Jamal Yusupov Upends Samy Sana in One Championship: Collision Course 2 Headliner

Down goes Sana! #ONECollisionCourse2 #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/cgCSp75W8M

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) December 25, 2020

He had to wait until Christmas Day to open it, but Jamal Yusupov may have unwrapped a One Championship muay Thai title shot.

In the main event of the tape-delayed One Championship: Collision Course 2 broadcast on Dec. 25, Yusupov overcame Samy Sana via unanimous decision in a featherweight muay Thai clash. The Russian generally proved to be more precise and effective with his striking. In the second stanza, Yusupov dropped Sana with a perfectly-placed left hand. In the third round, "AK-47" involuntarily hit Yusupov with a low blow, but the Yusupov was able to continue after taking some time to recover from the shot. Considering Yusupov's performance, an assault at current One muay Thai champion Phetmorakot Petchyindee Academy may not be very far away.

The co-main event featured an MMA catchweight bout between Kairat Akhmetov and Dae Hwan Kim. "The Kazakh" hit Kim with multiple combinations from different angles in the opening stanza, and looked more comfortable as he teased Kim with a variety of punches and kicks. In the second stanza, the physician carefully checked on Kim as the South Korean started to bear the marks of Akhmetov's offense. As the clash advanced into the second and third stanza, Akhmetov also showed his wrestling arsenal, pinning Kim with his back on the mat for most of the third round. In the third stanza, the physician checked on Kim once again, but "Ottogi" was allowed to continue after the blood was cleared from his face. When it came to hear the scorecards, Akhmetov rightfully claimed a unanimous decision victory.

In a muay Thai clash in One's flyweight division, Momotaro overcame Walter Goncalves via injury TKO. The Brazilian appeared to overextend his leg while attempting to finish a combination, and it looked as if he suffered some knee damage. Goncalves threw the towel in at 30 seconds of Round 2.

Elsewhere, Dae Song Park used numerous takedowns to edge out the polished striking of Amir Khan via unanimous decision in One Championship’s lightweight division; Raimond Magomedaliev knocked Edson Marques unconscious with a well-timed right hand and a single follow-up punch at just 1 minute, 52 seconds of their welterweight encounter; and Senzo Ikeda kept Hui Liang's wrestling at bay with his crisp striking, earning a unanimous decision victory in their 133-pound catchweight fight.