Zhang Lipeng dominates Eduard Folayang in ONE debut

Zhang Lipeng ground game proved to be enough to withstand the gallant stand of Eduard Folayang. ONE Championship

By Dugout Philippines

SINGAPORE--Chinese veteran Zhang Lipeng made a triumphant ONE Championship debut, defeating former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang at ONE: Battleground 2, a previously recorded event aired on Friday night at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Zhang applied pressure early, taking Folayang to the ground successfully and controlling him on the mat. After securing the Filipino icon’s back, Zhang pounded away while threatening with a rear-naked choke.

Folayang tried to swing the momentum in the second round, using low kicks to chop his opponent’s legs. But Zhang made crucial adjustments and took the action back to the ground with a blast double.

In the third and final frame, Folayang had more success defending the takedowns as he continued to work Zhang’s legs. But a huge slam toward the end of the round sealed the deal for the Chinese stalwart. All three judges scored the bout for Zhang to win by unanimous decision.

Former ONE strawweight world champion and current number five ranked strawweight contender Alex Silva utilized his expert grappling to stifle Chinese opponent Miao Li Tao on the mat and earn a clear-cut unanimous decision. Silva threatened with submissions early in the first round, catching Miao in a deep armbar attempt. The grappling dominance continued in the second and third frames, allowing the Brazilian to pull ahead on the scorecards.

The highly-anticipated clash between promotional newcomer Thomas Narmo and heavyweight sensation Alain Ngalani ended prematurely after an unintentional foul from Ngalani left the Norwegian fighter unable to continue in the second round. The bout was ruled a no-contest (NC).

Indonesian rising star Eko Roni Saputra made quick work of Liu Peng Shuai to score a spectacular 10-second knockout in the first round. After the combatants traded punches at the center of the Circle, a dynamite right hand dropped Liu, ending the fight instantly. The finish was the fastest in ONE flyweight mixed martial arts history and gave Saputra his fifth consecutive first-round stoppage victory.

In a lightweight contest, Rahul Raju overcame a valiant effort from Otgonbaatar Nergui to win by submission in the second round. Nergui was strong and aggressive in the first frame, but Raju turned to his grappling in the second stanza and used a rear-naked choke to force the tap.

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