Superlek Kiatmoo9 defended his ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title in a thrilling five-round main event at ONE 165 on Sunday.
The Thai silenced the crowd inside the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan, with a unanimous decision victory over hometown superstar Takeru Segawa, but it didn’t come easily.
Known as “The Kicking Machine,” Superlek drilled Takeru with straight punches before slamming his right low kick repeatedly onto his challenger’s thigh. Though clearly hurt and feeling the effects, the Japanese star still waded forward and threw heavy leather.
This trend continued until the midpoint of round three, where Takeru let loose with a furious volley of punches that looked to have the reigning king on the ropes.
Superlek survived the onslaught, even somehow managing a smile. The pair went back and forth for the remainder of the match, trading thunderous punches and kicks until the final bell.
In the end, all three judges awarded the nod to the Thai, who earned his 137th career victory and finds himself on an 11-fight winning streak.
“I feel very happy to be showcasing my skills to the Japanese fans,” Superlek said in his post-fight interview. “There’s no surprises. I know Takeru is a very strong fighter, very durable, and can keep coming at me. That’s why he’s the top fighter in the world.”
Ruotolo retains gold as Holzken knocks out Akiyama in ‘special rules super-fight‘
In the co-main event, Kade Ruotolo successfully defended his ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title in a fast-paced rematch against Tommy Langaker that went the distance.
The 21-year-old American chased the finish at every opportunity, looking for chokes, armlocks, and leglocks, but his resilient Norwegian adversary survived several tough spots and searched for his own attacks.
However, Ruotolo’s offense was more potent, and he earned his 20th straight win to maintain his stranglehold on the division.
Nieky Holzken needed just 100 seconds to beat Yoshihiro Akiyama by knockout
Nieky Holzken was also successful, as he needed only 100 seconds to knock out Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama in their special rules super-fight.
The three-round affair was slated to alternate between sports every three minutes, going from a boxing period to a Muay Thai period to finally MMA.
Ultimately, Holzken’s devastating punches in the first round was too much for Akiyama, and he dispatched the Physical: 100 star with two heavy knockdowns to end the contest early.
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Nieky Holzken floored Yoshihiro Akiyama with a big left hook and then finished him with a right hand in the first round of their bout
Shinya Aoki also got a quick victory, but it wasn’t against the opponent he anticipated.
The Japanese legend’s original dance partner, Sage Northcutt, withdrew from their bout on late notice due to unforeseen circumstances with his cornermen.
Former ONE World Champion John Lineker stepped in for an openweight MMA battle, but Aoki proved to be too much for the Brazilian knockout artist. The icon took his hard-hitting foe down early, and he attacked with submission attempts and strikes until he finished Lineker with a neck crank in just three minutes.
Full results for ONE 165: Superlek vs Takeru
- ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Title: Superlek Kiatmoo9 defeated Takeru Segawa via unanimous decision
- ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Title: Kade Ruotolo defeated Tommy Langaker via unanimous decision
- Openweight MMA: Shinya Aoki defeated John Lineker via neck crank (3:00 of round one)
- 187.25-pound catchweight special rules: Nieky Holzken defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama via knockout (1:40 of round one)
- 165.5-pound catchweight kickboxing: Marat Grigorian defeated Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong via KO (1:20 of round three)
- Featherweight MMA: Garry Tonon defeated Martin Nguyen via rear-naked choke (4:41 of round one)
- Atomweight MMA: Ayaka Miura defeated Itsuki Hirata via unanimous decision
- Flyweight MMA: Yuya Wakamatsu defeated Danny Kingad via unanimous decision
- Heavyweight Kickboxing: Rade Opacic defeated Iraj Azizpour via unanimous decision
- Strawweight MMA: Bokang Masunyane defeated Keito Yamakita via unanimous decision
- Strawweight MMA: Gustavo Balart defeated Hiroba Minowa via unanimous decision