ONE Fight Night 46: Hemetsberger vs. Diachkova went down on Friday, August 14, live in U.S. primetime from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and the card’s MMA and submission grappling talent made sure the evening had no shortage of drama.
A trio of thrilling MMA contests showcased a different path to victory across the sport’s full spectrum of skill sets, from a first-round knockout that ended in a flash to a give-and-take striking clash that spilled onto the canvas, and a highlight-reel finishing sequence that never let up.
On the mat, a highly anticipated grappling rematch saw two familiar foes run it back on the biggest stage in the sport, trading catches and dominant positions in a frenetic battle that left the judges to settle a contest that could have gone either way.
Here’s what went down in the MMA and submission grappling matches at ONE Fight Night 46.
Aurelio Knocks Out Sangiao In 57 Seconds
Marcos Aurelio needed just 57 seconds to send Jhanlo Mark Sangiao to the shadow realm via knockout in their bantamweight MMA bout.
The 24-year-old Filipino entered the match with bad intentions written across his face, pacing forward and feinting light punches to test his opponent’s reactions. But the moment Sangiao committed to a right hand, the 22-year-old Brazilian beat him to the punch, clipping him on the chin with an overhand right that sent him crashing to the canvas.
Sangiao tried to scramble to safety, but there was nowhere to hide. Aurelio followed the Team Lakay prince down to the canvas and sealed the finish with a barrage of ground-and-pound, forcing the referee to step in at the 0:57 mark of round one.
The victory, which happened on the Brazilian’s birthday, extended his run to back-to-back stoppage wins, and the rising contender is now building a strong case to challenge Elbek Alyshov for his ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title. In the process, he moved his record to 10-1.
Do Blitzes Brandão For Third-Round TKO
Viet Anh Do maintained his flawless record in spectacular fashion, blasting Davi “Ajuricaba” Brandão with a fight-ending assault to force a third-round TKO stoppage in their high-octane flyweight MMA showdown.
The 29-year-old Kiwi-Vietnamese slugger wasted no time letting his fists go, peppering the Brazilian with left hands from the opening bell. Brandão traded happily in the pocket and briefly evened the scales. But in the final minute, Do stunned his foe with left hooks to the body and right hooks upstairs, freezing the OCS Monteiro representative against the ropes.
Round two saw Do floor his opponent with a sideways step-in elbow, and then he pounced on him with ground-and-pound. An up-kick violation from Brandão briefly halted the action, but once the contest resumed, the two stood toe-to-toe and exchanged blows. In the waning seconds of the stanza, the Kiwi-Vietnamese star’s kick landed just below the belt, causing another brief recovery period. But once the 20-year-old Brazilian recovered, the bell sounded.
Do stuffed a takedown to open the third frame and resumed his assault, staggering his adversary across the ring. Backed against the ropes with nowhere left to go, Brandão absorbed a final flurry before the referee stepped in to stop the contest at the 1:23 mark of the final round.
The TKO victory moved Do’s professional record to a clean 7-0 and kept his 100 percent finishing rate intact. Brandão, meanwhile, tastes the first defeat of his career, dropping to 6-1.
Alvarenga Out-Scrambles Maquine To Take Judges’ Decision
Ruan Alvarenga has done it again. Just a year after defeating his compatriot Meyram Maquine by points, the two Brazilians made their ONE Championship debuts in a highly anticipated rematch, but it was Alvarenga’s aggression that earned him the unanimous decision victory.
Maquine – a two-time IBJJF World Champion – got on the scoreboard first, chaining a heel hook into a knee bar for the first catch early in the featherweight submission grappling match. Soon, the two athletes returned to their feet and continued to engage.
Alvarenga answered back by arm-dragging his 25-year-old rival back to the mat, passing from half guard into closed guard and then advancing to side control. Maquine defended smartly, controlling the ankle. Then, Alvarenga threatened with a heel hook off closed guard, but the referee ruled no catch on the attempt.
The pace stayed frantic as the fight returned to the feet, but Alvarenga clung to his opponent’s back and soon, the pair crashed back to the canvas. There, the 28-year-old scrambled into position and secured a leg lock for the decisive bout-tying catch.
When the horn sounded, the judges had a tough decision to make. Both Brazilian grapplers scored a catch, but in the end, the judges ultimately sided with Alvarenga, who displayed more aggression. As a result, Alvarenga captured his second victory over Maquine and improved his career record to 21-6.
Czaban Grinds Down Salcedo, Maintains Perfect Record
Magdalena “The Powerpuff Girl” Czaban had a promotional debut to remember. The undefeated Polish juggernaut stayed sharp everywhere the fight went, using crisp striking and heavy ground-and-pound to beat 34-year-old American star Natalie Salcedo by unanimous decision.
Salcedo moved forward and looked to set the tone with her Muay Thai striking, but “The Powerpuff Girl” played the counter game, tagged the American on the feet, and damaged her nose early in round one. Overwhelmed in the stand-up exchanges, the Colorado native looked to change the complexion of the atomweight MMA tilt by dragging the action to the canvas, but neither woman could find a finish there.
The American came out of the gates with more confidence in the striking department in the second frame, prompting Czaban to search for the takedown instead. Once the fight hit the mat, a few scrambles played out, but neither athlete was able to threaten with a submission.
Czaban seized full control in the third and final stanza. After trading on the feet, the 26-year-old Polish dynamo hauled Salcedo back to the floor, where she battered her with knees to the head and then rained down ground-and-pound in the fight’s closing seconds to put an exclamation point on the win.
The judges were unanimous in their scorecards, and Czaban made the most of her ONE Championship debut. With the victory, she moved her record to 5-0 and announced herself as a contender in the bustling atomweight MMA division.