By Kyle Ganapathy
Featured photo: ONE Championship
It looked like a mismatch from start to finish as Ben Askren ragdolled the challenger at will. Each time Zebaztian Kadestam took a swing, he found himself on his back within seconds. Askren flattened him out numerous times and rained punches from above.
By the end of the second round, referee Yuji Shimada had seen enough, calling a stop to the fight and awarding Askren the win via TKO.
It’s clear that Askren is a cut above the rest and it looks like the belt is going to stay around his waist for a long time.
In the co-main event, Ma Hao Bin faced his countryman Hexigetu and put on a grappling clinic. “The Southern Eagle” overpowered Hexigetu before sinking in a tight guillotine choke to claim the victory by way of submission.
On the undercard, Zhang Ze Hao delivered the first knockout of the night, battering Li Cheng Chao to secure the TKO victory. “Supermom” Miao Jie stopped Mona Samir in the first round with an armbar, while Xie Chao submitted Malaysia’s Marc Marcellinus with a masterful Kimura.
Professional boxer Xu Chun Yan surprised the crowd with solid grappling and slick takedowns, showcasing a new dimension in her style. Eh Ya Nut proved to be no pushover, however, standing toe to toe with Xu for much of the fight. The plucky Cambodian landed a sharp right hook in the third round that sent Xu staggering backward. But at the final horn, Xu was declared the victor, starting her ONE Championship journey on the right foot.
Tetsuya Yamada faced Kyle Rozewski who stepped in as a late replacement for Narantungalag Jadambaa. The Japanese grappler added to the night’s list of submissions as he locked in a deep rear naked choke on the American.
Sagetdao Petpayathai continued his winning ways, knocking down Egypt’s Mahmoud Mohamed with a devastating elbow that led to a TKO stoppage.
Amir Khan added another notch to his belt as he knocked out his opponent Jaroslav Jartim. A swift head kick and right hook combo floored the Czech fighter, making it Khan’s seventh knockout victory with the promotion.
Shanghai was treated to an excellent maiden event which definitely left the local fans hungry for more. The audience made their appreciation known throughout the night with raucous applause and cheers. Don’t be surprised to see more ONE Championship Shanghai events happening very soon.
Kyle Ganapathy is two parts writer, one part comic artist, and half part martial artist. Hearing about his grandfather’s glory days as a boxing promoter in Singapore, Kyle fell in love with combat sports and has never looked back. He has seen George Foreman go from Lineal Champ to a peddler of blenders and he has witnessed Mixed Martial Arts go from bloodsport to billion dollar business. As combat sports continue to evolve, Kyle will be at the forefront of its evolution, bringing great coverage to you, whether from the cage or the ring.
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