With three huge title bouts at the top of the bill in Singapore, it was going to take something special in the prelims to set the stage for ONE Championship’s biggest event to date.
At ONE: UNSTOPPABLE DREAMS on 18 May, the supporting cast delivered just that, with world-class striking and submissions thrilling the sell-out crowd inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Singtongnoi Por Telakun Makes Heroic Comeback
Topping the preliminary bill was a thrilling Muay Thai contest between Joseph “Hurricane” Lasiri and Singtongnoi Por Telakun.
Singtongnoi returned to action after emerging victorious from his toughest battle yet – against cancer.
Brave Italian Lasiri never backed down, and his forward pressure and high output helped make this an intense, exciting battle whilst it lasted.
However, the 26-year-old couldn’t break the composure of the 300-bout Thai veteran.
He was dropped to the mat twice in the first round, and cut by a devastating elbow.
Lasiri battled on in the second, but the cut continued to open as Singtongnoi took aim with his left punches, elbows, and kicks.
The fight was called at 2:36 of round two due to the damage, giving Singtongnoi the TKO victory.
Xie Chao Finally Overcomes Courageous Meas Meul
Two extremely durable athletes met in a featherweight encounter between Xie Chao and Meas Meul.
Chinese prospect Xie was eager to put on a show in his return to ONE, while Meul’s motivation was to get back in the win column.
In a blistering three-rounder, the action was back-and-forth. The Cambodian was aggressive with slams and strikes, while his foe responded with submission attempts.
Meul fought off endless chokes from Xie, who came close to putting an end to the match-up several times.
The Cambodian was worn down by round three and took a volley of shots from mount position that forced referee Yuji Shimada to intervene.
Xie took a hard-earned win via TKO at 1:10 of round three, finally overcoming his durable adversary.
Patience Pays Off For “The Stalker”
In a tale of two styles, hometown favourite “Boogeyman” Huang Shi Hao took on travelling Chinese athlete “The Stalker” Xie Bin.
It was the Singaporean’s BJJ skills up against the accurate striking of his Tianjin Top Team opponent.
“The Stalker” tried to use his reach to pick off Huang in the early running, but “Boogeyman” closed the distance and took the contest to the mat, where he threatened with a number of submissions.
Xie managed to stay in the game, and reversed his fortunes in round two, peppering his rival with precise punches, before a pair of knees sent the Singapore BJJ man to the mat.
Referee Olivier Coste stepped in to call a halt to fight at 2:26 of the second frame. Huang’s corner threw in the towel to save their man, and Xie was awarded the TKO victory.
Sunoto Controls And Dominates In Opening Bout
The action started in Singapore with a bantamweight encounter, pitting Indonesia’s “The Terminator” Sunoto against the Philippines’ Roel “Akiyama” Rosauro.
It was dominance from the Jakarta-based grappler from the opening bell.
“The Terminator” was relentless in his pursuit of victory. He lived up to his moniker as he used his takedowns and smothering grappling to constantly control and outwork Rosauro.
The Filipino would not quit despite the constant pressure in a series of threatening positions, but it was one-way traffic for three rounds.
Sunoto picked up the unanimous decision victory after 15 minutes of action, putting himself on a four-bout win streak as he takes aim at the bantamweight division’s elite.