Eko Roni Saputra spoiled Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales’ return to the ONE Championship Circle.
Saputra showcased his world-class grappling as he ran past the Filipino karateka in their flyweight bout at the previously recorded ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX II, which aired on Friday, 6 November.
At the Singapore Indoor Stadium, it didn’t take long for Saputra to impose his will on the Kyokushin Fight Academy sensei, securing a takedown after testing Gonzales’ defense in the early parts of the match.
The moment the contest hit the ground, it was all Saputra as he worked from the top position, capitalizing on every mistake that Gonzales made from below.
The biggest mishap of them all came with less than a minute remaining in the first round. Gonzales left his back exposed after trying to stand up, and the Evolve MMA star made him pay.
Saputra jumped on his back and quickly applied a rear-naked choke, forcing the tap with 52 seconds remaining in the opening round.
The win was Saputra’s fourth straight victory, while Gonzales dropped his second straight after winning three consecutive bouts in impressive fashion.
In the main event, Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov defended the ONE Welterweight World Title for the first time, handing James Nakashima the first loss of his career.
Abbasov landed a well-timed right knee in the waning moments of the fourth round and sent Nakashima wobbling all over the Circle. Sensing that he was close to a finish, “Brazen” followed up with big punches to secure the victory.
In the co-main event, number-four ranked lightweight Timofey Nastyukhin dominated third-ranked lightweight Pieter “The Archangel” Buist to take the unanimous decision win.
Nastyukhin returned after a lengthy layoff and showed no signs of rust as he pushed the action against the red-hot Dutchman from the start.
With the win, Nastyukhin earned a date with ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee sometime in the future.