It didn’t take long for Olympic boxer Hergie Bacyadan to demonstrate her prowess in kickboxing, showing that her skills transcend just one combat sport.
Bacyadan, who also has a background as a national athlete in wushu and vovinam, wasted no time in her match at the 2024 Asian Kickboxing Championship.
In just one minute, she delivered a knockout blow to Cambodia’s Samnang Raksa in the Women’s K1 -70kg division on Wednesday night at the National Olympic Stadium in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Before a stunned local crowd, Bacyadan’s swift and decisive victory secured her a spot in the finals, guaranteeing her at least a silver medal.
The fight began with a flurry of powerful kicks and combination punches to Raksa’s head, and though the Cambodian fighter survived the initial assault, she was unable to withstand Bacyadan’s second wave of attacks.
The referee halted the bout shortly after, declaring a stoppage win for the Filipina, who is also a former world champion in vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art.
Bacyadan, hailing from Kalinga, will now face either Kazakhstan or China in the gold medal match.
Meanwhile, veteran mixed martial artist Honorio Banario assured himself of a bronze medal in the men’s K1 -75kg division as he
delivered back-to-back first-round knockouts, defeating opponents from Cambodia and India.
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, just before Bacyadan’s impressive win, Banario showcased his power by knocking out India’s Joshi Makarang Vilas in the first round.
Other FIlipino bets Lance Villamer and Claudine Veloso advanced to the semifinals in their respective divisions, ensuring bronze medals for themselves in this tournament, which features some of Southeast Asia’s top kickboxers, includes participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, among others.
