ONE Championship has been on fire in 2023. Their weekly series of events at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium have delivered nothing but excitement. And as 2023 continues to move forward, ONE is nearing its U.S. debut on May 5 with ONE Fight Night 10.
But it is worth checking back on the month that was. ONE has had a treasure trove of martial arts goodness to reflect upon. After a fun four weeks in March, here are the three performances that stood out from ONE athletes in March.
Regian Eersel
After a close battle for the ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Championship, Regian Eersel and Sinsamut Klinmee ran it back at ONE Friday Fights 9. The Thai star looked strong early, but in typical fashion, Eersel came on as the fight drew into the championship rounds. It was another stunning display of his brilliance.
After two competitive rounds, Eersel attacked Sinsamut’s body in the third round. Eersel has always been known for his cardio, and as he sucked the energy from his opponent, he could begin to separate himself. But it would not be necessary.
In the fourth round, Sinsamut was noticeably slower. As Eersel pushed the action, he came forward with a beautiful left hook to the body. It connected flush, and Sinsamut went down to the canvas for good. The standout performance affirmed Eersel’s place as a two-division and pound-for-pound king.
Allycia Hellen Rodrigues
The ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship was to be unified at ONE Fight Night 8. However, nobody really knew how the match would play out. Janet Todd had been surging, and Allycia Hellen Rodrigues was returning from giving birth to her son. That is why her performance was so remarkable in their co-main event bout.
Rodrigues got off to a slow start, but it was all part of the plan. The Brazilian knew Todd would come out fast and wanted to weather the storm while figuring out her opponent’s game. From the third round onward, the returning atomweight queen got rolling.
Todd made it a close bout, but Rodrigues did just enough to return to her throne without any debate. The 24-year-old wanted to inspire new mothers around the world. It is safe to say that she accomplished her goal by a return to claim the ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship.
Mavlud Tupiev
Mavlud Tupiev completed one of the biggest upsets of the month when he defeated former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Alaverdi Ramazanov in their Muay Thai matchup. The victory moved Tupiev into the thick of the hunt in the division. It marked his first victory on the global stage.
The upset was in large credit to a first-round knockdown. An overhand left from the 32-year-old stunned Ramazanov, who was entering to keep the pressure on his opponent. Although he was able to meet the referee’s count, he could never return the favor.
Tupiev stayed out in front the rest of the way. With the scorecards all coming in his favor, Tupiev positioned himself as a threat to the crown in the bantamweight division. Nong-O Hama has another fresh face to potentially be concerned about in 2023.
