“Jungle Cat” Muhammad Aiman turned the tables on Chen Lei in dramatic fashion to score the biggest win of his career in ONE Championship, and hand “Rock Man” his first defeat as a mixed martial arts athlete.
Malaysia’s Aiman scored an impressive second-round submission finish at ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON in Shanghai, China on 8 September.
The bout started with Chen pushing the pace, looking to close the distance and take the Bali MMA man to the mat, but Aiman showcased improved takedown defence as he stubbornly resisted a host of attempts to drag him to the canvas.
When the Shanghai Open BJJ Champion finally succeeded in getting “Jungle Cat” to the ground, the 23-year-old defended well from his back as he avoided any significant damage from the Chinese star’s ground strikes.
The second round saw Aiman raise the tempo and use his strikes to good effect. The former MIMMA Featherweight Champion’s aggression disrupted Chen’s come-forward style as the Malaysian star connected with a solid short right hand, then later landed a spinning back-fist and a spectacular flying knee.
Aiman was growing in confidence, and when Chen launched into another charging takedown attempt, the “Jungle Cat” struck.
He expertly avoided the Chinese star’s takedown attempt, as he sidestepped “Rock Man” and grabbed the undefeated bantamweight’s neck.
Leaping onto Chen’s back, Aiman locked up a body triangle, then a rear-naked choke with a palm-to-palm grip.
Despite Chen’s desperate attempts to survive the choke, Aiman’s hold got deeper and deeper, until the Chinese star was forced to tap out at the 4:35 mark of the second round.
The Malaysian’s remarkable come-from-behind submission win extended his winning streak to three bouts, and his record to 5-2.