ONE Championship (ONE), once again electrified the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium with another blockbuster evening of authentic martial arts. ONE: HERO'S DREAM showcased the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent competing inside the ONE Championship cage. In the main event, reigning ONE Middleweight World Champion and Myanmar's favorite son, "The Burmese Python" Aung La N Sang defeated Alain "The Panther" Ngalani to emerge victorious in the evening's Open Weight Super-Bout.
In the main event of the evening, national icon "The Burmese Python" Aung La N Sang clinched the most impressive victory of his career, defeating Muay Thai and kickboxing heavyweight champion Alain "The Panther" Ngalani in the promotion's first ever Open Weight Super-Bout. The reigning ONE Middleweight World Champion, Aung La N Sang weathered an early storm from Ngalani, working in guard to defend himself from Ngalani's top game. Recognizing an opening for a standing guillotine choke, Aung La N Sang wrapped his arm around Ngalani's neck and pulled guard to finish his opponent by submission in the first round.
"This is amazing, thank you Myanmar, I love you," said Aung La N Sang. "I do this because I love you guys, that's it. If Alain and I can be friends afterwards, then every tribe, every brother and sister in Myanmar can be friends. I love you guys. Moving up to heavyweight was not ideal for me. Middleweight is the class I compete in, but if there's an opportunity I will take it and I felt the guillotine."
In the co-main event of the evening, local martial arts heroes Phoe Thaw and Saw Ba Oo figured in an inspiring display of heart and tenacity, exchanging their best offense in the full length of the ONE Championship cage. As the two poured their energy and left it all out on the biggest stage of martial arts, it was Thaw who came away with a hard-earned victory in a closely-contested three round affair. In the end, two of three judges saw the bout in favor of Thaw who bagged a split decision for his efforts.
China's "The Southern Eagle" Ma Hao Bin continued his rapid rise through the ranks, notching the eighth victory of his professional career and his sixth straight overall with a first round submission of charismatic Filipino striker Eugene Toquero. Toquero, a Muay Thai specialist and former celebrity fitness coach, would do his best to thwart Ma's aggressive takedown game, but was proven ineffective in doing so. Ma, with mere seconds left in the first round, caught Toquero in an armbar who soon tapped out.
In a battle of Myanmar's homegrown flyweight talents, Ye Thway Ne established his first winning streak inside the ONE Championship cage by defeating compatriot Saw Thar Nge. As soon as the bell rang, the two warriors engaged in a fiery exchange of haymakers at the center of the cage. Ye Thway Ne then clipped Saw Thar Nge with a wild left hook to send his opponent crashing to the canvas, ending the bout in the very first round.
Thai martial arts prospect Pongsiri Mitsatit of Bangkok once again impressed in a masterful offensive performance against live Filipino challenger Jeremy "The Jaguar" Miado of Manila. Mitsatit came out ultra-aggressive, looking to bring the action right to Miado who had other plans. Miado aimed to take matters to the ground to nullify Mitsatit's striking advantage, but Mitsatit would have none of it. In the end, it was Mitsatit who effectively executed his gameplan, stopping Miado in the second round by forcing a verbal tapout.
Local Myanmar athletes and former lethwei stars Saw Darwait and Sit Mhan locked horns at the center of the cage to the roar of a packed arena. Saw Darwait, who came into the contest looking to test his grappling skills, ended the contest early when he latched onto a rear naked choke just 41 seconds into the match, forcing the tap from Sit Mhan.
Bantamweight competitors "Rock Man" Chen Lei of China and Burn "Hitman" Soriano of the Philippines provided fans with a tremendous display of offense in a short contest that lasted just under two rounds. After an incredible first round which saw Chen score major points for his cage control and powerful strikes, Soriano came back towards the end and nearly submitted the Chinese warrior with an armbar. Chen was eventually saved by the bell and in the second round, took Soriano to the mat and quickly secured full mount, stopping the Filipino with ground-and-pound.
After pulling off a solid promotional debut last September, "Supermom" Miao Jie of China continued to impress in ONE Championship as she submitted debuting Australian competitor Amira Hafizovic in the first round of their strawweight showdown. Miao showcased her grappling skills, easily getting the job done in just 45 seconds of the first round by forcing Hafizovic to tap to an armbar.
In the second preliminary bout of the evening, China's "The Ghost" Zhang Ze Hao and India's Bala Shetty sent tremors of excitement throughout the iconic Thuwunna Indoor Stadium with a spirited display of striking. As both combatants exchanged heavy blows at the center of the cage, it was Zhang who came away with the knockout win in the first round, delivering a thunderous left hook to shut the lights off on Shetty.
A three-round atomweight contest served as the curtain-raiser at ONE: HERO'S DREAM as Filipino female atomweight prospect Jomary Torres defeated Indonesian grappling specialist Nita Dea by unanimous decision after three rounds. Torres employed an efficient strategy from start to finish, utilizing her speed and power to connect a multitude of thudding strikes on Dea. Torres also dominated Dea on the mat with her ground-and-pound, which was enough to earn the judges' nod.
Official results for ONE: HERO'S DREAM
Open Weight Super-Bout: Aung La N Sang defeats Alain Ngalani by Submission (Guillotine) at 4:31 minutes of round 1
Featherweight bout: Phoe Thaw defeats Saw Ba Oo by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds
Flyweight bout: Ma Hao Bin defeats Eugene Toquero by Submission (Armbar) at 4:51 minutes of round 1
Flyweight bout: Ye Thway Ne defeats Saw Thar Nge by Knockout (KO) at 3:50 minutes of round 1
Strawweight bout: Pongsiri Mitsatit defeats Jeremy Miado by TKO (Verbal Submission) at 4:23 minutes of round 2
Bantamweight bout: Saw Darwait defeats Sit Mhan by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 0:41 minutes of round 1
Bantamweight bout: Chen Lei defeats Burn Soriano by TKO (Strikes) at 1:06 minutes of round 2
Women's strawweight bout: Miao Jie defeats Amira Hafizovic by Submission (Armbar) at 0:45 minutes of round 1
Lightweight bout: Zhang Ze Hao defeats Bala Shetty by TKO (Strikes) at 2:01 minutes of round 1
Women's atomweight bout: Jomary Torres defeats Nita Dea by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds
