Jonathan di Bella became ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion after defeating Zhang Peimian at the main event of ONE 162 on Friday in Kuala Lumpur. (ONE Championship)
J
onathan di Bella edged out Zhang Peimian in a five-round striking showdown to claim the vacant ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Title at ONE 162 on Friday.
The two world-class phenoms clashed in an epic battle inside the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur. The Canadian-Italian won via unanimous decision to take home the coveted belt.
Both men unleashed multiple striking combinations throughout the battle, but Di Bella managed to score a dramatic knockdown late in the fifth round to secure the victory. With that win, Di Bella extended his perfect kickboxing record to 11-0.
Indonesian MMA fighter Eko Roni Saputra emerges victorious at ONE 162 on Friday in Kuala Lumpur as he submits Yodkaikaew Fairtex of Thailand in the first round. (ONE Championship/.)
Earlier in the night, Indonesia’s mixed martial arts star Eko Roni Saputra stole the show with an impressive submission victory over Thailand’s Yodkaikaew Fairtex to extend his first-round consecutive victories to seven in a row.
Entering the Circle with a mission to prove himself a worthy contender in the flyweight division, the 31-year-old fighter wasted no time bringing the fight to the ground with his relentless wrestling. From there, he locked in his grip on the ankle, dropped to the canvas, and tightened the squeeze, which forced a quick tap at 2:16.00 of the opening round.
The impressive performance prompted the CEO and chairman of ONE, Chatri Sityodtong, to award a US$50,000 performance bonus. The victory may also pave a smoother way for the Indonesian to break into the divisional rankings.
The Evolve MMA representative now holds the record for most consecutive first-round victories in ONE Championship.
Full Results for ONE 162:
- Strawweight Kickboxing World Championship
Jonathan Di Bella defeats Zhang “Fighting Rooster” Peimian via unanimous decision
- Flyweight MMA
Reece “Lightning” McLaren defeats Windson Ramos via TKO at 5:00.00 of round two
- Catchweight (78.5kilogram) Kickboxing
Constantin “Lioncrusher” Rusu defeats Islam Murtazaev via unanimous decision
- Catchweight (59.4kg) MMA
Gustavo “El Gladiador” Balart defeats Alex “Little Rock” Silva via split decision
- Featherweight Muay Thai
Jimmy “JV01” Vienot defeats Niclas “Dreamchaser” Larsen via unanimous decision
- Flyweight MMA
Eko Roni Saputra defeats Yodkaikaew “Y2K” Fairtex via submission (heel hook) at 2:16.00 of round one
- Bantamweight MMA
Artem Belakh defeats Leandro “Brodinho” Issa via unanimous decision
- Catchweight (62.6kg) Muay Thai
Denis “The Bosnian Menace” Puric defeats “Samingpri” Tagir Khalilov via unanimous decision
- Welterweight MMA
Ruslan “Snow Leopard” Emilbek Uulu defeats Ben Wilhelm via submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:58.00 of round one
This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.