5 Biggest Takeaways From ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp Vs. Ham
ONE Championship returned home to “The Lion City” with ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham this past Friday, September 29, and the U.S. primetime event turned out to be one of the most magnificent shows of the year.
From the three captivating World Title matches to longtime atomweight queen Angela Lee’s retirement, it was an unforgettable evening that will be remembered for years to come.
Before we turn the page to ONE Fight Night 15: Le vs. Freymanov this coming Friday, October 6, we reflect on the five biggest takeaways from a magical evening at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Stamp Rewrites The History Books
Stamp Fairtex did not let the pressure get the best of her.
Just minutes before the Thai megastar’s headlining clash, Lee announced her retirement and laid down her golden belt in the center of the Circle. That meant the main event would now be contested for the lineal ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Championship, and with a rare second chance to claim the strap and become the first three-sport queen in ONE history, Stamp fearlessly capitalized on it.
Ham Seo Hee was every bit her equal for two rounds, even stinging the Thai with a left hand that dropped her to the canvas. But the Fairtex product’s resolve showed, and she almost finished the match with an armbar in the waning moments of the second frame.
In the third stanza, Stamp completely turned the tide with a blistering body shot, which made her South Korean foe double over in pain. The follow-up blows were academic, and the 25-year-old Pattaya resident forced the TKO stoppage and achieved her dream of claiming gold across kickboxing, Muay Thai, and MMA.
Stamp’s journey is truly inspirational, and with her epic victory, she has cemented her status as a global martial arts icon.
Sundell On Her Way To Fulfilling GOAT Potential
After spending time training and sparring with ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Smilla Sundell, reigning flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon told ONEFC.com that she had the potential to become the greatest of all time.
And now, after her jaw-dropping performance this past Friday, it’s clear the 18-year-old striker is already on her way to fulfilling that prophecy.
Sundell certainly lived up to her nickname, “The Hurricane,” in this co-main event battle. It took a moment for her to build up speed and reach atomweight Muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ shore, but once she made landfall, it was complete annihilation en route to a third-round stoppage victory.
The scary notion for all future strawweight contenders is that Sundell is still young and only improving with each day. As “The Iron Man” noted, she only lacks experience, but the teenage sensation will continue to get more of that every time she steps into the Circle.
Kelly’s Win Highlights New Era For Female Grapplers
Danielle Kelly was overcome with emotion this past Friday, as she evened the score with longtime rival Jessa Khan to become the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion.
But it was not just a landmark moment for Kelly. It was a historic moment for all women who compete in submission grappling. For the past year and a half, ONE has elevated the sport on its global platform and has now brought a true World Title to the table.
Kelly is the first to hold the coveted belt and set course on a path to defend it with a bullseye on her back. And that’s a burden she will be more than happy to carry.
The future is bright for women’s submission grappling, with stars such as Khan, Tammi Musumeci, Bianca Basilio, and many more willing to keep pushing the sport forward on the world’s grandest stage.
Lineker Cements Spot As Top Bantamweight MMA Contender
The war between top bantamweight MMA contenders could have been seen as a changing of the guard, but #1-ranked John Lineker turned away the challenge from #2-ranked Stephen Loman and cemented his spot at the head of the chasing pack.
Lineker peppered the 28-year-old Filipino with his trademark clubbing hooks throughout the bout. And if Loman attempted to change the direction of the contest with a takedown, the Brazilian usually shut it down with spectacular wrestling defense.
After taking out Kim Jae Woong and Loman in a two-month span, Lineker left no doubt as to who is the top contender in the talent-rich division.
The 33-year-old now sits on the doorstep of a trilogy bout against his compatriot and rival, ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Fabricio Andrade.
Ten Pow, Menshikov Make Noise As Possible World Title Threats
On a night when “The Lion City” shined golden with World Champions, two Muay Thai fighters glistened under the spotlight and made statements of their own.
American striker Asa Ten Pow battled through a broken arm suffered at the legs of Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon to score a thrilling third-round knockout. With that decisive finish, he inserted himself into the World Title mix and could have earned a place in the sport’s bantamweight rankings.
Later in the evening, former ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Title challenger Dmitry Menshikov signaled to two-sport king Regian Eersel that he is ready for a rematch following the swift destruction of Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong.
Though the year is winding down, Ten Pow and Menshikov could become major threats to their respective division’s World Champions in 2024.
