ONE Fight Night 41 delivered a night of gripping MMA action in U.S. primetime from the world-famous Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, March 13.
A Canadian debutante announced herself with a devastating ground-and-pound finish, while a South Korean grinder earned his U.S. primetime debut victory with a gritty three-round decision.
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Also, a young Brazilian bounced back from the first loss of his career with a submission victory, and a South African turned a forgettable first round into a stunning comeback win.
Here’s what went down in all of the MMA contests at ONE Fight Night 41.
Lee Grinds Out Henrique In Grueling Strawweight War
Lee Seung Cheol survived a punishing opener and wore down Fabio Henrique over the course of three rounds to claim a unanimous decision in their strawweight MMA bout.
Neither man gave an inch in the first stanza. The 27-year-old South Korean and the 33-year-old Brazilian stood toe-to-toe through five minutes of fierce punches and kicks, with every exchange met in kind and the round impossible to separate on the scorecards.
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The match took a decisive turn in the second when Lee dragged it to the canvas and established a dominant position, dropping hammer fists on the shelled-up Brazilian. Henrique fought hard for position throughout, and the two battled through a relentless series of scrambles. The South Korean, however, consistently came out on top.
Lee picked up right where he left off in the third frame. The technical exchanges on the canvas were the most entertaining of the contest, but it ended the same way – Lee locking in a body triangle and sinking punches in from behind until the final bell sounded.
This victory elevated Lee’s record to 12-1, as he made a confident U.S. primetime debut and extended his winning streak to 12.
Nikolakakos Knocks Out Souza With Buzzer-Beater Punches
Anastasia Nikolakakos made an instant impact in her promotional debut, knocking out Brazilian veteran Victoria Souza via ground-and-pound with just one second remaining in the first round of their women’s atomweight MMA clash.
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The two traded punches and kicks in the pocket in an even opening exchange, but the moment the action hit the canvas, the 36-year-old Canadian took over completely.
Nikolakakos secured mount and began tearing through Souza’s defense with punches – one landed flush on the chin and the Brazilian started to fade, and one more put her lights out for good.
The undefeated Canadian lifted her career record to 6-0, keeping her perfect slate intact and announcing herself to the women’s atomweight MMA division with a statement finish in her very first ONE Championship appearance.
Aurelio Chokes Out Mastromarini To Return In Style
Marcos Aurelio silenced the critics with a gutsy submission victory over Mauro Mastromarini, tapping out the Argentine via rear-naked choke in their bantamweight MMA showdown. By doing so, he responded to the first loss of his career in the best way possible and reminded everyone that his previously unbeaten run was no fluke.
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The first round was a back-and-forth affair. The 21-year-old Brazilian dropped Mastromarini with a sharp left hook to seize control early, but the 27-year-old veteran answered with a takedown that leveled the playing field heading into the second frame.
Aurelio came out swinging in round two, but Mastromarini dragged him to the canvas with another takedown. The pair scrambled furiously for leg locks and positioning, but Aurelio maintained his composure. The Brazilian eventually locked in a body triangle to control his opponent, hunted for the rear-naked choke, and sunk it in deep to get the tap at the 3:27 mark of round two.
With the win, Aurelio nudged his career record to 9-1.
Van Rooyen Storms Back To Stop Miado In Round Three
Willie “White Lion” van Rooyen used the first round of his flyweight MMA bout against Jeremy Miado as a learning experience, and then he never looked back. The South African continued to get stronger and stronger as the bout wore on, eventually stopping the Filipino via TKO at the 3:35 mark of round three.
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Early on, Miado looked like he might make it a miserable night for the 23-year-old Pretoria native. “The Jaguar” danced around the canvas, tagging his opponent with punches at will. Most notably, his uppercut snapped Van Rooyen’s head back repeatedly. The Filipino stuffed every takedown attempt along the way and controlled the range with the poise of a seasoned veteran.
But the South African treated the first round as a crash course and returned for the second as a completely transformed fighter. He used sharp footwork to neutralize Miado’s counters and started landing his own punches with authority. When “The Jaguar” shot for a takedown, he couldn’t capitalize – and Van Rooyen walked away from the frame having found his footing.
The third stanza was the statement Van Rooyen desperately needed. “White Lion” stung Miado from the outside, backed him into the corner, and stepped into a left hook that sent the Filipino crashing to the mat. The Pretoria warrior pounced immediately with hammer fists and elbows until the referee called a halt, redeeming himself in emphatic fashion.
Van Rooyen improved his record to 8-1, wiping away the memory of his debut loss and announcing himself to the flyweight MMA division in style.
