A slow start did nothing to slow down Seiya
Matsuda in his ONE
Championship debut.
Multiple takedowns, ground-and-pound and a near submission carried
the unbeaten Blue Dog Gym export to a split decision over Mikhail
Gritsanenko in a
ONE Friday Fights 57 catchweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee
Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Two of the ringside judges
struck scorecards for Matsuda (4-0, 1-0 ONE), who was overcome by
emotion following the three-round battle at 163 pounds.
Advertisement
Gritsanenko (3-2, 0-1 ONE) leaned on deft footwork and sharp
counterattacks throughout much of the first round, where he let fly
with two- and three-punch combinations, occasionally punctuating
them with thudding kicks to the body. It was not enough to throw
Matsuda off the scent. The 28-year-old organizational newcomer took
down Gritsanenko in Round 2, moved to the north-south position and
locked in a kimura. Pain contorted the Russian’s face, as he tried
and failed to free himself from the maneuver for well over a minute
before he was saved by the bell. Matsuda struck for another
takedown in the third round, achieved full mount on multiple
occasions and eventually slid behind his opponent while making a
brief pass at a rear-naked choke. Gritsanenko survived, only to
lose on points.
The setback was Gritsanenko’s first since Sept. 17, 2017.
Meanwhile, onetime Olympian Akari Ogata
put away Raqobat Club rep Khozhiniso
Komoldinova with punches in the third round of their
catchweight clash at 163 pounds. Ogata (1-0, 1-0 ONE) brought it to
a close 1:16 into Round 3, as the Japanese judoka made a strong
first impression in her promotional debut.
Komoldinova (2-2, 0-1 ONE) greeted her counterpart with powerful
right hands, a picture-perfect double-leg takedown and elbow-laced
ground-and-pound in the first round. However, the Uzbekistan native
lost her way from there. Ogata wore down the 24-year-old prospect
in the middle stanza, where she trapped her in the corner and
unleashed a series of knee strikes to the body. She executed a
takedown early in Round 3, climbed to the back, flattened out
Komoldinova and cut loose with unanswered punches until the job was
done.
The loss snapped Komoldinova’s modest two-fight winning streak.
In other action, Panrit
Lukjaomaesaiwaree earned a unanimous decision over Alexey
Balyko in their three-round catchweight muay thai headliner at
140 pounds; Shakhriyor Jurayev put down Numpangna
Eaglemuaythai with a standing elbow strike 23 seconds into the
second round of their catchweight muay thai co-main event at 140
pounds; Donking
Yotharakmuaythai wrecked Chalongsuk
Jacksonmuaythai with a right uppercut 54 seconds into the
second round of their 132-pound catchweight muay thai showcase;
Songpandin
Chor Kaewwiset, 16, laid claim to a unanimous decision over
Wanchuchai
Kaewsamrit in a three-round catchweight muay thai attraction at
126 pounds; Sungprab
Lookpichit buried Yodnamnuea N and P Boxing with punches 66
seconds into the first round of their 112-pound catchweight muay
thai affair; Soe Lin Oo
dispatched Fabio Reis
with a left jab 1:42 into the second round of their bantamweight
muay thai scrap; Parham
Gheirati wiped out Otop Or
Kwanmuang with punches 62 seconds into the first round of their
bantamweight muay thai altercation; Moe Htet Aun took out Tomoya
Maruyama with a counter right hand 2:50 into the third round of
their 140-pound catchweight muay thai encounter; and Tuan Tran cut
down Yuya Jonishi with punches 56 seconds into the third round of
their catchweight muay thai clash at 152 pounds.