Team Lakay and no. 2-ranked flyweight contender Danny Kingad lost by unanimous decision to former champion and no. 4-ranked fighter Kairat Akhmetov in the main event of ONE: Winter Warriors II in a previously recorded show from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
It was a fight years in the making, as the two talented flyweights finally met in the circle after several failed attempts to put the bout together.
Akhmetov was relentless with his wrestling throughout the contest, consistently driving Kingad backward with powerful shots.
On the ground, the Kazakhstani fighter controlled the action with technical precision. While Kingad did have his moments, they were few and far between as Akhmetov asserted himself at every juncture.
In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favor of “The Kazakh” to win by unanimous decision.
In the co-main event, Kwon Won Il authored a shocking knockout victory over former ONE Bantamweight World Champion and current no. 2-ranked contender Kevin Belingon.
The tall and lanky South Korean attacked Belingon with a steady stream of punching combinations from the opening bell, while the Filipino star fired back with his patented spinning attacks.
A thunderous left hook to the body in the second frame crumpled Belingon instantly, and the former bantamweight king was unable to continue. The official finish came at the 0:52 mark of round two.
In other matches featuring Filipino fighters, Team Lakay’s Stephen Loman put on an electric performance in his ONE Championship debut after knocking out no. 3-ranked bantamweight contender Yusup Saadulaev.
This ended the Russian’s three-fight winning streak.
Loman showed patience and composure in dealing with the dangerous grappler, as he peppered Saadulaev with fast punches from range.
The end came when Loman connected on a left hook that sent his opponent crashing to the canvas late in the first round.
Also, Filipino prodigy Jhanlo Sangiao was victorious in his ONE Championship debut after forcing Paul Lumihi into submission via rear-naked choke in the first round of their bantamweight contest.
The 19-year-old Sangiao, son of Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao, pressured Lumihi with strikes until an opportunity to take the fight to the ground presented itself.
The young phenom then took Lumihi’s back and locked in the fight-ending submission, forcing the tap at 1:41 of the opening frame. (ONE Championship) – bny
