ONE Championship held its first 2018 event in the Philippines titled “ONE: Global Superheroes” at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Metro Manila on January 26, 2018. In the seventh bout of the evening, Sotir Kichukov, 27, of Bulgaria faced Hao Bin “The Southern Eagle” Ma, 24, of China in the flyweight division.
The flyweight showdown between Kichukov and Ma was a grueling one. Neither of the two would give each other any quarter for three whole rounds as they traded their best offense all throughout.
Although Kichukov would have his moments on the feet, most of the action took place on the ground where Ma enjoyed a tremendous advantage. In the end, Ma turned in another well-rounded performance to claim victory via unanimous decision after three five-minute rounds.
After winning at “ONE: Global Superheroes,” Ma improved his record to 9 wins and 1 loss. On the other hand, Kichukov’s record downgraded to 13 wins and 7 losses.
In the main event of “ONE: Global Superheroes,” Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, 28, of the Philippines clinched the ONE Interim Flyweight World Championship, edging Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov, 30, by unanimous decision in an exhilarating five-round title tilt. Although Akhmetov managed to showcase his wrestling, it was largely ineffective against Eustaquio, who was far superior in the striking department for the majority of the bout.
In the co-main event, Joshua “The Passion” Pacio, 22, of the Philippines unveiled an improved grappling game, submitting Lan Ming Qiang, 24, of China via rear naked choke in the very first round. Pacio started off with his world-class wushu, operating from range with fast and powerful kicks.
CONAN Daily 