Adriano Moraes
The re-branded ONE Championship organization made its 2015 debut today with an event at Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Flyweight champion Adriano Moraes (13-1) earned his first title defense in the main event with a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over a durable Asuka Mikami (11-3-1).
Moraes cruised through the 25-minute affair with little resistance. He frequently closed the distance and dragged the fight to the ground where he dominated position and worked submissions. Although Mikami gave up his back many times during the bout, the champion was unable to finish the fight.
The Brazilian was content with spurts of action on the feet and heavy control on the ground. Mikami received a large cut above his eye and had plenty of chances to quit, but the Japanese fighter refused to give up.
While Mikami had a few moments of success sprinkled throughout the five-round contest, he was unable to produce anything that put Moraes’ victory in doubt.
“Thank you everyone for supporting me,” Moraes said in his post-fight interview. “This is an amazing night for me. I’m very happy. I want to stay (champion) for a long, long time. I’ll fight anyone.”
Davis continues to etch name in record books
Peter Davis (10-3) added to his record of most victories and most finishes in ONE Championship competition with a one-sided first-round TKO of Rajinder Singh Meena (8-2).
The lightweight matchup served as the featured bout on the card, and the crowd support for Davis was the reason why. Davis is a native of Malaysia, so the fans were in the corner from the outset. He produced the type of performance they were looking for with the finish just minutes into the opening round.
Davis wanted the fight to take place on the ground, and that’s exactly where he got it. He got on top of Meena and relentlessly pounded away with punches and elbows until the referee witnessed enough and halted the action.
The victory marked Davis’ fourth consecutive successful performance. He’s finished all of those fights by knockout or submission, and if can continue that run going forward, a title shot at 155 pounds could soon be within reach.
Osman chokes way to third consecutive victory
A classic striker vs. grappler matchup in the women’s flyweight division saw the grappler emerge victorious. Ann Osman (3-1) needed less than half a round to submit Wallaa Abbas (2-3) with a rear-naked choke.
From the moment the fight began, it was clear Abbas was aware her best chance was on the feet. She chased Osman with wild combinations of power strikes and managed to connect. Osman weathered the storm, fought her way into the clinch and press Abas against the cage.
Once Osman completed her first takedown of the fight, it was obvious the advantage had tipped heavily in her favor. Osman’s pressure on the ground forced Abbas into a series of mistakes that resulted in the submission finish.
Osman has now won three consecutive fights after she dropped a split decision in her pro debut. This one was special for the 28-year-old, though, as it took place in front of a crowd of her native Malaysians.
Thani quickly pounds out Rainir
Agilan Thani (2-0) placed Reant Fabriza Rainir (0-1) in a deeply compromising situation early in the first round of their catchweight bout, and ultimately he was unable to escape before the referee declared a TKO.
Thani charged Rainir with an overhand right at the opening bell. His momentum carried Rainir to the ground, and from there the danger of a finish was immediately apparent. After a brief scramble, Thani moved into mount and refused to stop throwing strikes until the fight was stopped.
At just 19 years old, Thani has earned both his career victories by first-round knockout and appears to have a very bright future. Rainir fell short in his pro debut.
Toss and choke lead to Ting’s submission win
In featherweight action, Ev Ting’s (9-2) vicious actions pushed his ONE Championship record to 3-0 when he scored a second-round submission of Cary Bullos (7-3).
Ting had the Malaysian crowd on his side from the opening bell and used that momentum in his favor. The first round featured some competitive moments, but it was in the second round where Ting took over.
A perfectly timed sweep from the clinch dumped Bullos directly on his head. As he attempted to recover, he exposed his neck and allowed Ting to lock in the fight-ending guillotine choke.
Ting said after the fight that he was pleased to perform in front of a hometown crowd. He certainly delivered a show as he maintained his 100 percent finish rate in ONE competition with another brutal stoppage.
Subba adds Vu to highlight-reel
Gianni Subba (5-1) had no intention of wasting time in his sixth ONE appearance. He needed just 20 seconds to land a combination of strikes that badly hurt and finished Thanh Vu (5-4) in the flyweight affair.
It was easily the most impressive victory of Subba’s career. He caught Vu with an overhand while he rushed in early in the first round and never showed any remorse.
Vu was knocked down from the strike, and from there, Subba’s killer instinct kicked in. He charged forward, landed a clean soccer kick to the head, followed with a few more punches, and the fight was over.
Subba has now won two-straight since he suffered his lone career defeat in May 2014. He has finished his opponent in all five of his career victories. Vu, on the other hand, suffered his third consecutive defeat and has not won since February 2013.
Gannaway submits Osenio, stays unbeaten
Kirstie Gannaway (2-0) continued to back up claims that she has a bright future in the women’s atomweight division with a second-round submission of April Osenio (0-1).
Both fighters lack experience, but Gannaway’s one-fight advantage under the bright lights of ONE Championship clearly played in her favor as her level of composure was noticeable compared to her opponent.
Gannaway showed offensive ability in all areas, but was particularly dominant on the ground. Osenio did her best to resist the submission, but had no answer once Gannaway moved to the back and locked in the rear-naked choke.
Complete ONE Championship 25 results included:
- Adriano Moraes def. Asuka Mikami via unanimous decision – retains flyweight title
- Peter Davis def. Rajinder Singh Meena via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:41
- Ann Osman def. Walaa Abbas via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:23
- Agilan Thani def. Reant Fabriza Rainir via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:20
- Ev Ting def. Cary Bullos via submission (standing guillotine choke) – Round 2, 1:05
- Gianni Subba def. Thanh Vu via knockout (soccer kick, punches) – Round 1, 0:20
- Kirstie Gannaway def. April Osenio via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:50
- Chan Rothana def. Ramon Gonzalez via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:49
For more on ONE Championship 25, check out the MMA Events section of the site.
