Shuya Kamikubo Decisions Dae Hwan Kim in One Championship ‘Clash of Legends’ Main Event

Liu Peng Shuai (6-4) ends it in the third, subbing Elipitua Siregar with a clutch kimura! Now 3-1 in his last four, Liu has finished all six of his wins. #ClashOfLegends pic.twitter.com/AO3KHqwvJz

— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) February 16, 2019

After a short pause of three weeks in its scheduled events agenda, One Championship came back with “Clash of Legends.” Since the bill went down in the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, all the bouts were fought in a ring and not in the traditional One circular cage.

In the main MMA attraction, Dae Hwan Kim faced Shuya Kamikubo. The script of the bout is quite easy to describe, as the 25-year-old from Japan kept the Korean on the canvas all three rounds. Even when Kim made his opponent bleed thanks to some blows landed while being on his back, the superiority of Kamikubo was evident.

Thanks to the impressive dominance, the judges awarded Kamikubo (10-1-1) an unanimous decision victory, putting an end to Kim’s (14-4-1) two-bout winning streak.

Elsewhere, an unexpected turn of events cost Daichi Takenaka (11-1-1) his first defeat as a professional. The Japanese fighter locked horns with New Zealand’s Mark Abelardo (18-5). Takenaka showed all of his grappling finesse as he took immediately his opponent to the ground. The 29 year-old dominated his foe, taking his back and trying to secure a rear-naked choke, even though he couldn't submit him in the first two rounds.

The former Shooto Pacific Rim champion had some difficulties in the beginning of the third frame, as Abelardo landed some huge shots. After the Japanese fighter secured a takedown he seemed to have swam out of the deep waters, but Abelardo kept on hitting him with elbows. One of these shots seemed to have opened a severe cut in his mouth. Eventually, the physician called the action at 2:34 of the final stanza.

It took three rounds for Tsogookhuu Amarsanaa (5-1) to successfully make his One Championship debut, but he managed to edge local hero Shannon Wiratchai (9-4) via unanimous decision.

Continue Reading » One Championship ‘Clash of Legends’ Full Results