Mark Abelardo’s Rally Stuns Georgy Shakhruramazanov at ONE Friday Fights 38

Never count out Mark Abelardo in One Championship.

The Fairtex Pattaya product withstood two knockdowns and wide swaths of positional control to put away Georgy Shakhruramazanov with punches in the second round of their ONE Friday Fights 38 bantamweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Abelardo (22-10, 7-5 UFC) brought it to a dramatic close 4:43 into Round 2.

Shakhruramazanov (12-2, 1-1 ONE) floored his counterpart with a spinning wheel kick in the first round and moved into clinch range behind a burst of punches, only to stall in the corner. He caught Abelardo with the same kick in the middle stanza, swarmed with punches and ultimately secured a takedown and advanced to the back. From there, it all went awry. Abelardo scrambled to his feet, initiated an exchange and decked the Russian with a sweeping left hook. A series of standing-to-ground punches followed, necessitating the stoppage.

Meanwhile, former Universal Reality Combat Championship titleholder Fritz Biagtan took care of Deepak Bhardwaj with knees to the body and follow-up punches in the first round of their flyweight attraction. Bhardwaj (4-1, 0-1 ONE) succumbed to blows 1:13 into Round 1.

Biagtan (7-1, 2-0 ONE) flurried with punches at the start, overextended and conceded a takedown against the Bali MMA rep. However, he rose to his feet, settled in the clinch and unleashed a pair of brutal knee strikes to the body. Bhardwaj turned away from contact and ate a few right hands before referee Mohamad Sulaiman waved it off.

The 28-year-old Biagtan has rattled off three straight victories.

Finally, Team Mehdi Zatout rep Ilyas Musaev waylaid Otop Or Kwanmuang in the first round of their bantamweight muay thai showcase at 145 pounds. Just 17 years of age, Kwanmuang checked out 2:59 into Round 1.

They traded kicks early, but it soon became clear Musaev was carrying the heavy weaponry. He dropped Kwanmuang with a spinning back elbow with roughly a minute left in the first round, then went back to work when the referee completed his count. Musaev pushed the Thai into a corner behind punches and snuck a brutal right hand over his defenses for a savage single-shot knockout.

In other action, Chorfah Tor Sangtiennoi captured a unanimous decision against Pompet PK Saenchai in a scintillating catchweight muay thai co-feature at 132 pounds; Singdomthong Nokjeanladkrabang rode a pair of knockdowns to a majority decision over Stephen Irvine in a three-round catchweight muay thai scrap at 127 pounds; Puengluang Baanramba wiped out Sonrak Sit Por Jor Wor with a clean right hook 16 seconds into the second round of their bantamweight muay thai contest; Petgarfield Jitmuangnon took a unanimous decision from Numpangna Eaglemuaythai in a catchweight muay thai firefight at 140 pounds; Yodsingdam Keatkhamtorn, 16, floored Chalawan Ngorbangkapi three times with punches, necessitating a stoppage 1:45 into the first round of their strawweight muay thai encounter; Mavlud Tupiev was awarded a majority verdict against Yodphupa Wimanair in a three-round bantamweight muay thai battle; Katsuki Kitano laid claim to a unanimous decision over Halil Kutukcu in a three-round featherweight muay thai clash; and Lenny Blasi cut down Nonthakit Tor Morsri with punches 55 seconds into the third round of their bantamweight muay thai affair.