ONE Championship returned to the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday, February 11, for ONE: Bad Blood.
The card saw four finishes among the ten-bout card, but many of the three-round matches were exciting wars that thrilled from the opening bell until the end. But at night’s end, the focus centered around a new ONE Interim Heavyweight World Champion.
3 Things We Learned At ONE: Bad Blood
At the close of another event, what was it that we learned from the latest edition of ONE? Let’s return to Singapore and pick out the three biggest lessons we can take away from ONE: Bad Blood.
Malykhin Is Elite
Anatoly Malykhin continued his undefeated streak with a second-round knockout over Kirill Grishenko to claim the ONE Interim Heavyweight World Championship.
Arjan Bhullar and the unification bout await the Russian, but what should be taken away from Singapore is that Malykhin is an elite heavyweight.
It is not just that he is undefeated or has a perfect finishing rate. It is that he has the full range of skills to accompany his forward-pressing style. While Malykhin’s knockout streak is impressive, he is a talented grappler. He can still fall back on what may be his biggest strength when times get tough, but his lunchbox hands have proved to be sufficient to date.
The jovial heavyweight is a treat to watch, and with a well-rounded game, he is making a statement that he is certainly one of the most talented heavyweights on the planet.
Haggerty Is Still A Threat
Jonathan Haggerty started his co-main event matchup against Mongkolpetch Petchyindee like a house on fire. The Brit was dialed in and stayed in the face of his Thai opponent. The accuracy and aggression made for an amazing start.
However, it was not an easy bout. Mongkolpetch turned the tables in the second round, and Haggerty looked to be fading. However, Haggerty responded in the third with a second wind and took down the unanimous decision in an exciting battle.
The victory was crucial for the flyweight Muay Thai contender. It cemented his status in the division and proved to the masses that he is worthy of another crack at the gold.
His speed, accuracy, and power are all still there. He is still one of the most talented and exciting athletes in the division. As he continues to win, he will make himself undeniable. That is what he proved at ONE: Bad Blood.
Delaney Can Make Noise
American Odie Delaney arrived in style with a first-round submission over Thomas Narmo. The Division-1 All-American got the action to the canvas early and applied a modified hammerlock to get the submission.
ONE’s heavyweight division is getting more exciting by the day, and Delaney adds to that with his wrestling pedigree and work at American Top Team. The South Carolina resident can quickly become a major force within the division.
Delaney still has much to prove, particularly on the feet, but his debut performance has immediately placed him on any watch list for 2022. It would not be shocking if he becomes a top title contender by the end of the year should he continue to perform at this level.
2021 saw the rise of Malykhin, but 2022 could be Delaney’s year.
