Jong of South Korea overpowers Steele of USA on first night of Resorts World® Sentosa Martial Combat™
The third installment of Asia's biggest Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Championship was highlighted by a dramatic late victory for veteran Korean fighter Jong Man Kim in his featherweight title superfight against American Aaron Steele.
Witnessed by an enthusiastic crowd at Resorts World Sentosa, Jong used all his experience to reserve some energy for a final flourish with his opponent visibly tiring. The judges were all set to render their decisions after a five-round stalemate when the Korean sent his opponent crashing to the canvass with barely a minute to go in the fight. Perhaps fearing he was behind on the scorecards, Jong moved in for the kill and unleashed a barrage of blows on the stunned American.
With a Martial Combat Superfight belt on the line, the referee gave Steele every chance to recover, but with less than 30 seconds remaining he had seen enough and stepped in to stop the fight and save him from further punishment.
Said an elated and exhausted Jong: "I was extremely tired. I didn't expect it to go to five rounds and thought I could win the bout in the first. But the Americans are known for their stamina and power. Going into the fifth round, I knew I was behind on points and when I saw an opening I knew I had to take advantage. I am very happy and it was an honour to fight for Martial Combat and I am pleased to take the belt back to Korea."
Held at the Compass Ballroom, Resorts World Sentosa, the Martial Combat series featured five fights of explosive knock out action. The event, presented by ESPN STAR Sports and Resorts World Sentosa, saw 10 world-class mixed martial arts fighters battle over five fights to an almost-capacity crowd, culminating in the Superfight Championship Showdown between Jong and Steel.
All four of the other fights were won emphatically with first round stoppages to the delight of the crowd. The most eye catching performance of the night was by up-and-coming American Joe Ray who faced the stiffest test of his career against Singapore-based Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Zorobabel Moreira.
Any lingering doubts as to Ray's legitimacy or longevity were swiftly and brutally dispelled when the American fighter threw a vicious overhand right which knocked Moreira out cold after only 14 seconds of the fight. The crowd was stunned, as was Moreira, who took a few minutes to regain consciousness but was eventually able to leave the ring unaided. With three stoppage wins in his first three fights Ray has the mixed martial arts world at his feet. He can look forward to seeing this highlight reel knock out all over the internet in the coming weeks,
"I was surprised by how quickly the fight ended because I was expecting him to be a dangerous opponent. I had planned to use my jab for the first round but I felt he was there for the taking so I went for it. This is definitely the best performance of my career and I am looking forward to watching the fight on ESPN STAR Sports," said Ray.
The opening fight of the night saw two fighters with extensive amateur experience make their professional debuts. Jasor Ablasi, from the Philippines got his professional career off to the best possible start by quickly taking the fight to the ground and sinking in a rear naked choke.
Australian Ian Bone and Matt Delanoit of America both came into the cage with impressive reputations and after a tentative early exchange of punches, Delanoit went for a takedown attempt which Bone eventually succumbed to. Once he has secured a dominant position Delanoit went to work on the Australian who tried a couple of up-kicks but was eventually forced to give up his back in an attempt to escape the onslaught of punches. The American used his experience to capitalize on the opening and sunk in a rear naked choke which forced Bone to tap.
Zhang Jian Jun of China looked impressive in his first fight for Martial Combat last month and was looking to make it two wins out of out of two against Canadian Robert Sothmann. Sothmann elected to go for the takedown and was almost made to pay as Zhang sank in a guillotine choke. Sothmann was able to hold on and eventually popped his head out and went for a submission of his own. The Chinese was able to defend the Kimura attempt but Sothmann switched strategies and unleashed a barrage of ground and pound to finish the fight.
Resorts World® Sentosa Martial Combat™ continues to go from strength to strength and the standard of fights and fighters is noticeably improving. This Martial Combat 3's card featured a combination of aspiring youngsters and experienced veterans that made for some explosive action inside the cage culminating in Jong's dramatic late stoppage win. Mixed martial arts fans like emphatic finishes and Martial Combat had five of them, and tonight's event demonstrated perfectly why this brand new show is starting to make headlines all over South East Asia and beyond.
Mixed martial arts fans can expect even more hard-hitting action when another ten fighters do battle tomorrow, 17 June, at the majestic Compass Ballroom, Resorts World® Sentosa.
