ONE Championship delivered another exciting event of martial arts with ONE: NextGen on Friday, October 29, from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
3 Things We Learned From ONE: NextGen
The six-bout card featured two kickboxing battles and four mixed martial arts affairs. There was a little bit of everything on the card, and when the final bell rang, fans got to see new contenders emerge and two women laying claim to the final spots in the ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix.
Miss any of the action or wondering what is next? Here is what we learned from ONE: NextGen.
ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix Finals Are Set
The co-main and main events inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium set the stage for the ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix finals.
Stamp Fairtex and Ritu Phogat both picked up unanimous decision victories to secure their spot. Stamp defeated Julie Mezabarba by showcasing her superior striking and developing ground game, where Phogat used her grappling strength to negate Jenelyn Olsim‘s submission attempts throughout three rounds of action.
Stamp and Phogat represent the best of their respective fields, and as they have transitioned into mixed martial arts, they always seemed destined to meet inside the ONE Circle. Thus, it seems fitting that they will be in the tournament’s final with a ONE Atomweight World Championship title shot on the line.
Whoever wins will have earned their shot but also showed the world how much they have developed as an all-around martial artist. This final perfectly represents two elite athletes from different backgrounds incrementally taking the next step until they reach the peak. This is what makes the sport great.
Kirill Grishenko Is A Contender
Undefeated heavyweights Kirill Grishenko and Dustin Joynson collided in Singapore, and it was the Belarusian who picked up the win.
What was most impressive was his striking. Grishenko was able to use his grappling in the match, but he repeatedly tagged the Canadian on the feet. The flash of his striking game shows the entire heavyweight division he is a threat no matter where the action is taking place.
With Arjan Bhullar on a collision course with Anatoly Malykhin, Girshenko now seems poised to be next in line. The victory put him close to the top of the division and signaled a new Belarusian star in the making
Jeremy Miado Is Ready For The Next Step
Jeremy Miado finished Miao Li Tao in the first round of their first bout two years prior. The crazy brawl ended with a jumping knee KO, but Miao showed himself well. Two years later, they ran it back
The result was the same, but also different. Miado got the TKO finish, but he was able to control more of the action with his striking. Miado’s jab was on point and beautiful to watch. He repeatedly stuck Miao on the end of his punches until he could not take any more in the second round.
The performance showed that Miado is now ready for another step up in the strawweight division. Will it be a top-five ranked opponent? Maybe. Regardless, Miado will be worthy of a top-tier challenger in a stacked division filled with some of the most fast-paced and exciting athletes in the sport.
