's TNT Debut to Feature Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Alvarez
Aug 25, 2019
High-profile signings of former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez, plans to host an event stateside in 2020 and now the announcement that ONE Championship will broadcast its first televised event in the U.S. are the most notable expansion plans from the Singapore-based promotion into a booming North American martial arts market.
ONE President Chatri Sityodtong announced Sunday that ONE: Century, the 100th show in company history, will feature two full-scale events on the same day in Tokyo. The first portion of the show will air on TNT and stream on B/R Live the night of Oct. 12, making it ONE's first foray into live television coverage in the U.S.
To celebrate our 100th event, ONE: Century will feature two full-scale world championship events on the same day on October 13 in Tokyo. BOOM!!! #WeAreONEpic.twitter.com/XIBtyqCUXj
That card features Alvarez and Johnson as they compete in their respective ONE world grand prix finals to determine a No. 1 contender for the lightweight and flyweight championships as well as a rematch between Angela Lee and Xiong Jing Nan from their five-round battle last March for the atomweight championship.
The second card, exclusively streaming on B/R Live in the U.S., takes place the morning of Oct. 13 and features a mega-match between heavyweight champion Brandon Vera and light heavyweight champion Aung La N Sang, plus the fourth match in a longstanding rivalry between bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon and the featherweight kickboxing world grand prix final between Giorgio Petrosyan and Samy Sana.
The main cards stand as follows:
Night of Oct. 12 (TNT and B/R Live)
Angela Lee vs. Xiong Jing Nan (atomweight world championship)
Demetrious Johnson vs. Danny Kingad (flyweight world grand prix final)
Eddie Alvarez vs. Saygid Arslanaliev (lightweight world grand prix final)
Janet Todd vs. Ekaterina Vandaryeva (muay thai)
Morning of Oct. 13 (B/R Live)
Aung La N Sang vs. Brandon Vera (light heavyweight world championship)
Bibiano Fernandes vs. Kevin Belingon (bantamweight world championship)
Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Walter Goncalves (flyweight muay thai world championship)
Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Samy Sana (featherweight kickboxing world grand prix final)
Shinya Aoki vs. Honorio Banario
Mauro Cerilli vs. Arjan Bhullar
How Demetrious Johnson Is Preparing for His Bout with Danny Kingad
Aug 22, 2019
Being a professional athlete requires plenty of discipline, especially when getting prepared for the next competition. Former UFC champion and current ONE Championship flyweight Demetrious Johnson, who resisted the temptations of lobster mac and cheese and the dessert table before his interview with B/R Live, knows that better than most.
For a mixed martial artist of Johnson's caliber—who still owns the UFC record for most consecutive title defenses with 11—a strict diet and training regimen is paramount to his success and making weight for the the 135-pound flyweight limit in the ONE Championship, the Singapore-based promotion he joined last October.
After defeating Tatsumitsu Wada this month, Johnson has turned his attention to preparations for the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix final against Danny Kingad on October 13. In fact, this will be the shortest amount of time Mighty Mouse will have between matches since 2010 while with the World Extreme Cagefighting.
The winner of the tournament becomes the No. 1 contender to the title held by Adriano Moraes. Johnson, however, is still erring on the side of caution when it comes to his body throughout the upcoming training camp, especially after a grueling three-round match against Wada that went the distance.
"The first part to my training is getting my body healed," Johnson told B/R Live. "There's no point in me going into training camp if I'm not healthy enough."
Although he's considered one of the best mixed martial artists ever, even the 33-year-old admits he must control himself when getting ready for the next challenge.
"That's the biggest thing in my career, when I look back on it, is I think I trained too hard sometimes. I don't need to be training as hard as I was," he said. "I have a little bit of muscle atrophy at the moment because I'm not lifting weights as of right now, but the muscle will come back quickly once I decide to start again. Since the next fight is so close, I won't really get out of shape if I decide to take my time getting back into it."
Once he begins his training camp, a plethora of conditioning workouts await him. The goal is simple: push his heart rate and increase his longevity in what can often be long, tedious matches such as his bout with Wada.
The exercises include long runs, sprints, rowing and sled work. If Johnson wants to build muscle, he'll add weights to his routine. However, don't expect him to be working toward personal bests for pushups or pullups.
"We aren't really focused on that," Johnson said. "It's kind of outdated."
Training-camp nights typically include the meat of his martial art preparations, where Johnson works on his wrestling mat drills, grappling and pad work. With that comes a video study of past matches and upcoming opponents. Most importantly, though, he and his team base their training on how his body is feeling that day.
Demetrious Johnson defeats Tatsumitsu Wada in the ONE Championship Flyweight World Grand Prix semifinals.
Another aspect of Johnson's training is his diet. Although the Kirkland, Washington, resident has always committed himself to clean eating throughout his career, it was news from doctors a few months ago that forced him to restrict it even more.
Doctors diagnosed him with SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth), which happens when good bacteria can't keep up with the overgrowth of harmful bacteria. It can cause abdomen pain, fatigue and bloating.
Due to this diagnosis, Johnson avoids an array of carbohydrates that are hard for him to digest. His diet is inspired partly by his wife Destiny, who tells him to "try to eat the colors of the rainbow."
"She always tells the children the same thing too," he said. "What can I say: It's great advice."
Of course, we're all human. Johnson occasionally submits to his cravings just like he submits his opponents in the cage.
"I do love Pop Tarts and doughnuts," he admitted. "And all I drink is water, beer and Zevia. That's all you really need.
"I was talking to my doctor, and he said beer's actually healthier for you than soda. I said, 'Hey, man!'"
You heard it here first. Want to be a world-renowned mixed martial artist? Eat Pop Tarts and drink beer—in moderation.
Demetrious Johnson faces Danny Kingad in the ONE Championship Flyweight World Grand Prix final at ONE: Century on Oct. 13.
ONE Championship 2019: Dreams of Gold Results and Highlights
Aug 16, 2019
JAKARTA, INDONESIA - MAY 03: ONE Super Series Flyweight Muay Thai World Title belt is displayed at Istora Senayan on May 03, 2019 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images)
Ilias Ennahaci scored a third-round knockout to take the Kickboxing Flyweight World Championship from Petchdam Petchyindee Academy at the ONE Championship Dream Of Gold 2019 event in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday.
Stamp Fairtex was also in action, and she earned a submission victory over Asha Roka. Meanwhile, Samy Sana and Giorgio Petrosyan qualified for the final of the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing Grand Prix thanks to victories over Dzhabar Askerov and "Smokin'" Jo Nattawut, respectively, in the last four.
Next up, Alaverdi Ramazanov was too quick and ferocious for Ognjen Topic. The latter left himself exposed to too many kicks and clean shots, making an early TKO inevitable.
Ryuto Sawada made similarly quick work of Aziz Calim. Victory belonged to Sawada soon after he got on to his opponents' back and locked in a chokehold.
Bangpleenoi Petchyindee, Chan Rothana and Yusup Saadulaev were the next to enjoy wins. Then the prelims closed out with Lerdsila Phuket showing off his mastery of Muay Thai to earn a TKO against Savvas Michael.
It was time for the main card to begin, and the opening bout didn't disappoint. Thanh Le won it by scoring a notable opening-round knockout over the capable Kotetsu Boku when he connected with a right hand to the butt of the jaw.
Next up, Muangthai PKSaenchaimuaythaigym and Kenta Yamada engaged in a proper scrap. Both fighters traded a relentless barrage of shots at close quarters with neither man yielding nor able to gain a definite advantage.
Ultimately, Bangkok native Muangthai was awarded the decision.
Stefer Rahardian held his own against Alex Silva during a tough opening round. Silva was dominant, but Rahardian used strong ground defence to deny Silva a rear choke and survive the round.
Things went differently in the second round, though, as Silva finished by switching seamlessly from another attempted choke into an armbar for the submission.
A right hand floored Askerov in the first round of the semi-final clash for the World Grand Prix. The Russian got back to his feet but soon had to withstand a high knee and another right from Sana.
Askerov was struggling to deal with the high pace Sana was setting. The fast start formed the platform of Sana's win after the Frenchman had succeeded in drawing Askerov into the kind of close-quarters brawl he couldn't win.
It was time for Fairtex to wow the crowd against Roka. The latter entered the bout undefeated but was dominated from the off, with Fairtex taking her to the mat twice in the opening round.
As well as proving her ground game is up to MMA standards, Fairtex also delivered a familiar barrage of heavy, and largely unchecked, strikes. To her credit, Roka composed herself well at the start of the second round and landed a few solid shots of her own.
She couldn't build enough momentum, though, and Fairtex soon reasserted herself and forced a submission after more good work on the mat.
Already the dominant force in her class within kickboxing and muay thai, Fairtex delivered an emphatic warning about her desire and ability to also boss MMA.
The second semi-final in kickboxing's World Grand Prix was not as closely fought as the first. Instead, Petrosyan put Thailand favourite Nattawut down in the first round.
RIGHT ON THE 💰 Giorgio Petrosyan takes out Smokin' Jo Nattawut with a stunning ONE-PUNCH KNOCKOUT to book his spot in the US$ 1 million ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final! 💥🥊 #WeAreONE#DreamsOfGold#Bangkok#MartialArtspic.twitter.com/Sw8kJKXPpF
Petchdam started the main event on the front foot, staying on the inside and trying to fashion an opportunity to unleash his deadly left hand. Ennahachi never gave him those opportunities, and the Dutchman's own work on the inside paid dividends in the second round.
Ennahachi landed several telling body shots before making good with a strong left hook up top. Petchdam survived the round, but only just.
Another hook led to Petchdam hitting the mat and being unsteady once he got back to his feet. Ennahachi sensed his moment and quickly moved in to finish his opponent off and seal deserved gold.
How to Watch ONE Dreams of Gold: B/R Live Info, Start Time and Match Card
Aug 15, 2019
ONE Championship is back Friday with the Dreams of Gold event in Bangkok.
Flyweight kickboxing world champion Petchdam Petchyindee Academy defends his belt for the first time against Ilias Ennahachi in the main event. The featherweight kickboxing world grand prix semifinals take place as Samy Sana faces Dzhabar Askerov and Giorgio Petrosyan goes up against Smokin' Jo Nattawut.
Dreams of Gold also features the mixed martial arts debut of Stamp Fairtex, who is the reigning atomweight muay thai and kickboxing champions. She begins her journey to claim the championship in a third martial art, which has never been done before in a major promotion.
Here is how to watch Dreams of Gold and three things to pay attention to.
Where and How to Watch
Those in the U.S. can watch the contest for free on B/R Live. The main card starts at approximately 9:30 a.m. ET.
Main Card
Petchdam Petchyindee Academy vs. Ilias Ennahachi (flyweight kickboxing world championship)
Smokin' Jo Nattawut vs. Giorgio Petrosyan (featherweight kickboxing world grand prix semifinal)
Stamp Fairtex vs. Asha Roka
Samy Sana vs. Dzhabar Askerov (featherweight kickboxing world grand prix semifinal)
Fairtex faces Asha Roka, a 4-0 Indian nicknamed the Knockout Queen who returns to action for the first time since 2017. Although this is Fairtex's debut in the sport, the Thai will still likely be considered the favorite due to her wealth of experience, particularly in muay thai.
The question is, will we see something different out of Fairtex than her usual muay thai striking? Even when she defeated Kai Ting Chuang for the kickboxing crown, she still walked the fine line between its rules and that of muay thai so much so the referee consistently reminded her not to clinch as a defense mechanism, a big difference from her native sport.
How will Fairtex look outside of her comfort zone if Roka decides to bring the bout to the mat, a circumstance the two-sport champion has never needed to consider before. Will we see any aspect of Fairtex's wrestling and jiu-jitsu arsenal or is this a match where striking prevails?
Has Giorgio Petrosyan figured out a strategy against Thai boxing?
🔥 THE REMATCH IS ON 🔥 Smokin' Jo Nattawut meets Giorgio Petrosyan again on Friday! This time, the stakes are even higher as a US$1 million ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix finals spot hangs in the balance 👀 #WeAreONE#DreamsOfGold#Bangkok#MartialArtspic.twitter.com/NEETdILSBn
One million dollars is at stake in the ONE featherweight kickboxing world grand prix, and Giorgio Petrosyan is back in the tournament after defeating Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy in a rematch after ONE ruled his Thai opponent's initial victory a no-contest due to illegal clinching. Clinches are common in muay thai.
Although the defensive clinching of Petchmorakot was deemed illegal, Petrosyan still seemed to struggle with exchanges even after legal clinches from his opponent. The Doctor recovered nicely in their rematch and won in straightforward fashion.
Now Petrosyan faces another descendant of muay thai in Smokin' Jo Nattawut. The Italian already defeated Nattawut in his ONE debut last year, but the latter has grown significantly and is 4-0 since their first meeting.
Can Nattawut capitalize on the playbook Petchmorakot laid out for him and defeat (legally) one of the world's most decorated kickboxers, or has Petrosyan solved the riddle to defeating muay thai-based competitors?
Is Petchdam Petchyindee Academy a worthy champion?
Much has been said about Petchdam Petchyindee Academy. Whether it's the over-the-top entrances, Baby Shark dances, his colorful hair or his prolific striking, Petchdam stands out among the rest in more ways than one.
However, the champion's title win against Elias Mahmoudi in May was unconvincing to say the least.
In unfortunate circumstances, Petchdam won the inaugural ONE flyweight kickboxing world championship after Mahmoudi was unable to continue due to a groin strike in the fifth round. Additionally, an early yellow card given to Mahmoudi docked the Algerian points and effectively made the judges' decision to award Petchdam a unanimous victory a little easier. Had Mahmoudi not been penalized, the judges would've been forced into a closer decision.
Between the abrupt end to the hotly contested match due to injury and a yellow card that in hindsight could've been pivotal to the result of the bout, Petchdam needs a marquee win against Dutchman Ilias Ennahachi (29-2) to help prove his reign as champion isn't due to fortunate circumstances. Can he add substance to the flash of his title reign?
ONE Championship's Future Plans Include U.S. Event, More Big-Name Signings
Aug 9, 2019
ONE Championship president Chatri Sityodtong
ONE Championship garnered attention from American MMA fans after its high-profile signings of former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Alvarez and Vitor Belfort. Now the Singapore-based promotion is taking its expansion into the United States market to the next level.
ONE founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong told B/R Live they plan to host an event in the U.S., potentially in New York, toward the end of 2020.
"It's a fresh new brand of excitement, entertainment and positive energy that I think America as a country needs," Sityodtong said. "There's a huge opportunity for ONE Championship."
This is the latest indication of ONE's plans to expand into other markets, having dominated the Asian martial arts market for the better part of a decade. Sityodtong, who founded the company in 2011, says the company has offices in New York and Los Angeles opening within the next few weeks.
The Thai cites ONE's partnership with Turner Sports, which began last January, as the main catalyst for its plans to host a live event in the States.
"It's the first time in history that a major U.S. broadcaster paid media rights for an Asian sports property," Sityodtong said. "Normally it's the other way around. When the reverse had happened and Turner wanted to partner with ONE, we had many high-level discussions, and even with minimal marketing our numbers have continued to improve event after event stateside."
Sityodtong says ONE is looking to host an event in New York, potentially in Madison Square Garden. If that happens, ONE would join the ranks of popular U.S. promotions UFC and Bellator, which have hosted events in the legendary arena before.
"The American market is a very sophisticated and complex one," Sityodtong said. "We really have to come in with a loud bang and not just come in on a small scale. If we're going to do it, we're going to do it right."
Before that day, though, ONE wants to grow its roster to include more notable names like Johnson, Alvarez and Belfort who are familiar to an American audience. Although Sityodtong didn't go into specifics on who they're going after in free agency and which athletes have shown mutual interest, he's promising big names.
ONE flyweight Demetrious Johnson
"I definitely want to beef up our American roster with global superstars prior to coming to the U.S.," Sityodtong said. "All I will say is that some of the biggest global stars have reached out to us already, are looking forward to free agency, and once they hit free agency, then we will talk to them seriously. The pipeline of incoming interest from athletes all over the world, regardless of martial art, is at an all-time high. I think you'll see some huge announcements from us over the next year."
Sityodtong recently spoke to Sherdog on the release of former UFC women's featherweight champion Cris Cyborg, stating that she's the "greatest female martial artist in history." However, he did not comment on whether ONE plans to make Cyborg an offer.
According to her social media, the Brazilian says she is a frequent viewer of ONE events. A high-profile free-agent signing of Cyborg's caliber would be the first of its kind for ONE's women's division.
Just woke up. Anyone else watching @ONEChampionship live right now?!
As for current ONE athletes familiar to a U.S. audience, Alvarez is coming off a win against former lightweight champion Eduard Folayang at the start of August after losing his debut match to Timofey Nastyukhin in March.
The Underground King returns to the ONE cage on Oct. 13 in Tokyo to face Dagi Arslanaliev in the lightweight world grand prix final. The winner becomes the No. 1 contender to the belt currently held by Christian Lee.
Johnson is coming off two flyweight world grand prix victories against Yuya Wakamatsu and Tatsumitsu Wada, respectively. He faces Danny Kingad in the final on the Oct. 13 card in hopes of becoming the top contender to Adriano Moraes' title.
Johnson said he is thrilled at the idea of hosting an event in the U.S., a card he would likely feature on.
"I'm very excited," Johnson said. "It would be awesome to fight on that side of the world again. I've never fought in New York before. It's a big opportunity. Chatri will come here and blow it out the water."
Johnson is already playing the role of booker for his dream card stateside.
"Hopefully Chatri can get guys like Rodtang Jitmuangnon on that card. Also, get some good kickboxing on there too and hopefully within a year we acquire some more North American talent to strengthen that card. You definitely have to put Eddie [Alvarez] on it as well."
Although ONE is in the midst of a big accomplishment even after its cemented legacy in Asia, Sityodtong says the success all came down to timing.
"I'll be honest, we got very lucky. I always say that it is the easiest time in history to create a global brand because of the connectivity. It's also the hardest time in history if you're the incumbent brand to defend turf because there's so much innovation, creativity and connectivity that if they aren't smart about technology, content, community and commerce, they're just going to get blown away. All these young companies are innovative, creative and cutting edge like ONE Championship has been in the last few years. If we were born 10 or 20 years earlier, it would've been a very different story."
Sityodtong says the growing interest in the brand, as well as the production value of the events—which have been praised by the likes of Joe Rogan and Eddie Bravo—leave fans in the U.S. who have likely never been to a ONE show in for a treat. The next year will be crucial for the promotion to raise awareness among American fans in an already saturated martial arts market.
ONE Championship Dawn of Heroes: Alvarez, Johnson and Full Results, Highlights
Aug 2, 2019
FILE - In this May 13, 2017, file photo, Eddie Alvarez competes at UFC 211 in Dallas. Alvarez is a coach on UFC's long-running reality series,
Former UFC star Eddie Alvarez beat Eduard Folayang in the lightweight World Grand Prix semi-final at ONE Championship's Dawn of Heroes event on Friday.
Fellow UFC alumni Demetrious Johnson was also in action at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, where he beat Tatsumitsu Wada in the flyweight World Grand Prix semi-final via a unanimous decision.
Johnson will face off against Danny Kingad in the final after he won in the other semi-final against Reece McLaren.
Martin Nguyen defended his lightweight title against Koyomi Matsushima, while in the main event of the evening, Jonathan Haggerty gave up his flyweight muay thai belt against Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Here are the results from Friday's event:
Main Card
(Featherweight) Martin Nguyen def Koyomi Matsushima via Round 2 knockout
(Flyweight) Rodtang Jitmuangnon def Jonathan Haggerty via unanimous decision
(Lightweight) Eddie Alvarez def Eduard Folayang via Round 1 submission
(Flyweight) Demetrious Johnson def Tatsumitsu Wada via unanimous decision
(Flyweight) Danny Kingad def. Reece McLaren via split decision
(Bantamweight, Muay Thai) Rodlek Jaotalaytong def. Andrew Miller via Round 3 knockout
(Lightweight) Dae Sung Park def.Honorio Banariovia unanimous decision
(Bantamweight) Daichi Takenaka def.Leandro Issavia Round 3 TKO
(Welterweight) James Nakashima def.Yushin Okamivia unanimous decision
(Featherweight) Xie Bin def.Edward Kellyvia technical decision
(Catchweight) Miao Li Tao def. Pongsiri Mitsatit via unanimous decision
(Strawweight) Ayaka Miura def. Samara Santos via Round 2 submission
(Bantamweight) Muhammad Aiman def.SunotoPeringkat via unanimous decision
Recap
After being well beaten in his ONE Championship debut, it was important Alvarez produced a strong performance in his second outing in the competition.
In the initial stages of his meeting with Folayang, he appeared to be in trouble again, as Alvarez had to fight off a flurry of punches and kicks from his opponent.
However, he was able to recompose himself and eventually notch a submission win in the opening round:
As for Johnson, he continued his strong start to life in the promotion. The lightweight star was unable to stop Tatsumitsu Wada, but he dominated the bout for long spells and eventually earned a routine decision win:
Nguyen added to his reputation as one of the biggest pound-for-pound punchers in the competition when he pummelled Matsushima in the second round of their fight.
After an even first round, the 30-year-old moved through the gears in the second and put together a clinical finish.
Earlier, Rodlek Jaotalaytong improved his record to127-40-5 with his knockout win over Andrew Miller.
Rodlek came into the bout on the back of an impressive ONE Championship debut in June, in which he secured a third-round knockout of eight-time muay thai world champion Liam Harrison.
The Thai fighter had offered Miller—who had only stepped in on July 24 after Chris Shaw had to pull out through injury—a warning about his right hand earlier in the fight:
"The Underground King" Eddie Alvarez did Eddie Alvarez things at ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes at the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines on Friday.
An Alvarez fight doesn't really begin to take shape until he gets dropped. His comeback victories are almost too numerous to name at this stage in his career, but he continues to do it.
Holy crap, what a comeback from Eddie Alvarez! He gets the rear-naked choke win after injuring his leg and getting beat up on the ground. The Underground King!
Holy cow. What a win. Hobbled by a low kick. Survives ground-and-pound. Then ends it with a RNC. A lot of craziness packed into a few minutes. https://t.co/0iOLXkqI5h
As part of the lightweight grand prix semi-finals, Alvarez battled Eduard Folayang. The 170-pound tournament has Alvarez fighting above his typical weight class, but he showed his mettle in the victory in typical fashion.
Folayang put Alvarez on the mat with a strong leg kick that made a sickening sound. He sensed he had Alvarez hurt and followed with ground-and-pound. But that is when Alvarez is most dangerous. He avoided major damage from the strikes before turning the tides with a fantastic sweep.
Alvarez got Folayang's back and worked the choke. It wasn't long before it was under the chin and Folayang was forced to tap out.
The official time of the finish came at two minutes, 16 seconds of the first round.
Alvarez advanced to the finals, where he will meet Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev on October 13 for the lightweight grand prix championship in Tokyo.
How to Watch ONE Dawn of Heroes: B/R Live Info, Start Time and Match Card
Aug 2, 2019
ONE Championship is back on Friday, Aug. 2 with Dawn of Heroes, live from Manila in the Philippines.
Former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez return to the ONE cage in hopes of earning a spot in the world grand prix finals.
Johnson will attempt to remain undefeated at ONE, while Alvarez looks for his first win with the promotion.
Along with Johnson and Alvarez, we'll also see 22-year-old phenom Jonathan Haggerty defend his flyweight muay thai belt against another prodigy in Rodtang Jitmuangnon, as well as featherweight knockout king Martin Nguyen hoping to continue his dominance in the division against Koyomi Matsushima.
Here is how to watch Dawn of Heroes and four things to pay special attention to.
Where and How to Watch
Dawn of Heroes will be held Friday, Aug. 2, at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.
After becoming the only person in history to win both a Bellator and UFC title, "The Underground King" Alvarez had his eyes set on the ONE lightweight championship when making his debut last March.
However, that goal hit a snag when he lost his debut in stunning fashion by first-round knockout to Timofey Nastyukhin.
Alvarez said on Instagram post-match he didn't feel like himself that day: "I am sincerely disappointed and confused in my inability to not pull the trigger and my hesitancy on recent fight nights. It's been quite confusing to figure out the past year or so."
Alvarez did, however, seem to be in a better mindset during thelead-up press conference for the Folayang fight:
"Look, I got the first one out of the way. I lost, no problem. I did the same thing in the UFC [against Donald Cerrone] and I honestly almost did the same thing in my debut in Bellator. ... I'm not a big fan of my debuts, put it that way. So I got it out of the way, got it past me, and now I can go full-on, go undefeated straight to the belt."
We could be witnessing a huge turning point in Alvarez's storied career. A third straight loss, a streak that he's never had to deal with before, and an elimination from the lightweight world grand prix would leave The Underground King with no clear path to the third major title he's hoping to claim.
Johnson's ONE debut looked a lot better than Alvarez's did, defeating Yuya Wakamatsu by second-round guillotine choke.
Although his opponent caught "Mighty Mouse" with a big shot to the eye in the first, Johnson rebounded nicely to control the match on the ground with his world-class wrestling.
Although his next opponent, Tatsumitsu Wada, advanced further in the flyweight world grand prix than Wakamatsu did, this matchup actually seems to fare better for Johnson.
The biggest issue for Wada is his inability to pack a ton of power in his strikes. Most of Johnson's past opponents who did give him trouble are formidable strikers, Wakamatsu included.
Wada is a martial artist who gets the majority of his victories by decision, and that's a tough ask against an athlete as skilled and dynamic as Johnson.
Will Jonathan Haggerty and Rodtang Jitmuangnon steal the show?
On paper, this is the most exciting match of the entire card. Haggerty enters his first title defense since becoming flyweight muay thai champion last May hoping to prove his title-winning bout against the legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao wasn't a fluke.
Meanwhile, Rodtang still needs a marquee win and world championship to make the transition from wonderkid to the full-fledged best athlete in his division.
Haggerty called out fellow 22-year-old Rodtang after his title win, and a matchup of muay thai prodigies transcending their ages came to be. With both possessing attack-heavy styles, we might have a classic on our hands.
How will Arjan Bhullar fare in his ONE debut?
It’s been a long journey from wrestling to MMA for @theoneasb, and he's not planning on stopping any time soon!
MMA fans may remember Arjan Bhullar from his short time with UFC, amassing a 3-1 record. The former wrestling Olympian tested free agency and chose to sign with ONE instead of accepting an upgraded offer from UFC.
Bhullar told Nick Baldwin of Bloody Elbow it came down to a number of factors: money, ONE's apparent plans to expand into his family's home country of India, a greater chance of fighting for and winning a title, a greater ability to build his brand, and staying more active.
The 9-1 Bhullar looks to start off on the right foot with his new promotion, but opponent Mauro Cerilli will have something to say about that as arguably the heavyweight division's No. 1 contender to Brandon Vera's title. This is by far Bhullar's most worthy opponent to date.
Two world-title bouts, the flyweight world grand prix semifinals and the return of former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez to the ONE cage highlight the promotion's next event: Dawn of Heroes...
