“The Immortal” is on the ATTACK in Round 5!
#ONEFistsOfFury3
#WeAreONE
#ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/fwuI1eStiP— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship)
March 19, 2021
The final pre-recorded section of One Championship’s “Fists of Fury” series saw a
champion keeping an iron grip on his throne.
The
One: Fists of Fury 3 main event featured Regian Eersel putting
his lightweight kickboxing championship on the line against Italy’s
Mustapha Haida. Eersel dominated his opponent from the outset by
utilizing his slight reach advantage and a multifaceted striking
approach. The Surinamese-Dutch fighter showcased a variety of
attacks across the first couple, including heavy punches and
jumping knees. Haida struggled to contain the defending champion’s
initiative, and was limited to landing a few body shots.
In Round 3, one of Eersel’s jumping knees landed low, and forced a
halt in the action for a few seconds. When the fight resumed,
Eersel picked up where he left off, landing effective strikes at
range and keeping the challenger guessing. Before the horn blew at
the end of the third stanza, the defending champion hit Haida below
the belt again. The fourth period saw Eersel continue to put the
pressure on the Italian challenger, and Haida displayed heart in
taking all the champion’s shots but not much more. The final round
saw Eersel once again scoring with the best and heavier shots until
the official time expired. The defending champion was unsurprised
in hearing that he had successfully defended his belt with a
unanimous decision victory.
Janet Todd DROPS Alma Juniku with a 1-1-2!
#ONEFistsOfFury3
#WeAreONE
#ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/pmoTNjpQW7— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship)
March 19, 2021
In the co-main event, current One atomweight kickboxing titleholder
Janet Todd tested herself in a muay Thai against Alma Juniku. “JT”
took the first round to study her opponent, limiting herself to
test Juniku’s reactions in a close opening frame. Todd became more
aggressive in Round 2 as her boxing combinations found their home.
A couple of seconds before the end of the round, “JT” dropped
Juniku with a powerful right hand that forced a referee’s
count.
In the last round, Todd dictated the pace as she landed both on the
body and the head of her opponent with crisp boxing combinations.
Juniku attacked her opponent with various shots, including a
step-in elbow, but it was not enough to slow Todd’s aggression.
When it came to the final verdict, the judges agreed and rewarded
“JT” with a unanimous decision. In the post-fight interview, Todd
stated that she wanted to add the division’s muay Thai belt to her
collection.
How creative is Alex Silva’s crucifix?!
#ONEFistsOfFury3
#WeAreONE
#ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/DGruPpUUVG— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship)
March 19, 2021
In the MMA main attraction on the card, Koha Minowa
(13-2) edged former divisional champion Alex Silva
(9-6) in a razor-close strawweight affair. While “Little Rock”
seemed to control the situation in the opening frame, “Hiroba”
started gaining confidence in the second round, defending his
opponent’s submission attempts. Round 3 saw the most action from
Minowa, who landed several heavy shots on the ground. Ultimately,
two out of three judges awarded the victory to the Japanese
fighter.
Elsewhere, Jennifer
Olsim (4-2) tapped out Maira Mazar
(7-4) with a guillotine choke that ended the contest 41 seconds
into the third round; in a One flyweight clash, Roshan
Mainam Luwang (6-2) submitted Abdul Aziz
Calim (5-5) via a rear-naked choke at the 2:45 mark of Round 1;
the night began with One Hero Series graduate Yong Hu (7-2)
outpointing Yodkaikaew
Fairtex (7-3-1) in One’s 135-pound division.