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Hiroki Akimoto Edges Out Zhang Chenglong in Close Split Decision Victory in Singapore

Hiroki Akimoto Edges Out Zhang Chenglong in Close Split Decision Victory in Singapore

ONE Championship returned to the Singapore Indoor Stadium with ONE: REIGN OF DYNASTIES II, a previously-recorded, audience-free, and behind closed doors event broadcast globally on Friday, 16 October. Once again, the absolute best in world-class martial arts talent showcased their incredible skills inside the ONE Circle.

In the main event of the evening, former WFKO Karate World Champion Hiroki Akimoto of Japan continued his climb up the divisional ladder, shocking third-ranked bantamweight contender “Muay Thai Boy” Zhang Chenglong of China to earn a victory on the judges’ scorecards in a ONE Super Series kickboxing contest. Both men came out of the gates firing, blasting each other with dynamite strikes at the center of the ONE Circle. Although Zhang boxed beautifully behind smashing punch combinations, it was Akimoto who utilized his kicking arsenal to keep his Chinese foe at bay. After three back-and-forth rounds of action, Akimoto proved to be the faster man all throughout the contest, impressing the judges just enough to bag the razor-close split decision victory.

Multiple-time former Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion and legend Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai of Thailand returned to the striking arena, battling China’s Zhang “Bamboo Sword” Chunyu in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest. Sagetdao looked like he hadn’t skipped a beat as he punished Zhang with pinpoint boxing combinations and slicing elbows on the inside. Throughout the bout, Sagetdao was the faster and more accurate of the two, as he jumped out to an early lead on the scorecards and never looked back. In the end, all three judges saw the bout in favor of Sagetdao, who took home a unanimous decision victory for his efforts.

In a featherweight mixed martial arts contest, Chinese spitfire Tang Kai spoiled the highly-anticipated return of Malaysia’s Keanu Subba, outclassing the former MIMMA Featherweight Champion across three full rounds. Tang’s aggressiveness proved to be problematic for Subba in the early going, as the Malaysian was constantly pushed up against the Circle wall. Tang connected on a plethora of power shots in the second round, stunning his opponent as Subba began to look worse for wear. In the third, Tang stamped his dominance, teeing off on Subba who went on the defensive for the majority of the round. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of Tang to win by unanimous decision.

In a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest, former KLF World Champion Wang “Metal Storm” Wenfeng of China earned a close unanimous decision victory over game but overmatched challenger Azwan Che Wil of Malaysia. The two martial artists were assertive to start the bout, meeting each other at the center of the ONE Circle. More than willing to trade strikes, Wang and Azwan exchanged their most powerful combinations, but it was the Chinese star who appeared the sharper of the two. After three rounds of back-and-forth action, Wang did just enough to edge Azwan out on the judges' scorecards.

Japan’s Ryuto “Dragon Boy” Sawada put forth a workmanlike performance, staying one step constantly ahead of opponent Miao Li Tao of China to take home a victory on the scorecards in a mixed martial arts contest. Sawada was aggressive from the opening bell, diving for Miao’s legs, hunting for the takedown. On the mat, the Japanese athlete threatened with submissions at every juncture. Sawada continued his dominance in the second round, as Miao could do very little to thwart his advances. In the third, Miao tried his best to reverse positions, spending a few minutes on top, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Sawada’s early investment. In the end, all three judges saw the bout in favor of Sawada to win by wide unanimous decision.

Kicking off the action at ONE: REIGN OF DYNASTIES II, former ONE World Title Challenger Han Zi Hao of China figured in an absolutely dominant showing, stopping Malaysia’s Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud in the third round of a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest. Mohammed started the bout off sharp, looking to counter Han’s forward pressure. In the second round, Han caught Mohammed with a staggering combination, causing the referee to administer a mandatory standing eight count. Another combination from Han forced a standing eight count once again, just moments before the bell. Han then put the finishing touches in the first minute of the final round, dropping “Jordan Boy” to the canvas for good behind a thunderous left hand down the middle.

ONE Championship comes right back to the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, 30 October with the live blockbuster, ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX, featuring four World Title contests for a total of six compelling martial arts bouts. Once again, all the action can be enjoyed on ONE Championship’s official ONE Super App, ONE’s social media channels, locally in Singapore on MediaCorp’s Channel 5 and meWATCH app, as well as globally across ONE Championship’s broadcast and digital media partners’ properties.

Official results for ONE: REIGN OF DYNASTIES II
Kickboxing - Bantamweight: Hiroki Akimoto defeats Zhang Chenglong by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds
Muay Thai - Featherweight: Sagetdao Petpayathai defeats Zhang Chunyu by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Mixed Martial Arts - Featherweight: Tang Kai defeats Keanu Subba by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Muay Thai - Flyweight: Wang Wenfeng defeats Azwan Che Wil by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Mixed Martial Arts - Strawweight: Ryuto Sawada defeats Miao Li Tao by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Muay Thai - Bantamweight: Han Zi Hao defeats Mohammed Bin Mahmoud by Knockout (KO) at 0:49 of round 3

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