5 takeaways from ONE: Heavy Hitters

ONE: Heavy Hitters saw the Asian combat sports giants return today at the Singapore Indoor Arena, donning their best attendance since the start of the pandemic in light of a stacked card. In this piece, I’ll be giving my top 5 takeaways from this incredible night of action.

Tiffany Teo is so close yet so far.

Tiffany Teo is undoubtably the 2nd best ONE strawweight on the roster. Yet again she impresses with a huge rear naked choke over the always dangerous Meng Bo in round 2 of ONE: Heavy Hitters. Granted, she took some heavy shots but she weathered them well, displaying that impressive heart and will to win we so often see from her. At this stage, she’s taken out everyone thats been put in her way bar the champ. Her only two professional losses are to Jing Nan and you can’t help but feel she deserves another shot, especially with her last win being today’s title challenger Ayaka Miura. Will ONE keep giving her rematches with the champ or will her Road back to the shot get longer and longer? You cant help but feel that she’s in a tough position, but as long as she keeps winning right?

Super series just got even more exciting.

Let’s face it, ONE’s light heavyweight kickboxing cohort may not be the biggest but its certainly one of the most entertaining, and one can only imagine that things are going to get even crazier with the addition of Giannis Stoforidis. He’s got more muscles than a seafood platter (thanks Schiavello) and hits like a truck, the latter in full force as he slept Beybulat Isaev with a vicious lead hook in a bizzare double knockdown incident early in round 1. How’s that for a debut. Beybulat arguably secured KO of the year last year after flatlining Kecojevic but this year, Giannis has swooped right in and given him a taste of his own medicine. A very exciting addition to light heavyweight, another dynamite handed monster added to an already KO ridden division cant do any harm right? Well to us at least. I can only imagine we are going to see a mean light heavyweight highlight reel by years end with results going either way. We relish the unpredictability.

Saygid Izagakhmaev is here to stay

With the backing and comparisons to Khabib, Saygid’s reputation certainly proceeded him and for good reason. Not only did he have a very tough debut in James Nakashima but he passed it with flying colours, firing on all cylinders come round 2 to control and finish the former welterweight title challenger with a lovely arm triangle. His ground game is slick, suffocating and very very deadly, dispatching of a proven well rounded contender with relative ease. An incredible night at the office for the Russian, lots of a favourable match ups for him at lightweight and with performances like that, expect him to secure a place at the top table sooner rather than later.

Tawanchai is belt bound

What a phenom. It was never in doubt that Tawanchai is one of the most talented Muay Thai practitioners on the planet, but no one handles Saemapetch like that. Tawanchai put his fellow Thai down twice in the first with some vicious boxing combinations to secure a first round finish at ONE: Heavy Hitters. Number 1 contender spot secured, two incredible finishes at bantamweight, brimming with confidence, this man deserves a crack at Nong-O and he deserves it now. That being said he has expressed in moving to featherweight and going after Petchmorakot’s belt. The featherweight clash with Sittichai was a bump in the road, but at bantamweight, Tawanchai is looking untouchable. Either way, featherweight or bantamweight, he never fails to entertain.

Xiong Jing Nan doesn’t have many challenges left at strawweight.

Xiong Jing Nan has dominated the strawweight division ever since her arrival and honestly nothing has really changed in 5 years. She takes Miura all 5 rounds but didnt encounter any danger at all, defending any take downs that came her way and picking her opponent off from the outside when she had the fight in her realm. She showed the necessary skills needed to retain that belt and honestly, what’s next? The Teo trilogy is on the table but even then that’s an opponent she’s taken out twice. The only other viable test I see is one of the atom weight standouts moving up but only time will tell. Another composed title defence for Jing Nan to round out a superb card.

Also on the card, Shuya Kamikubo continued his 10 fight win streak with a 3rd round submission over bantamweight staple Troy Worthen, while Senzo Ikeda secured a lovely third round finish over Elipitua Siregar by way of a nasty selection of liver shots. Supergirl Fairtex secured a split decision victory over Ekaterina Vandaryeva in a controversially scored contest.

Despite a number of quality bouts falling victim to medical protocols and thus being scrapped from the card, the event still delivered. If you love finishes and let’s face it, who doesn’t, this was a card any combat sports fan would enjoy.

You can see the full results for ONE: Heavy Hitters below:

Shuya Kamikubo def Troy Worthen via round 3 rear naked choke

Tiffany Teo def Meng Bo via round 2 rear naked choke

Giannis Stoforidis def Beybulat Isaev via round 1 KO

Senzo Ikeda def Elipitua Siregar via round 3 TKO

Supergirl def Ekaterina Vandaryeva via split decision

Saygid Izagakhmaev def James Nakashima via round 2 arm triangle choke

Tawanchai def Saemapetch via round 1 TKO

Xiong Jing Nan def Akaya Miura via unanimous decision