18 August 2017 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia:
ONE CHAMPIONSHIP : QUEST FOR GREATNESS
It was a typical torrential rain of Kuala Lumpur. Started in the late afternoon, The sky pour down with thunderous roar. KL traffic was at a standstill. But this does not deter the crowds from turning up for ONE Championship #59. As the rain began to simmer towards 6.30pm, crowds began to que to go in Stadium Negara to watch Malaysian and international fighters slog it out in ONE’s oval cage.
It was sweet victory for Martin as his only blemished in his fight record was a lost to the now former champion Marat in 2015; a fight which Martin took on short notice. Losing by the Cobra’s signature Rear Naked Choke. Now Martin returned a favour by creating Marat’s only loss in his perfect record of 15 wins before that fateful night on 18 August.
Entering this fight, Marat has an aura of invincibility. With a perfect no loss record, unprecedented 6 rear naked choke win in a row, and that 2015 41 seconds 1st round win over Nguyen.
It almost became of a repeat of that 2015 night when Gafuroz dominated the 1st round with numbers of take downs, at one point he got Martin’s back & sunk in a rear naked choke. But Martin was calm. Took his time to gain control and reverse.
Nguyen found his groove in the second frame as he tore apart his Russian foe with his striking. Recognizing an opening, Nguyen countered Gafurov’s low kick with a thunderous overhand right that knocked faceplanted Marat at the center of the oval cage. Martin swarmed on Marat with a few more punch as ref Yuji Shimada jumped in to stop the fight. Marat immediately got up and was visibly upset as he protest the stoppage. He walked out the cage and was not presence when they announced Martin as the new Featherweight Champion.
Nguyen’s Quest for Greatness accomplished and that victory also earned him the “GoDaddy Knockout of the Night” award.
Martin Nguyen stated:
“I just want to dedicate this fight, not only to Malaysia for being so welcoming and having such a beautiful country. This is for my dad. He was my inspiration for the whole camp when I mentally broke. (He and) the boys kept me together. I’ve got a deadly overhand right, but it’s not my only weapon. Thank you to Marat for giving me the opportunity.”
On that overhand right that secures him the victory;
” We at KMA trained for it. We knew that he was a single striker. He would throw a single kick, a single punch & shooting for the take down. I was expecting all that he has done tonight, but it was just a matter of time.”
Ask on what went through his mind when Marat attempt a rear naked choke on him in the first round,
” He was never gonna get it.
I spent 8 weeks on my back, with black belts throughout the whole of Australia; and we got the no.1 light weight of Australia, BJJ black belt Bernado ‘Trekko’ Magalhaes. I was at his gym every single week,…put on a body triangle, and we went to work. “
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| Martin with his KMA Top Team, (left to right) striking coach Chrysler Esma De Castro, BJJ coach Bernardo Magalhaes,and KMA Head Instructor and mentor Master Fari Salievski.
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On what’s next.
Martin break it out to the media that the whole fight week he has been weighing 68kg without even trying to cut weight. He is planning to challenge ONE Bantamweight Champion Bibiano Fernandes for a superfight, putting on the line his belt too and a first attempt to be the first dual category champion of ONE, hoping ONE will give him this opportunity.
On the next month or so Martin would just want to spend time with his wife and kids as preparing for this fight has taken up much of his time away from them.
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| Martin celebrating the sweet moment with his wife Brooke |
Full Official results for ONE: QUEST FOR GREATNESS
ONE Featherweight World Championship bout: Martin Nguyen defeats Marat Gafurov by Knockout at 1:27 minutes of round 2
Lightweight bout: Ev Ting defeats Nobutatsu Suzuki by TKO (Strikes) at 3:29 minutes of round 1
Welterweight bout: Agilan Thani defeats Sherif Mohamed by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Bantamweight bout: Kevin Belingon defeats Reece McLaren by Knockout at 1:02 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Gianni Subba defeats Riku Shibuya by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Women’s strawweight bout: May Ooi defeats Ann Osman by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:27 minutes of round 1
Strawweight bout: Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke defeats Robin Catalan by TKO (Strikes) at 0:46 minutes of round 2
Featherweight bout: Christian Lee defeats Keanu Subba by Submission (Armbar) at 1:11 minutes of round 3
Featherweight bout: Emilio Urrutia defeats Edward Kelly by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
Strawweight bout: Rene Catalan defeats Bu Huo You Ga by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
I’m Wallace.
Martial arts is a passion of mine since I was a kid. TaeKwon-Do was my first martial arts.
Since my injury to both knee’s ACL, I train for fitness only. Warriors.Asia started as Warriors of Borneo blogspot in 2015, this is my way of keeping myself updated in the martial arts world.
Writing stories about it is my small way of contributing to the development of the industry. My aim is to inspire & motivate others with my stories & also to help organisers & event promoters to have more media coverage.
I do not make any $$$ out of this ( but of course if there are any brand that wants to collab, I gladly welcome ).
Do reach out to me if you have any martial arts stories you want to tell.
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