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| Reece McLaren raises his fists after the fight. |
By Ivan Saldajeno
LOS BANOS--Reece McLaren made a strong case to challenge Geje Eustaquio for the One flyweight title after beating Tatsumitsu Wada in the co-main event of One: Battle for the Heavens at the Guangzhou Tianhe Gymnasium in Guangzhou on Saturday night.
The Filipino-Australian fighter banked on his striking prowess to defeat the debuting Japanese pugilist, who proved to be a menace on the ground.
Wada even got the nod of one judge for his grappling game, but McLaren's versatility mattered more as he got the better of the other two judges' cards for the split decision win.
However, Gina Iniong fell prey to the returning Istela Nunes as the latter got a unanimous decision win.
The Brazilian's length turned to be vital as Iniong struggled to close in to get her strikes.
Meanwhile, Robin Catalan scored a huge upset, submitting Indonesian Adrian Matheis.
Catalan found an opening to do a heel hook on Matheis, who tapped out at the 2:10 mark of Round 2.
In the headliner, Kai Ting Chuang of Chinese Taipei pulled off a huge upset, beating Thailand's Yodcherry Sityodtong via unanimous decision to become the inaugural One Super Series atomweight champion.
Follow him on Twitter: @IvanSaldajeno
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