ONE Championship has treated combat sports fans with seemingly every knockout imaginable. There have been crushing kicks, precise jabs, thumping overhand rights, and a bucket load of shots that have put fighters down for good.
Every one of those knockouts was spectacular, but a special kind of excitement and awesomeness are reserved for elbow KOs. When landed, the short-range weapon can damage rivals, and it often results in some jaw-dropping finishes.
Here are just three of the best elbow knockouts in ONE Championship history.
1. Petchmorakot Petchyindee vs. Liam Harrison
Petchmorakot Petchyindee and Liam “Hitman” Harrison are two strikers who can finish opponents with every inch of their Muay Thai arsenals.
At “ONE: Destiny of Champions” in December 2018, however, it was the Thai striker who managed to serve it on a silver platter.
The Petchyindee Academy standout traded strikes with the Brit in the opening frame, and the exchanges continued in the second round.
But just as “Hitman” started throwing heavier artillery, Petchmorakot went in for the kill. The Thai used his right hand to pull down Harrison’s right arm, exposed his foe’s face, and landed a clean left elbow to the head, which crumpled the Englishman to the mat.
Harrison tried to regain his feet, but he failed to beat the count, giving Petchmorakot the victory.
2. Mark Abelardo vs. Emilio Urrutia
Mark “Tyson” Abelardo has a new nickname – “Elbowlardo” – and it’s because of the jaw-dropping KO he attained against Emilio “The Honey Badger” Urrutia at “ONE: Fists of Fury II” last year.
Both bantamweight MMA fighters swung wildly at each other as soon as the contest got underway, but it was the Filipino-Kiwi who connected with more volume and precision.
Abelardo hit the American with powerful leg kicks, devastating uppercuts, and powerful right hands. However, none of that seemed to faze “The Honey Badger.”
At that point, “Tyson” possibly knew that he needed something special to take home the win. He did just that.
Just as Urrutia stepped in with a looping left hook, Abelardo countered with a right tomahawk elbow that instantly dropped his opposite number. The referee immediately jumped in, giving the Filipino-Kiwi one of the most unforgettable highlight-reel wins in the organization yet.
3. Rittewada Petchyindee vs. Saemapetch Fairtex
Rittewada Petchyindee introduced himself to the ONE faithful with perhaps the best knockout of his 121-fight career. It didn’t come easy, though.
The debuting superstar had to fend off constant attacks from top-ranked bantamweight muay Thai contender Saemapetch Fairtex, including a couple of combinations that narrowly missed the mark in the opening round.
However, once he read his compatriot’s game, Rittewada used his standup arsenal to perfection, which included the match-ending technique.
Saemapetch dropped his guard as he entered for a straight left. The eagle-eyed Rittewada absorbed the strike with his leather, leaned back, and loaded up a left elbow right above the Fairtex product’s right eye.
The technique damaged Saempaetch, causing the ONE circle-side doctor to stop the contest and award the debutant with the victory.
