Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane, ONE 169 Credit score: ONE Championship
Capping off the evening at ONE 169 in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday was a heavyweight title struggle with two of ONE Championship’s largest names, each figuratively and actually.
The hulking Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane had develop into a fan favourite upon coming into the promotion, with the Senegalese wrestler amassing a 5-1 file within the firm after making the change from ARES FC. He was seeking to dethrone MMA’s first triple-champ, Anatoly Malykhin, who held ONE’s middleweight, mild heavyweight, and heavyweight titles.
The struggle wasn’t what you’ll name an action-packed affair, usually drawing jeers from a crowd that was little question hoping from a giant end from the 2 massive males. As an alternative, a grueling, grappling-heavy contest performed out, a detailed struggle that noticed the ref intervene on a number of events, each for fouls and lack of motion.
The large Reug Reug received his wrestling going early, taking the takedown route and forcing Malykhin to work his method again up after blasting his method into an entry. Controlling from the again, Kane stayed heavy on Malykhin, who used the ropes to maintain himself standing – incomes a stern warning from referee Herb Dean, who threatened to problem a yellow card have been the infraction to repeat itself.
Off the restart, it was Kane once more pursuing a takedown, heavy on the champ however unable to land it. The gang didn’t like it, and Dean urged the pair to work; once more, Malykhin used the ropes to remain upright. True to his phrase, Dean issued a yellow card, then restarted the motion with Kane in management.
Malykhin tried to flip the script in spherical two, with the champ placing Reug Reug’s again on the ropes. Kane circled out, fired a proper and clinched up. The ref then halted the motion, warning Kane for grabbing his opponent’s gloves; an irate Anatoly Malykhin opted to restart the struggle at middle moderately than take his place again. By way of two rounds, ref Herb Dean was as a lot of an element as both man truly within the struggle, permitting completely nothing to slip. They might find yourself again on the ropes anyway, Malykhin pursuing a takedown he couldn’t land, with the ref restarting the motion at middle with beneath a minute left within the spherical. The remaining seconds of the struggle noticed Malykhin get his palms, and kicks, going.
Spherical three noticed a firefight get away within the opening minute, with Malykhin touchdown greater than as soon as, and Kane proving to have an admirable chin. However once more, the ref was compelled to intervene when Reug Reug held the gloves of the champ. On the restart, Malykhin ripped the physique and fired overhands up prime. Kane answered again, firing his left however the champ was having extra success, touchdown extra, with extra energy, and cleaner. Extra exchanges within the nook would comply with, with Malykhin sporting a reduce, even whereas persevering with the have the sting in standup. Herb Dean would break up a clinch late within the spherical, after which, for the primary time in his profession, Reug Reug would enter the championship rounds.
The glove grabbing warnings for Kane continued in spherical 4, although ref Dean opted to restart the pair when the motion slowed, moderately than going the yellow card route. Malykhin, in the meantime, drove in on a takedown, placing Kane’s again on the fence. That place can be taken away by the ref, who didn’t just like the work, or lack thereof, that he was seeing. If something, Kane had slowed, and within the remaining minute, the champ related would a few proper palms that had Reug Reug retreating, head snapping again. Oumar Kane would land a left hand, and some kicks, earlier than heading to spherical 5.
Reug Reug landed a left hand early in spherical 5, showing to harm Malykhin, although he could have been off stability. The champ then needed to struggle off a takedown try, which he did. Nonetheless, the momentum appeared to have shifted within the challenger’s favor. But once more, as Reug Reug pursued a takedown, ref Dean didn’t like what he was seeing, taking the pair again to middle – the place Malykhin had the sting. He punched his method in, then drove Kane again in opposition to the ring publish.
Ultimately, the pair went the space, in a struggle that had sporadic bursts of motion, and an entire lot of positional battles. Come the judges’ scorecards, a cut up resolution was introduced – with Reug Reug getting the nod from two of three judges. That provides Oumar Kane his first main championship in MMA, together with his file bettering to 7-1 within the course of. He additionally turns into the primary African champ in ONE Championship historical past.
Official End result: Oumar Kane def. Anatoly Malykhin by cut up resolution
