Regian Ercel 🇸🇷 in 46 seconds: Wow!
#ONEFightNight11 pic.twitter.com/n4bQn7pXYj– Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom)
June 10, 2023
ONE Fight Night 11 featured an eclectic electro mix of mixed martial arts, muay thai, western kickboxing and even submission grappling.
In the main event, arguably the best Muay Thai kickboxer in the world today, Regian Ercel, took on formidable challenger Dmitry Menshikov. Eersel was the ONE title holder and was perfect in the promotion, with his last loss, since his revenge, occurring all the way back in 2016. Menshikov was no slouch either, he last lost since 2017 and he was 25, and better and better with every outing. However, the exciting contest lasted only 46 seconds. Eersel scored a body kick to draw the opponent’s attention away and then landed a left hook to the temple that a beautiful one could frame over the heater. Menshikov crashed to the canvas and was on a wobbly foot, prompting referee Olivier Cote to stop.
In the co-main event, 20-year-old phenom Kade Ruotolo defended his lightweight submission for the throne against Norway’s Tommy Langaker. The match ended up very close, with Lancaker landing a few tight heel hooks that Ruotolo barely escaped. However, Ruotolo won by unanimous decision, retaining his title.
There was fireworks in the top-billed MMA fight on the card as Russia’s Ilya Fremanov fought Mongolian Shenychagtja Zoltsitsig. Zoltsetseg almost knocked out Freymanov in the first seconds, hitting his opponent badly. However, Freimanov managed to survive and after only two minutes scored a knockdown of his own. Not letting the opportunity slip, he delivered a vicious slash from the ground and pound and sank into a deep, naked choke, ending the dynamic contest at the 2:18 mark.
If this was a highlight of MMA, we would lose our damned minds. Respect Superbon for this one!
#ONEFightNight11 pic.twitter.com/XJjhR5DOex– Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom)
June 10, 2023
After losing one lightweight kickboxing title to Chengiz Alazov earlier this year, living Thai legend “Superbone” Singha Mawen faced fellow Thai kickboxer “Turkish Turbine” Ozkan. It was a competitive affair until early in the second verse, when Suberbon unleashed a golden kick to the head amid Ozkan’s punch combination. It landed perfectly and Ozkan left a lethargic body on the canvas. Superbon demanded a rematch with Alazov for the title after a brilliant knockout.
Russia’s Mansur Malakiev held on well, moving to 11-0, while delivering a brutal one-sided defeat of Jeremy Meadow. He took Meado easily, loosening him with floor and pound and ending with a tight choke on Prabo at the end of the first round. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Arian Sadikovic soundly defeated 39-year-old Dutch kickboxer Niki Holzken, successfully defeating his biggest opponent.
Kwon Won Il authored an amazing comeback against Artem Belakh. Bellach almost submitted Il in the first minute of the contest, but the South Korean bounced back, firing punches even though his face was a mask of blood. Finally, he overwhelmed the Russian with blows, which caused referee Herb Dean to concede the contest at 3:57 of the second round.
In the women’s 129-pound Muay Thai case, England’s Amber Kitchen started out very strong but couldn’t keep up, eventually dropping to the size and range of Italy’s Martin Micheletto, who delivered the judges’ verdict unanimously; China’s Yong Ho and South Korea’s Sung Hun Woo didn’t give each other 15 minutes, punching each other any way they could in what was likely to be the fight of the night. In the end, Hu won a split decision in the spirited case. Serbian heavyweight kickboxer Rade Obasic avenged his loss against Brazilian Goto Innocente, dropping a huge cross to his opponent in the first half on the way to a unanimous decision.