ONE Championship

Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson and Eddie "The Underground King" Alvarez return to ONE Championship this Friday, Aug. 2. Watch the event on B/R Live.

The last time we saw Eddie Alvarez, he was staggering from a brutally painful punch. Much was expected from Alvarez's debut with ONE, but his performance fell woefully flat.

Here's how "The Underground King" described his loss to Timofey Nastyukhin on Instagram:

"The punch that hit me instantly blinded me and split both eyelids in half," he wrote. "It felt like my eye exploded from the inside and the pain was instant, From an outsider watching myself I should have expected the result considering my actions. You have to punch, kick, takedown and pressure to win a fight, I waited. I simply waited too long for the correct timing and opening that never came."

What makes his knockout defeat stand out even more is the stark difference between his debut with that of Demetrious Johnson. Former UFC champion Johnson debuted with ONE immediately after Alvarez's KO and defeated his opponent in the kind of relatively routine performance fans have come to expect from one of the best flyweights ever. He continues into the world grand prix as the overwhelming favorite.

It's a fascinating difference in paths ONE's most high-profile athletes must now take as they attempt to reach the peak of another company. 

Both men return to the cage on Friday and the stakes for ONE's top U.S. stars are more than just a spot in their grand prix's final. With Alvarez, his response to suffering back-to-back losses for the first time in his career could be telling of the trajectory the rest of his time with ONE takes. Meanwhile, Johnson's path to being the first flyweight in history to win titles at the world's two largest mixed martial arts promotions continues to cement his legacy as one of the most dominant competitors we've ever seen.

   

Eddie Alvarez: Means to a New Beginning

ONE lead commentator Michael Schiavello's call echoed through a stunned crowd at the Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo last March after former UFC champion Alvarez lost in the first round of his debut with the Asian-based promotion:

"He tagged him! He's done it! Timofey Nastyukhin knocks out Eddie Alvarez!"

Alvarez tried coming to grips with his surprising defeat through the lengthy Instagram post. The Underground King is in unfamiliar territory now, having lost two bouts in a row for the first time with both losses coming over the past year:

"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...Coach Mark always stresses 'hesitancy is death' and it's not something that is even in my character to do. In this particular fight I waited too long for an opening and paid the ultimate price."

The former UFC lightweight champion seemed uncharacteristically timid against Nastyukhin, only landing a handful of strikes before the Russian hit a decisive punch to Alvarez's eye for a subsequent knockout.

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1112299075657969669

Now Alvarez must regroup to find his first win since December of 2017, and probably more importantly, his first for ONE, with which he has an eight-figure deal.

Alvarez's new promotion is giving him no easy paths to his first win though, as he faces Eduard Folayang in the lightweight world grand prix semifinals next on Friday. The Filipino dropped the ONE lightweight world championship in the main event of the same card Alvarez suffered his debut loss. Both men were added to the grand prix semifinals after first-round winners Nastyukhin and Lowen Tynanes withdrew due to injuries.

"I hope to be judged on how I adjust and pivot from defeat and behave in victory rather than the result of a small moment in time," Alvarez added.

Alvarez used the past few months to reflect, and he seems eager to rise up from his recent struggles and redeem himself.

   

Demetrious Johnson: Different Continent, Similar Dominance

As Demetrious Johnson told B/R Live, his move to ONE was something he always dreamed of, especially as he sensed his time in the UFC coming to a close:

"The North American audience isn't very fond of lighter weight divisions, so when I had the opportunity to make the journey over to ONE Championship and start competing in Asia, it wasn't an offer I could pass up. I've always wanted to travel the world and compete, and actually grew up watching Asian mixed martial arts with PRIDE."

"Mighty Mouse" got off on the right foot with his new promotion last March, defeating Yuya Wakamatsu by guillotine choke in the second round. It wasn't an easy win though, as Wakamatsu's power gave Johnson fits early on with a heavy shot to the eye. Ultimately, the former UFC flyweight champion's experience and quick decision-making were too much for the young Japanese.

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1154028466209271808

Unlike Alvarez, who has questioned himself over the past year, Johnson is brimming with confidence as the winner of 14 of his last 15 bouts: "For me, I'm just going to go out there focused, do what I do best, and that'd be Demetrious Johnson."

Someone he's gotten to know a lot better during their moves to ONE is Alvarez, who heaped praise on the flyweight and added fuel to the "greatest of all time" case for Mighty Mouse who still holds the UFC record for most consecutive title defenses with 11.

"I've always admired DJ," Alvarez told B/R Live. "People always ask me who I think the greatest fighter in MMA history is, and I always say DJ. It's very difficult to battle against young, hungry lions all the time over and over again. To be able to do it so many times in a row for that many years, the consistency of performances, I don't think people comprehend the greatness of that."

Johnson looks to answer the call again against another Japanese challenger in Tatsumitsu Wada who defeated Gustavo Balart in the flyweight world grand prix quarterfinals by unanimous decision. Their match also takes place on Friday before the Alvarez-Folayang bout.

If Johnson could emerge as the grand prix champion and ultimately win the flyweight title, it would be difficult to not at least mention him in the GOAT conversation when also considering his success in the UFC as a titleholder for nearly six years.

Regardless of his personal accolades, Johnson hopes his accomplishments and popularity around the world help a larger cause and grow the Asian-based promotion with his brand ambassador duties. With Alvarez at a crossroads in his career, the weight of American success at ONE is falling on Johnson's shoulders at the moment.

The ONE Hero Series July event finished in blistering fashion as Zhang Wan Xin beat Lu Rui Lei by unanimous decision in the headline fight in Beijing on Monday.

Zhang came flying out the blocks and looked as though he may get an early stoppage in the featherweight muay thai bout.

But Lu showed remarkable fortitude to stay in the contest and survive for the duration of the three rounds.

The penultimate fight of the night was similarly absorbing as Wang Jing Jia and Liu Meng Yu's bantamweight clash went to the judges. 

Here is the full event, courtesy of the ONE Championship YouTube channel:

Results 

Zhang Wan Xin defeats Lu Rui Lei via unanimous decision (featherweight muay thai)

Wang Jing Jia defeats Liu Meng Yu via split decision (bantamweight)

Luo Chao defeats Zhang Meng Fei via TKO in Round 2 (featherweight kickboxing)

Ze Ru defeats Li Hong Lin via submission in Round 2 (strawweight)

Fan Jia Le defeats Xiatihe Zhumatai via submission in Round 1 (catchweight of 63 kilograms)

Zhang Shuai defeats Hu Bin Qian via unanimous decision (bantamweight muay thai)

Meng Ketuogesi defeats Xia Ming Quan via TKO in Round 2 (catchweight of 65 kilograms)

Huang Ding defeats Yuan Hao via TKO in Round 2 (flyweight muay thai)

                

Zhang landed the early blows against his fellow 21-year-old, using his knees to great effect and staggering his opponent with a big left hand in the first round.

Lu was impressively resolute, showing no signs of pain and countering well in the second round with some effective combinations.

Zhang found his range early, though, and was brilliantly accurate with his punching, while he also landed another knee to Lu's body in the second round.

Despite his impressive rally, Lu went into the final round needing something special to turn the fight in his favour.

He looked better again in the third as the dynamic fight came to its conclusion.

But after his blistering start and due to his consistent accuracy, Zhang was a deserved victor when he won the bout by unanimous decision.

Wang's experience showed in his bout with Liu in the penultimate fight.

He sealed an early takedown in the opening round and asserted his dominance with some well-controlled grappling.

The roles were reversed in the second round when Liu was in the ascendancy early on, but Wang turned the tables and drew blood from his opponent's eye with some well-directed elbows.

Liu landed with some huge right hands early in the third, but Wang eventually found control again and was awarded the fight via split decision.   

Giorgio Petrosyan won the Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix quarter-final against Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy at ONE Championship's Masters of Destiny event on Friday.

The pair met at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in a rematch of their controversial no-contest bout in May.

Meanwhile, Atomweight champion Angela Lee is still looking for her first win at strawweight after she lost to Michelle Nicolini.

Here are the results from Friday's event:

                                

Main Card

(Kickboxing, Featherweight) Giorgio Petrosyan def. Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy via unanimous decision

(Strawweight) Michelle Nicolini def. Angela Lee via unanimous decision

(Lightweight) Ev Ting def. Daichi Abe via submission

(Flyweight) Gurdarshan Mangat def. Abro Fernandes via unanimous decision

(Atomweight) Jihin Radzuan def. Jomary Torres via submission

(Bantamweight) Troy Worthen def. Chen Rui via Round 2 TKO (strikes)

(Kickboxing, Flyweight) Hiroki Akimoto def. Kenny Tse via unanimous decision

        

Preliminary Card

(Kickboxing, Atomweight) Janet Todd def. Kai Ting Chuang via majority decision

(Lightweight) Dae Sung Park def. Kimihiro Eto via Round 2 TKO (strikes)

(Flyweight) Aleksi Toivonen def. Akihiro Fujisawa via Round 1 submission (rear-naked choke)

(Muay Thai, Bantamweight) Mohammed Bin Mahmoud def. Saiful Merican via unanimous decision

(Strawweight) Adrian Mattheis def. Zhe Li via Round 2 TKO (strikes)

(Atomweight) Bozhena Antoniyar def. Bi Nguyen via split decision

(Muay Thai, Featherweight) Sorgraw def. George Mann via split decision

(Kickboxing, Flyweight) Josh Tonna def. Yoshihisa Morimoto via unanimous decision

                   

Recap

Petrosyan advanced to the last four after a comprehensive display against his rival.

The Doctor was dominant in each of the three rounds, and a flurry of combinations and clever strikes put distance between himself and his opponent.

Jo Nattawut awaits Petrosyan in the next round, with the pair facing off once again after their Heroes of Honor battle in 2018. Petrosyan defeated Nattawut by decision in the bout.

Nicolini defeated former sparring partner Lee, and the eight-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion controlled Unstoppable on the mat.

The 37-year-old displayed her intelligence as she kept her opponent on the floor, and despite Lee's efforts, she could not force her way back into the fight.

Earlier, Troy Worthen had maintained his unbeaten record with a second-round knockout of Chen Rui to extend his MMA record to 5-0.

The American, making his ONE Championship debut, was competing in his first fight for a year but he showed little evidence of ring rust as he put in a dominant showing.

Pretty Boy used his wrestling skills to take the fight to the mat, before pummelling his opponent:

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1149670771343519744

In a battle of undefeated bantamweights, Troy Worthen secures a stunning ground-and-pound TKO win over Chen Rui! #WeAreONE #MastersOfDestiny #KualaLumpur #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/sP9C3Zzm8P

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) July 12, 2019

As for the Ghost, it was his first defeat in MMA and his record now stands at 7-1.

Worthen's compatriot Janet Todd also enjoyed a victory in what was only her second professional kickboxing bout.

Despite being pitted against former atomweight kickboxing world champion Chuang Kai Ting, Todd's aggressive striking earned her the majority decision.

A highly anticipated rematch in the featherweight kickboxing world grand prix and Angela Lee's return to the cage headline ONE: Masters of Destiny's stacked card.

In the main event, Giorgio Petrosyan looks to redeem his controversial loss against Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy from their May bout.

The latter initially won the match by split decision, but ONE president, chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong overturned the ruling because he was unsatisfied with the referee's control of the match. 

Before the main event, women's atomweight champion Lee takes on Michelle Nicolini in hopes of picking up her first win in the strawweight division.

Here is everything you need to know about ONE: Masters of Destiny.

       

Where and How to Watch

The event will be held at Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Those in the U.S. can watch the contest for free on B/R Live.

The main card starts at 8:30 a.m. ET, preceded by an eight-match preliminary card that begins at 6 a.m.

The full card stands as follows:

      

Main Card

Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy (featherweight kickboxing world grand prix quarterfinal)

Angela Lee vs. Michelle Nicolini

Ev Ting vs. Daichi Abe

Abro Fernandes vs. Gurdarshan Mangat

Jihin Radzuan vs. Jomary Torres

Troy Worthen vs. Chen Rui

Hiroki Akimoto vs. Kenny Tse (kickboxing)

     

Preliminary Card

Kai Ting Chuang vs. Janet Todd (kickboxing)

Dae Sung Park vs. Kimihiro Eto

Aleksi Toivonen vs. Akihiro Fujisawa

Saiful Merican vs. Mohammed Bin Mahmoud (muay thai)

Adrian Mattheis vs. Li Zhe

Bozhena Antoniyar vs. Bi Nguyen

George Mann vs. Sorgraw Petchyindee Academy (muay thai)

Josh Tonna vs. Yoshihisa Morimoto (kickboxing)

     

Angela Lee vs. Michelle Nicolini

Angela Lee

Age: 23

Height: 5'4"

Weight: 125 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 9-1

ONE Record: 9-1

At 19, Angela Lee became the youngest professional mixed martial arts champion in the sport's history.

Almost three years later, Lee is still holding on to her atomweight crown and wanted even more gold around her waist as she faced Xiong Jing Nan last March for the right to be ONE's first-ever two-division women's champion. Unfortunately for Lee, she came up just short as Xiong won a thrilling match in the fifth round.

In addition to her loss against Xiong, Lee endured a lot of adversity outside of the cage the past couple of years, being involved in a car crash that kept her out of action for almost a year and a back injury that also sidelined her for an extended period of time. Now the young phenom must regroup in hopes of earning her first win since May of 2018. 

All seven of Lee's finishes have come by submission, but it's her stand-up game she will rely on against former Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion Nicolini. 

Lee should look to keep this bout on her feet and disengage in the clinch as often as possible. When the Brazilian does shoot, as she will likely attempt to do so on multiple occasions, Lee would do well to make her pay on the exit.

"I'm extremely confident," Lee told Tom Taylor of BJPenn.com. "I know jiu jitsu is her skillset where she is strongest, and I'm prepared to deal with her strength, but also take her to areas where I don't feel she's as prepared. I think that I'm more of a well-rounded mixed martial artist. MMA is extremely different than jiu jitsu, and I think everyone's going to see that in the fight."

Michelle Nicolini

Age: 37

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 125 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 5-2

ONE Record: 3-1

It's no exaggeration to say that Michelle Nicolini is one of the best BJJ athletes of all time, as she's an eight-time world championship gold medalist in the sport.

In 2011, the Brazilian transitioned into mixed martial arts as well and managed to compile five wins all through submission. She has never been finished in a mixed martial arts bout.

Nicolini will likely have to absorb damage from Lee and keep coming forward to enter the clinch and get the bout to the ground, but that's a natural adjustment someone who never had to deal with strikes in BJJ has to make. 

If she can get past the strikes and drag her opponents down to the mat, though, Nicolini finishes almost academically. She has victories with almost every single submission, including a toehold against Lee in a grappling competition four years ago.

This win for Nicolini seemed to be the catalyst for some bad blood between the two competitors.

While she had some mixed martial arts experience before she arrived, the veteran Nicolini was learning many of the sport's aspects for the first time when she relocated to Singapore in 2016 to work with Evolve, Lee's home gym.

In one of her early days training there, Nicolini was paired up with Lee in muay thai sparring. As hard as she tried to keep up, Nicolini was still very much a rookie while Lee was already a seasoned veteran.

"When I have new girls coming to train, I'm not going to beat them up in the first round," Nicolini told ONE. I would like to get to know the girls who are training a little bit. Maybe we can be friends and help each other. Angela, I don't know if she did it on purpose, but she beat me up a lot—like, really bad in muay thai, and it was a very new sport [for me]. After that, I didn't want to be friends."

Clearly, this incident is still on the mind of Nicolini. Will her feelings toward Lee show during their time in the cage together?

       

Prediction

Nicolini is one of the best BJJ athletes in the world, but her most recent loss to Tiffany Teo last November showed clear deficiencies in her mixed martial arts game against an opponent with a decent sprawl and defense against takedowns.

Lee is head and shoulders better with her striking than Nicolini is but also has experience in defending against high-level grapplers. That should be enough to earn the result for her first win in the strawweight division.

Lee defeats Nicolini by unanimous decision

        

Giorgio Petrosyan vs. Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy

Giorgio Petrosyan

Age: 33

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 155 pounds

Stance: Southpaw

Record: 99-3-2

ONE Record: 2-0

Nicknamed "The Doctor," Giorgio Petrosyan is known for his supreme technical skills and defensive prowess that helped him defeat some of the best kickboxers in the world while taking very little damage. 

Heading in to his match with Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy last May, Petrosyan was a clear favorite due to Academy's familiarity with a muay thai ruleset rather than kickboxing. However, controversy struck when the Italian lost by split decision.

His Thai opponent was criticized throughout the bout due to his consistent attempts at grappling with Petrosyan, a set of moves that aren't allowed in ONE's kickboxing ruleset for defensive purposes.

A week after, ONE president, chairman and CEO Sityodtong announced the promotion ruled their match a no contest and that a future rematch would decide the last semifinalist in the featherweight kickboxing world grand prix. 

"ONE Championship has conducted an official review of the controversial bout between Giorgio Petrosyan and Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy at ONE: Enter The Dragon in Singapore," Sityodtong said in a statement on Facebook. "In fairness to all parties, the ONE Competition Committee has formally declared the bout a no contest. The referee did not adequately control the illegal clinching, resulting in multiple infractions during the bout."

How will Petrosyan respond in a rematch he's expected to take full advantage of?

Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy

Age: 26

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 155 pounds

Stance: Southpaw

Record: 159-34-2

ONE Record: 3-1

For all the relief Petrosyan felt when Sityodtong announced a rematch, there was probably just as much dismay from Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy, whose biggest win in his career would now no longer count.

The Thai clearly felt a little out of place competing in kickboxing and felt the need to utilize more grappling than what is allowed, but to take the win away entirely due to the referee's lack of control over the match forces Petchmorakot to do what's never been done by an opponent before, and that's beat Petrosyan twice.

Petchmorakot's agent, Boat Yindee, expressed his disappointment in the decision on Instagram:

"We were all dedicated to this fight. We did everything we can, despite knowing that we are all inferior to (Petrosyan) with the rules of kickboxing; do not use elbows and limit of knees. But we chose to fight because we want to win this challenge. ... The only reasons that he decided to join this tournament because he likes challenging and wanted to make the Thai people proud. Petrosyan has almost hundred times of experience, but Petchmorakot only fought once with these rules. However, we still fight without any negotiation. We agreed to fight the best kickboxer in spite of subsidiary in everything.

"I feel pity to Petchmorakot because he really did everything for this victory. Practiced so hard for two months, and ran almost 40 kilometers from Suvanbhumi Airport to Royal monument King Chulalongkorn as promised if he won.

"We believe that all is not our fault. The problem is that the ONE Championship kickboxing rules are unclear. We should get into the semifinals because we deserve it."

Petchmorakot initially withdrew from the grand prix after ONE's decision to have a rematch, citing Petrosyan's fans potentially not willing to accept a second positive result for the Thai even if Petchmorakot were to win again. However, he changed his mind shortly after.

Can Petchmorakot shock the world once again by defeating one of the best kickboxers of all time?

       

Prediction

Although it was deemed a no-contest result, one can't help but feel a little sympathy toward Petchmorakot, who already had a tall mountain to climb against Petrosyan.

Now he must find a way to defeat The Doctor again all while adjusting to make sure he doesn't grapple nearly as much as he originally did.

That seems like a tall task considering he barely convinced the judges the first time around. It just doesn't appear written in the stars for Petchmorakot.

Petrosyan defeats Petchmorakot by unanimous decision

Demetrious Johnson's second fight in ONE Championship will be against Tatsimitsu Wada, it was confirmed Tuesday.

ONE announced the card for the Dawn of Heroes event on August 2 in Manila, with former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez also in action against Eduard Folayang:

🗓 2 August. Manila. Mark your calendars! 🗓
With a highly-anticipated World Title bout, a legendary lightweight super-bout, and 3 World Grand Prix semi-finals, ONE: DAWN OF HEROES is a must-see! #WeAreONE #DawnOfHeroes #Manila #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/pPQWgT8EgI

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 25, 2019

The main event on the bill will see the flyweight muay thai title on the line, as champion Jonathan Haggerty defends his belt against Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Johnson and Alvarez both made their ONE Championship debuts in March at the A New Era show, with each fighter enduring different fortunes.

The former, known as Mighty Mouse, was dominant against Yuya Wakamatsu, eventually winning in the second round after locking in a guillotine choke. 

Meanwhile, Alvarez was shocked by Timofey Nastyukhin, as he was stopped in the first round of their contest:

UPSET ALERT 🚨 Eddie Alvarez loses his ONE debut, suffering a first-round TKO at the hands of Timofey Nastyukhin (via @ONEChampionship) pic.twitter.com/EaBaek69Ji

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 31, 2019

Alvarez will be seeking to bounce back against Folayang, who was beaten by Shinya Aoki in his previous fight.

Johnson's meeting with Wada, who was an impressive winner against Gustavo Balart in his previous contest, will be in the semi-final of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix event. In the other semi, Danny Kingad and Kairat Akhmetov will face off.

Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg took less than 90 seconds to win the main event against Hyunjin Lee at the ONE Warrior Series June event on Thursday.

A flurry of fierce punches to the head and body were too much for South Korean Lee in the Singapore bout, and Zoltsetseg was awarded the victory by TKO.

The penultimate fight of the night was a much more attritional affair as Jerry Olsim came out on top against Myeong Gu Kim, winning by unanimous decision.

Here is the event results in full, courtesy of the ONE Championship YouTube channel:

Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg defeats Hyunjin Lee via TKO in Round 1 (featherweight)

Jerry Olsim defeats Myeong Gu Kim via unanimous decision (featherweight)

Devon Morris defeats Javed Mulla via submission in Round 1 (welterweight)

Gadzhimurad Abdulaev defeats Carlos Prates via unanimous decision (welterweight)

Alan Philpott defeats Zechariah Lange via unanimous decision (featherweight)

Takuya Nagata defeats Kieran Joblin via TKO in Round 1 (lightweight)

Ji Yeon Seo defeats Edilah Johany via TKO in Round 3 (atomweight)

Irfan Ahmad defeats Sandeep Kumar via submission in Round 1 (strawweight)

Dave Banguigui defeats Susovan Ghosh via TKO in Round 2 (strawweight)

Manthan Rane defeats Allan Albindo via unanimous decision (strawweight)

Sai Nyan defeats Peter Danasoe via submission in Round 3 (flyweight)

Lin Viet Anh Do defeats Taeho Bak via TKO in Round 1 (flyweight)

Satomi Takano defeats Michele Ferreira via submission in Round 2 (atomweight)

Jace Law defeats Jong Heon via TKO in Round 1 (featherweight)

Gunther Kalunda defeats Mehdi Bagheri via TKO in Round 2 (welterweight)

Xie Xiaxiang defeats Nat Natchayangkul via TKO in Round 2 (welterweight)

             

The explosive Zoltsetseg lived up to his reputation with a demolition of Lee on Thursday.

The duo were cautious to start with as they sized each other up, and the significantly taller Lee made little impact with some early leg kicks.

With a minute gone in the opening round, Zoltsetseg landed a right hand to the body as he ducked low.

And seconds later, a left-right combination to the head from the Mongolian had Lee in serious trouble.

Zoltsetseg pinned his opponent to the ropes and produced some huge right-hand blows to the body to end the fight.

Despite going the distance, there were no such fireworks in the bout between Olsim and Kim.

A fast start gave way to a fascinating tactical battle as the pair's excellent groundwork and grappling came to the fore.

Eventually, Filipino Olsim was handed the victory by the judges to take his record to 6-0.

Meanwhile, America's Bam Morris produced a fantastic performance to recover being taken to ground early after just 20 seconds of the first round against by India's Javed Mulla.

Morris responded with an attempted triangle choke before transitioning into a devastating armbar that forced Mulla to tap out.  

Stamp Fairtex retained her Atomweight World Muay Thai title after being awarded a unanimous decision against Alma Juniku at the ONE Championship Legendary Quest 2019 event in Shanghai on Saturday.

Juniku, 18, appeared to control most of the bout on her tournament debut, but a strong finish from Fairtex ultimately swayed the judges.

The main card also saw Agilan Thani beat legendary Yoshihiro Akiyama on the latter's first appearance at the ONE Championship. Anderson Silva was also in action, but the 32-year-old was humbled by Tarik Khbabez.

       

Results (Per the tournament's official website)

Preliminary Card

• Phoe Thaw def. Victorio Senduk via Knockout (MMA, Men's Featherweight)
• Itsuki Hirata def. Angelie Sabanal via Submission (MMA, Women's Atomweight)
• Chen Lei def. Anthony Engelen via Unanimous Decision (MMA, Men's catch weight of 67.5 kilograms)
• Fan Rong def. Sherif Mohamed via TKO (MMA, Men's Middleweight)
• Niu Kang Kang def. Eric Kelly via Unanimous Decision (MMA, Men's Featherweight)
• Yoon Chang Min def. Trestle Tan via TKO (MMA, Men's Lightweight)

       

Main Card

• Stamp Fairtex def. Alma Juniku via Unanimous Decision (ONE Women's Atomweight Muay Thai World Title)
• Agilan Thani def. Yoshihiro Akiyama via Unanimous Decision (MMA, Men's Welterweight)
• Zhang Chenglong def. Tyler Hardcastle via Knockout (ONE Super Series kickboxing, Men's Bantamweight)
• Han Zi Hao def. Andrew Miller via Knockout (ONE Super Series Muay Thai, Men's Bantamweight)
• Koyomi Matsushima def. Kwon Won Il via Unanimous Decision (MMA, Men's Featherweight)
• Tarik Khbabez def. Anderson Silva via Unanimous Decision (ONE Super Series kickboxing, Men's Light Heavyweight)
• Reinier de Ridder def. Gilberto Galvao via TKO (MMA, Men's Middleweight)
• Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym def. Liam Harrison via Unanimous Decision (ONE Super Series Muay Thai, Men's Bantamweight)

The day started with a couple of notable results on the preliminary card. Eric Kelly couldn't escape body scissors from Niu Kang Kang, who was able to rain down uncontested shots until the unanimous decision was confirmed.

It continued a lengthy losing run for Kelly:

China’s Niu Kang Kang defeats Eric Kelly making it 7 losses in a row for ‘The Natural.’ What’s next for the Filipino who fought on the very first ONE card back in 2011? pic.twitter.com/tAzqw0lF5x

— MMA Latest (@MMALatestNws) June 15, 2019

While Kelly's career appears to be faltering, Itsuki Hirata's is starting to take shape after her submission victory over Angelie Sabanal:

19 year old Itsuki Hirata wins her ONE Championship debut with a first round kimura - one to watch in the women’s Atomweight division! pic.twitter.com/kUOvtLXnrZ

— MMA Latest (@MMALatestNws) June 15, 2019

Results came in quick once the main card got underway. Reinier de Ridder earned some props when he forced a verbal tap out from Galvao.

Reinier De Ridder TKOs Gilberto Galvao in jaw-dropping fashion to remain UNDEFEATED! 😱 #WeAreONE #LegendaryQuest #Shanghai #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/ir3C6q19qF

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 15, 2019

Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym emphatically beat Liam Harrison, while Khbabez was good value for a win by unanimous decision over Silva.

The latter couldn't handle a vicious and sustained onslaught from an opponent unleashing fast hands with flawless coordination:

🤜 WHAT A BOUT! 🤛
In a ONE Super Series instant classic, Moroccan revelation Tarik Khbabez goes 4-0 with a unanimous decision victory over Brazilian beast Anderson Silva! #WeAreONE #LegendaryQuest #Shanghai #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/rOJyFRBrUv

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 15, 2019

There was a positive moment for home fans when Han Zi Hao sent an overwhelmed Andrew Miller sprawling to the canvas:

Chinese phenom Han Zi Hao sends the home crowd into a frenzy with a stunning knockout of Scottish star Andrew Miller! 🇨🇳 #WeAreONE #LegendaryQuest #Shanghai #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/dgcUz3J8vR

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 15, 2019

Hao's heroics were repeated by Zhang Chenglong, who rocked Tyler Hardcastle during a swift knockout win:

Zhang Chenglong makes it a clean sweep for 🇨🇳, connecting with a spectacular right hand to put Tyler Hardcastle to 😴! #WeAreONE #LegendaryQuest #Shanghai #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/Exmir0omNC

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 15, 2019

One of the more notable upsets on the main card saw Koyomi Matsushima beat Kwon Won Il by unanimous decision:

🇯🇵 Koyomi Matsushima makes a HUGE splash in the featherweight division with a unanimous decision win over “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il! @TUF108 #WeAreONE #LegendaryQuest #Shanghai #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/lgkdKiYr19

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 15, 2019

A shock of sorts was also in store for famed Akiyama, who was given a tough time by Thani. Akiyama struggled to stay in the first round and ended it slammed to the canvas after a brutal takedown.

A knee to the chin and a roundhouse kick that found its mark helped Thani maintain control. Akiyama was soon forced on to the ring apron after another sustained attack from Thani, who sensed victory was close.

It was an unforgiving tournament debut for Akiyama, even though he salvaged some pride with a few clean strikes in the penultimate round against an opponent two decades his junior.

A sweeping kick to the midsection gassed Thani, who seemed to be straining more than the older man. However, a formidable left hook in the dying seconds helped a heavily bloodied Thani convince the judges to award him a unanimous decision.

Back and forth they go! @akiyamayoshihir #WeAreONE #LegendaryQuest #Shanghai #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/bFaxnSZ07J

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 15, 2019

Like Thani, Juniku took control early in the main event. She put Fairtex down twice with late kicks while protecting herself superbly with a tight and disciplined guard.

A long-snapping jab was also helping Juniku keep the champion unsettled. However, Fairtex opened things up in the third, knocking the head of Juniku back with a pair of thunderous rights.

Juniku responded by once again leaning on the jab to reassert herself in the penultimate round. There was more power in her shots as Fairtex was forced into a slugfest with her kicking neutralised.

Yet the champion summoned reserves to land some telling blows in the final seconds. Her strong finish, coupled with Juniku's failure to seize the moment when victory appeared in sight, proved decisive.

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1139904023207784448

There is little shame for Juniku, though, with the teenager sure to get another chance to thrive at this level.

Fu Qin Nan put in a dominant display to claim a unanimous-decision win over Liu Wei in the main event of the One Hero Series June event on Friday.

Fu put Liu down in the first round with a strong left hook and never really looked troubled during the bout in Shanghai.

A little further down the card, there were knockouts galore, with the penultimate fight of the night ending inside three minutes as Xie Wei downed Liu Deligerihu by TKO.

Here is the event in full, courtesy of the One Championship YouTube channel:

Results

Fu Qin Nan defeats Liu Wei via unanimous decision (ONE Super Series kickboxing—bantamweight)

Xie Wei defeats Liu Deligerihu via TKO in Round 1 (flyweight)

Lu Jun defeats Song Xu Kui via TKO in Round 2 (ONE Super Series kickboxing—catchweight of 64.7 kilograms)

Ahejiang Ailinuer defeats Zhong Qing Ya via TKO in Round 1 (bantamweight)

Wurigenbayar defeats Kurbanjiang Tuluosibake via TKO in Round 1 (welterweight)

Hu Yong defeats Huyixibai via disqualification (flyweight)

Maimaitituoheti defeats Wang Jing Jia via TKO in Round 3 (bantamweight)

Yan Zhi Yuan defeats Yang Fu Chong via unanimous decision (flyweight)

Li Hao Jie defeats Huang Yan Chuan via TKO in Round 3 (flyweight)

Li Zhe defeats Wang Mao Lun via submission in Round 1 (strawweight)

Cai Xiong Xiong defeats Tasiken Jumatai via technical decision (strawweight)

The main event was not the most explosive of the night, but Fu showed clear superiority throughout. 

He landed a left hook in the opening round which put Liu down and was consistently on top, and he used numerous leg kicks to great effect.

Liu went into the final round effectively knowing he needed a knockout blow to win the fight, but he could not produce it.

Xie, meanwhile, was devastating from the opening bell in his flyweight MMA clash with Liu Deligerihu.

He came flying out the blocks and took his opponent down within 20 seconds and eventually claimed victory via TKO after landing punch after punch to Liu's head. 

In the event's other kickboxing bout, Lu Jun produced a devastating right hand early in the second round to beat Song Xu Kui.

Meanwhile, Ahejiang Ailinuer produced a brutal finish to his bantamweight bout with Zhong Qing, as he maintained his unbeaten record with a flurry of punches to the head after working a dominant position.  

The atomweight muay thai championship is on the line at ONE: Legendary Quest on Saturday as Stamp Fairtex defends her crown against Alma Juniku in a matchup of two talented athletes transcending their age.

But who are Fairtex and Juniku? How did they get here? What's on the line for both women?

Here is everything you need to know about Stamp Fairtex vs. Alma Juniku.

        

Muay Thai

First, it's important to understand the differences in this match compared to other mixed martial arts bouts. Since it is a muay thai fight, the competitors are focused on striking through punches, kicks, elbows and knees. Grappling on the ground and wrestling are not allowed.

Instead of five-minute rounds, muay thai has three-minute rounds. Because Fairtex and Juniku are competing with a championship on the line, this match can go up to five rounds. 

        

Where and How to Watch

The event will be held at Shanghai's Baoshan Arena in China.

Those in the U.S. can watch the contest for free on B/R Live.

The main card starts at approximately 7 a.m. ET.

            

Main Card

Stamp Fairtex vs. Alma Juniku (ONE atomweight muay thai world championship)

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Agilan Thani

Zhang Chenglong vs. Tyler Hardcastle (kickboxing)

Han Zi Hao vs. Andrew Miller (muay thai)

Koyomi Matsushima vs. Kwon Won Il 

Tarik Khbabez vs. Anderson Silva (kickboxing)

Reinier De Ridder vs. Gilberto Galvao

Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym vs. Liam Harrison (muay thai)

          

Stamp Fairtex

Age: 21

Height: 5'1"

Weight: 115 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Amateur Record: 62-15-5

ONE Record: 2-0

Don't let her age fool you. Fairtex claims to be a muay thai veteran, with "about 80 (amateur) fights officially" under her belt, as she told Richard Arthur of Fox Sports Asia. 

https://twitter.com/brlive/status/1138839626754297856

She loves to put on a show and is unafraid to get inside the heads of her opponents during matches. She manages to back up her talk more often than not and has quickly become a fan favorite.

Although she is also the ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion, Fairtex's bread and butter is muay thai.

The 21-year-old is a physical force, throwing her opponents down with ease by using her long reach to close the distance. She also uses that reach as a defensive advantage, making it difficult for competitors to time strikes and grappling attempts effectively.

This is just the second step of a much larger goal for Fairtex. Not only is she ONE's first two-sport world champion, but she also wants to eventually earn a mixed martial arts title shot.

"It is still a goal for me to win a title in MMA," she told BJPenn.com's Tom Taylor. "I still do mixed martial arts training. I plan to compete under mixed martial arts rules this year, but my team asked if I wanted to compete in a muay thai bout. It's hard to pass on that. ... The goal is to become a three-sport world champion."

The wonderkid has already accomplished plenty in her young career, but she must put her long-term goals to the side for now and continue using her natural attributes to her advantage for the next bout.

The question remains: How will she do against another phenom ready to take her mantle?

            

Alma Juniku

Age: 18

Height: 5'4"

Weight: 115 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 24-4

ONE Record: 0-0

What were you doing at the age of 18? Juniku, an Australian muay thai prodigy who won the WBC bantamweight title on her most recent birthday, is getting ready to compete for a ONE title in her debut with the promotion.

Alma Juniku's 🚀 rise to the top culminates with a shot at Stamp Fairtex's ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title this Saturday! #WeAreONE #LegendaryQuest #Shanghai #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/0ws6ef60d5

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) June 12, 2019

"It's not the first time I've been going for a title and fighting in the main event, but I'm really, really excited and thankful that I'm fighting for the belt [in my ONE debut]," Juniku told Tom Taylor of BJPenn.com. "It would mean the world to me to win this title because it would really boost my career. It'd be such a huge accomplishment."

Juniku is an aggressive competitor who prefers to push forward as often as she can, outworking her opponent throughout a bout. Her win against Zaza Sor Aree to capture the WBC strap was a masterclass, as the Aussie dumped the renowned kickboxer to the canvas on multiple occasions. 

Although that is Juniku's most high-profile win, it did come against a natural kickboxer and not a muay thai athlete on the level of Fairtex.

"I know a lot of people are doubting me, but I push forward, and I bring a good fight every time," she said. "I hope to do really well in ONE Championship. I hope to become the champion and remain the champion also."

How will the teenager fare against a two-sport champion who has honed the muay thai craft her entire life?

            

Prediction

Both of these young women appear to be the future of muay thai, and I'd wager a guess this won't be the last time they meet in the ring.

But to favor an 18-year-old who has never been on this big of a stage before against a fearless opponent like Fairtex—who wants nothing more than to put on a show for the crowd through her attack—appears to be quite the mountain for young Juniku to climb.

I'm predicting Fairtex defeats Juniku by unanimous decision to retain the ONE atomweight muay thai world championship.

Feng Xing Li got the better of Liu Ya Ning in the main event of the One Hero Series May event on Monday.

At the showpiece in Beijing, Feng caught his opponent with a kick to the eye late in the first round, and the referee deemed Liu unable to continue in the catchweight contest.

Earlier on, Jia Ao Qi got the better of Jiao Dao Bo, as he stopped his rival in the second round after an assault to the body. Meanwhile, Li Shuai Hu lost via unanimous decision to Meng Ketuogesi.

Here is the full event, courtesy of the One Championship YouTube channel:

       

Results

Feng Xing Li defeats Liu Ya Ning via TKO in Round 1 (ONE Super Series sanda—catchweight of 80.5 kilograms)

Jia Ao Qi defeats Jiao Dao Bo via TKO in Round 2 (ONE Super Series sanda—catchweight of 73 kilograms)

Meng Ketuogesi defeats Li Shuai Hu via unanimous decision (mixed martial arts—bantamweight)

Chang Shuai defeats Sun Shu Wei via unanimous decision (mixed martial arts—catchweight of 71 kilograms)

Li Hong Jiang defeats Yi De Ri Gun via TKO in Round 1 (mixed martial arts—featherweight)

Zhang Meng Fei defeats Zhang Shuai via KO in Round 2 (ONE Super Series kickboxing—lightweight)

Luo Chao defeats Zhang Wan Xin via KO in Round 1 (ONE Super Series kickboxing—lightweight)

Xiong Pi Ping defeats Wang Zhen via unanimous decision (mixed martial arts—flyweight)

Shang Xi Feng defeats Zhang Ye via split decision (ONE Super Series kickboxing—lightweight)

Li Hong Lin defeats Sha Ni Du via TKO in Round 1 (mixed martial arts—strawweight)

Li Yuan Kun defeats Zhang Tao via unanimous decision (ONE Super Series kickboxing—lightweight)

        

While the sanda main event was brought to a close in somewhat underwhelming circumstances—Liu was left with a cut underneath his right eye—the rest of the card was packed with action.

Jia earned an impressive win in the penultimate match of the night, as he was on the offensive throughout his sanda clash with Jiao. Despite his opponent's defensive strategy, Jia was intelligent in the way he picked his shots and eventually finished the fight with a brutal flurry of punches and kicks to the body.

The One Hero Series sees some of China's rising stars seek to earn a place in the One Championship proper. Throughout the course of the year, there will be 12 One Hero Series events; the next show will be on June 25 in Shanghai.