ONE Championship capped off Valentine’s Day with another love letter to combat sports when it brought ONE Friday Fights 97 to Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium on February 14.
The thrilling showcase featured 11 Muay Thai and MMA contests, and each one lit up the fabled venue with a healthy dose of action.
In case you missed any of the jaw-dropping finishes or intense three-rounders, here’s everything that went down live in Asia primetime.
Kongsuk Fairtex spoiled Lamnamoonlek Tded99‘s ONE Championship debut and re-entered the winners’ column in their 138-pound catchweight Muay Thai main event tilt.
The two-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion marched forward in the early going, but the bout quickly became a game of inches as both men went blow for blow.
The second frame was looser, with Kongsuk taking the fight to his Thai compatriot and dropping him with a luscious left hook to take the lead.
Knowing he was down, Lamnamoonlek went hot on his foe’s tail in the final round. The WMC World Champion fought tough, but Kongsuk remained composed with chopping low kicks to snatch the split-decision victory in the end.
With the win, the Fairtex Training Center man moved to 66-18 in his career and 6-3 in ONE Championship.
Dmitry Menshikov put on a destructive performance en route to stopping ONE Championship newcomer Tengnueng Fairtex with one second remaining in the opening round of their lightweight Muay Thai clash.
Tengnueng targeted the lead leg of his foe from the opening bell, hoping to slow the Russian down. However, Menshikov fired back with a staggering one-two combination.
The 27-year-old continued pressing forward from there, and he eventually trapped the Thai in a corner, where he unloaded a devastating three-punch combination.
He followed up with a venomous right uppercut and left hook to finish Tengnueng at 2:59 of the first round.
With the KO win, Menshikov improved his record to 31-2.
In 126-pound catchweight Muay Thai, Kompet Fairtex dished out an impressive display off the back foot to return to winning ways against Theptaksin Sor Sornsing.
Theptaksin’s aggression allowed him to dictate many exchanges, but Kompet forced him to miss more than he connected with.
The Lionheart Muaythai man shot in with kicks and big overhand strikes in round one. Most left Kompet unbothered, though, as he stepped out of danger before retaliating with stiffening jabs and elbows.
Theptaksin remained relentless in round two, but his Thai compatriot slipped and bobbed out of his bombs to counter with combinations.
Kompet’s IQ and movement made the difference in the final frame. Theptaksin stayed close, but he landed when it mattered to take home the unanimous decision win to move to 6-2 in ONE Championship and 89-20 overall.
Tomyamkoong Bhumjaithai moved into the winners’ column for the first time in ONE Championship in his 130-pound catchweight Muay Thai battle with Denkriangkrai Singha Mawynn.
The 20-year-old was caught off-guard when Denkriangkrai charged toward him with a barrage of elbows. But he proved two could play at that game by giving as good as he got in round one.
After finding his feet, Tomyamkoong rained down body kicks and sharp punches to take the lead in the second frame. His Thai compatriot attempted to battle back, but the young star read all threats perfectly.
Needing a finish, Denkriangkrai came out swinging in the final round. However, Tomyamkoong’s the calm and composed approach allowed him to breeze to a unanimous decision win that stood as the 125th victory of his career.
Tonglampoon FA Group emerged victorious in a back-and-forth 119-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest against Mungkorn Boomdeksean.
Mungkorn used fast hands to land the first meaningful shots and then turned up the heat with a jumping knee and a forward elbow. However, Tonglampoon held firm and then switched gears in the following rounds.
The FA Group man played the aggressor in the second frame. Every time Mungkorn unleashed a combination, he fired back with heavier punches, elbows, and kicks.
The pace escalated further in the final stanza. Though Tonglampoon absorbed some damage, he kept marching forward behind heavy hands.
After three rounds of high-paced action, two of the judges scored the bout in favor of Tonglampoon, handing him the split-decision win that pushed his record to 6-0 in ONE Championship and 47-12 overall.
Nittikorn JP Power’s IQ, speed, and technique were on full display in his dominant win over Chatpichit Sor Sor Toipadriew in 113-pound catchweight Muay Thai.
The ONE Championship debutant diffused his foe’s dynamite fists from the start, which led to a dominant one-sided striking clinic for three rounds.
Nittikorn slammed through with leg kicks that slowed Chatpichit, and he threw crisp combinations, uppercuts, and overhands upstairs that connected perfectly.
The JP Mansion Muay Thai athlete also peppered his perfect performance with elbows and knees in the clinch, and the unanimous decision ruling was all but a formality at the end.
With the debut win, Nittikorn moved to 43-12 in his career.
Francisca Vera spoiled Vero’s welcoming party in ONE Championship by claiming a narrow split-decision win in their atomweight Muay Thai thriller.
Vero initially commanded the flow, tagging her Chilean foe at will with a litany of crisp strikes. But Vera soon switched the momentum.
Elbows were exchanged in the second frame, and “Miss Scarface” began to take control with punches in bunches. Those combinations soon started to drain the life out of Vero, who was surprised to find herself in deep waters.
Nonetheless, the debuting striker fought her way back in the final round and struck with precise body shots. But Vera’s sharp jab and punching combinations earned her the split-decision win in the end, which stood as her 11th career victory.
Khunponnoi Sor Sommai secured a second-round knockout win over Chartmungkorn Chor Hapayak in their flyweight Muay Thai showdown.
After a competitive striking exchange early in the opening round, Khunponnoi sent his Thai compatriot to the canvas with two consecutive left punches. Chartmungkorn managed to beat the count but his fate was sealed soon after.
At the start of the second frame, Chartmungkorn attempted to land a right hand, but Khunponnoi expertly dodged it then fired back with a massive overhand left that earned him a second knockdown.
The Chor Hapayak man rose on wobbly feet, but the referee saw that he was in no state to continue, so the bout was waved off at 0:12 of round two.
With the knockout victory, Khunponnoi moved to 122-33 in his career.
Junior Fairtex extended her pristine run in ONE Friday Fights to 7-0 when she overcame Emily Chong in their atomweight Muay Thai brawl.
The 19-year-old went at her opposite number behind a flurry of roundhouse kicks and punching combinations throughout round one.
The onslaught only intensified in the following canto. Junior stayed right in enemy territory and let fly with one-twos of her own, alongside right hooks to the body and knees in the clinch.
The Thai star capped off her performance with similar aggression in the final stanza, and she was handed the unanimous decision win for her effort, pushing her overall slate to 27-10.
Tomioka Yusei made a huge splash in his ONE Championship debut by making quick work of Grandprixnoi PK Saenchai in 129-pound catchweight Muay Thai.
The 19-year-old was all gas and no brakes once the bell rang. He took the fight to his Thai foe, forcing him back with terrifying left and right hands.
Sensing Grandprixnoi was wounded, Yusei punished him with body kicks before landing a perfect left hook to the liver that forced the finish at 1:12 of round one.
With the KO win, the Japanese star moved to 9-1 in his career.
Jayson “Dumagmang Warrior” Miralpez secured his first victory in ONE Championship with a dominant showing against Ryuya Hatakeyama in their strawweight MMA curtain raiser.
The 21-year-old Filipino was taken down early by Hatakeyama, but he stayed active off his back while launching heavy punches in the process.
Once the pair returned to their feet, the Japanese debutant attempted another takedown. But “Dumagmang Warrior” displayed incredible scramble ability to escape. From there, he threw a full arsenal of strikes and dropped Hatakeyama with a left hook.
Miralpez quickly capitalized by unleashing a barrage of ground-and-pound that separated his opponent from his sense at 3:34 of the first frame.
The knockout win earned Miralpez his fourth career win and handed Hatakeyama his first career loss.