The end was as swift as the event was impressive, Shinya Aoki’s consummate choked submission on the bill-topping lightweight world championship bout providing a fitting finale to ONE Fighting Championship’s sold-out Dubai debut.
Asia’s premier MMA franchise congregated at the World Trade Centre, with the most dominant lightweight in the continent’s history securing first-round victory once Iran’s Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Kamal Shalorus failed to free himself with a butterfly guard.
This was the calibre of fight the glitzy new dawn for MMA in the region deserved, with the federation already booked in for future Dubai World Trade Centre returns.
“I took him down and did the job, it was very simple,” the gravel-voiced Aoki said.
“If I had another opportunity, for sure, I would want to fight in Dubai.”
Pounding music, glaring lights and boisterous fans added to the big-fight frenzy at Sheikh Rashid Hall. The deciding bout was soon over, a sixth-successive victory guaranteed once the Japanese moved into rear naked choke position on prone ‘Prince of Persia’ Shalorus.
The US’ former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren set a brutal standard in the previous scrap, his reputation as the best welterweight in the world finally sealed with gold after powering past holder Nobutatsu Suzuki in one-and-a-half minutes for his 14th successive triumph.
The curly-haired competitor, as promised, came at Suzuki like a train. A minute and 15 seconds of furious punishment after tackling him to the ground followed the bell, forcing the referee to show mercy in one of the most one-sided title matches in MMA history.
“I have told every single opponent what I am going to do, ‘I am going to grab you, throw you on the ground and beat you repeatedly’,” Askren said. “I have got a whole load more effective recently, so it’s resulted in a bunch of stoppages.”
The trio of bill-topping bouts had gotten off to an interminable start, Narantungalag Jadambaa crowning his growing reputation by taking Koji Oishi’s featherweight world championship belt on points in a slow-paced contest.
Experienced Japanese Oishi, his swollen face evidencing the punishment taken, showed real grit to get through a final round spent prone in a defensive position as Jadambaa pounded away.
The undercard featured a number of thunderous highlights, five-time World Muay Thai champion James McSweeney living up to his fearsome reputation by knocking out Cristiano Kaminishi with three minutes and 43 seconds remaining in the first.
The 93kg British heavyweight followed up a devastating jab with a ferocious soccer kick to the head, Kaminishi needing medical attention before gradually regaining his senses.
A flurry of brutal hits continued into the next, ONE FC legend Roger Huerta showing his timeless class after two years out of the game to put a first blot on Christian Holley’s previously unblemished record.
The 31-year-old exhibited all he has learned during his sojourn at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, flooring lightweight Holley before unleashing a succession of knees and punches to force a merciful first-round TKO.
Brazil’s Herbert Burns exhibited his much-improved striking since joining Singapore’s legendary Evolve MMA gym to claim an unanimous points decision against featherweight Japanese scrapper Hiroshige Tanaka
The night’s entertainment began with disappointment for the Filipino fans, as Ana ‘The Hurricane’ Julaton lost the flyweight fight against Ann Osman to a split points decision.
A swifter ending came in the second bout, Thailand’s Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke forcing Ali Yaakub into a submission.
