Angela Lee and brother Christian both had gold on the line at ONE Championship: Unstoppable Dreams.
After a terrifying car crash and time off for recovery, ONE women’s atomweight champ Angela Lee returned to action Friday, putting her belt on the line against Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi. The pair first met in 2016, just over two years ago. That night, at ONE: Ascent to Power, Lee took home the gold, earning a unanimous decision. Since then, she has defended the belt twice, finishing both her opponents in 2017.
Looking to make Unstoppable Dreams as big a card as possible, ONE wasn’t stopping there. Martin Nguyen was also on the card, defending one of his two titles, in this case the featherweight championship. Nguyen, who failed at a bid for a third championship at bantamweight against Bibiano Fernandes recently, was taking on Angela Lee’s brother Christian.
Rounding out a trio of title fights on the Unstoppable Dreams card, Sam-A Gaiyanghadao was set to meet Lion Fight Lightweight World Champion Sergio Wielzen for the inaugural ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight World Championship.
Amir Khan vs. Sung Jong Lee
Opening up the ONE Championship: Unstoppable Dreams main card, lightweight standout Amir Khan took to the cage in his native Singapore and faced Sung Jong Lee of South Korea. Khan opened the action with a leg kick, holding center and working his jab. Lee then shot in, only for Khan to wind up in top position. From the bottom, Lee grabbed an arm, but Amir Khan answered by hoisting Lee up and slamming him down on his back to break free of the submission hold. A short time later, the South Korean fighter would pull guard along the cage, again looking to attack the arm. Lee next looked for a leg lock but opened himself up for a number of blows to the head. An inside heel hook attempt followed; but Khan broke free. Back on the feet, Khan began unloading with punches, connecting with a number of right hands; Lee was happy to swing back, but he was getting the worst of it. A round house kick by Khan landed in the final minute, pushing Lee back.
Sung Jong Lee had slowed a step in round two, while Khan led with his jab, then went to the body. A high kick followed, and while Lee pushed forward, swinging, it was Khan who was clearly in a better position. Lee tried to pull guard once again in round two, on several occasions, but Khan easily slipped free. A leg lock attempt a few minutes in led to a calf slicer, but Khan escaped that only for another leg lock attempt by Lee to follow. As in the first round, however, Khan was able to pepper his opponent with blows to the head and body as Lee worked for submission attempts. Khan would finally roll free of one last heel hook, land a crushing knee to the body, and begin unloading with ground and pound. Lee was simply covering up, wind knocked out of him by the knee, and the ref waved it off!
Amir Khan def. Sung Jung Lee by TKO, Round 2, 3:39
Eduard Folayang vs. Kharun Atlangeriev
Former lightweight champion Eduard Folayang took on Russia’s Kharun Atlangeriev in the second bout of the Unstoppable Dreams main card, the second of a pair of former champions appearing at the event. Folayang held the center of the cage early, launching a number of kicks and connecting with a crack to the leg of Atlangeriev. Later, he’d drop to the body with a jab to the mid-section, mixing things up a bit. Near the midway mark, a side kick nearly took the Russian’s head off as he went low just as Folayang launched it. That took things to the ground, with the former champion getting mount and dropping some bombs. Atlangeriev then gave up his back, only to twist around again with Folayang still in mount. With over a minute left in the round, it wasn’t looking good for Atlangeriev. However, he was able to reverse, and go to work from Folayang’s guard.
Atlangeriev was on his back within the first minute of round two, but Folayang opted to let the ref stand him up. Folayang then exploded about two minutes in, overwhelming Atlangeriev in both the stand-up and grapping departments. Knees to the downed Atlangeriev softened him up, though Folayang again allowed the ref to eventually stand his opponent up. At that point, it felt as if Eduard Folayang was simply toying with his opponent. A combination saw Atlangeriev go to the ground again on a failed takedown attempt; Folayang slid into mount then briefly had the back before backing off and letting his foe up.
Round three saw Atlangeriev finally try to move forward about ninety seconds in, after eating another kick. Atlangeriev threw out an overhand right; Folayang answered with a leg kick. A spinning back fist was followed by a round house kick from Folayang; neither landed flush but a spinning back kick to the body hit home shortly after. Wild attempts to finish came from both men at the end, to no avail. Grappling, striking, Eduard Folayang dominated in both en route to a one-sided decision win.
Eduard Folayang def. Kharun Atlangeriev by unanimous decision
Shinya Aoki vs. Rasul Yakhyaev
Former ONE lightweight champion Shinya Aoki faced Russian Rasul Yakhyaev in what turned out to be a showcase for Aoki’s impressive submission game. With the action getting underway, Aoki shot for a takedown, but Yakhyaev was able to fight it off and reverse Aoki against the cage. However, a flying arm-bar to omoplata attempt from the Japanese fighter took things to the ground in style. Aoki then went to work inside Yakhyaev’s guard, controlling his opponent and looking for an arm triangle choke. Yakhyaev kept Aoki trapped in half-guard; the Russian then escaped but Aoki launched himself into a triangle. It took a moment and some re-adjusting, but Aoki would finally get the finish, with both an arm-bar and triangle latched on!
Shinya Aoki def. Rasul Yakhaev by submission (triangle), Round 1, 3:15
Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex vs. Chris Ngimbi
ONE Super Series kickboxing saw Muay Thai expert Yodsanklai Fairtex face Chris Ngimbi of the Congo, with the Thai fighter going to work early. Uppercuts, jabs, and hooks all hit home on the larger Ngimbi, who was only answering back with wild punches once or twice for every barrage Fairtex unleashed. Fairtex dumped his opponent in the dying seconds of the round, and fired off kick after kick; Ngimbi finally answered back just before the bell sounded.
Ngimbi opened with a kick that Fairtex dodged, but the Congolese fighter then stormed forward launched blow after blow in the first sustained onslaught from him of hte fight. Fairtex answered back with a number of combinations and soon had Ngimbi covered up against the fence. The ref then gave Ngimbi a standing count, which would count as a knockdown. Back underway Ngimbi launched a kick to the body; the second round was certain a better effort from him, but again Yadsanklai Fairtex was the more effective striker.
Fairtex landed a push kick early, and Ngimbi swung for the fences to start the third. Ngimbi continued to find air more often than not with his attacks, but he continued to have a puncher’s chance right up to the end of the fight. The pair went toe-to-toe as time wound down, with Ngimbi launching a number of jumping knees. It wasn’t enough, however, as Fairtex clearly had the upper hand.
Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex def. Chris Ngimbi by unanimous decision
Martin Nguyen vs. Christian Lee
Nguyen timed a Lee jab early, connecting with a right hand to get the action started in the featherweight title fight at Unstoppable Dreams. Lee switched stances, while Nguyen backed him up. Lee then shot in, latching onto Nguyen with a body lock then yanking him off his feet and slamming him to the ground. Lee transitioned right to mount; Nguyen slipped out but Lee was able to sink in a guillotine, and later a D’Arce while still standing. Nguyen ate some knees, but managed to stay on his feet and break free. Still, it was Lee getting the better of the action in round one.
Round two saw Nguyen land an outside leg kick after a slow opening minute. The action then picked up a notch, with Lee on the outside, and Nguyen continuing to work in leg kicks. However ref Yuji Shimada wasn’t seeing enough, and warned both fighters to get moving. Lee then charged forward looking for a takedown, putting the pressure on. However, later in the round it was Nguyen catching Lee with left, followed by a right hand right over the eye. That, arguably, was the heaviest blow of the bout thus far. Lee was still on the outside, circling sideways — right towards that right hand. He ducked a home run swing, but would need to watch out for the power shot.
Round three another lengthy feeling out period to open the action. With the reach advantage, Lee stayed on the outside, leaning in and popping his jab out from time to time. Nguyen fell back on his leg kicks and continued to look for a home for his right hand. Another leg kick by Nguyen put Lee off balance, but with the crowd restless, the ref again warned the fighters to engage and get more active. Then, with the crowd still restless, a yellow card was given to both fighters. As the round wore down, Martin Nguyen initiated the clinch and fired off some knees against the cage, which may have stolen the round for the champion.
Christian Lee led with a punch to set up a double leg takedown to open round four, only to be stuffed by Nguyen. Nguyen landed a couple of leg kicks; Lee closed the difference and connected with a leg. Later, he’d push Nguyen up against the cage, looking for a trip or takedown. Nguyen showed how hard it was to get him to the mat, twice fighting off strong attempts by Lee. However, it was Nguyen turning the tables with just about two minutes left in the round, landing a big takedown and immediately pounding, landing ground and pound then looking for a choke. Lee looked to catch an arm, but Nguyen was too slick, and remained on top until the final seconds of the frame.
The fifth and final round saw Nguyen go high with a kick early. Both fighters were feinting and faking; Lee shot in for a takedown, only to be stuffed. The pair had a brief exchange by the fence, with Nguyen having a slide edge. It was Lee again setting up a takedown attempt off a punch; he hung onto the single leg, only to have Nguyen fight it off. Nguyen then landed a left, forcing Lee back. Lee was looking a little tired, and it was Nguyen playing the aggressor, looking for a takedown of his own by the end of the round. He was forced to settle for some standing knees to the thigh; a big right to the shin of Lee closed out the bout as they went to the scorecards.
Martin Nguyen def. Christian Lee by split decision – to retain the ONE featherweight championship
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao vs. Sergio Wielzen
Wielzen opened the action to crown the inaugural ONE Super Series Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion with a number of kicks. Sam-A answered back with leg and push kicks; Wielzen fell back on his jab to find his range. For the most part it was a kicking clinic in round one, with both fighters initiating and returning fire. Sam-A would dump his opponent late in the first round.
Sam-A opened round two wih kicks to the side and back that sounded simply ferocious. Neither man had a knockdown through the first two rounds, but the back-and-forth battles more than made up for it. A knee and a push by Sam-A came towards the end of the frame, but the ref ruled it was not a knockdown as they went to the third.
Round three saw Sam-A continue to work high kicks, sending Wielzen stumbling backwars at times. Wielzen held his own, but the Thai fighter was hitting harder, faster, and just a little more often, giving him the slight edge heading into the championship rounds.
An exchange a leg kicks opened round four, and both men seemed to have turned things up a notch. Inside leg kicks by Wielzen were hitting their target. A big elbow with just over a minute left in the round from Sam-A Gaiyanghadao then dropped Wielzen! He survived the count and made it back to his feet but was dropped again moments later after coming under heavy fire. Wielzen couldn’t make it back up, an Gaiyanghadao had the finish! And with it, the title as well!
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao def. Sergio Wielzen by knockout, Round 4, 2:47
Angela Lee vs. Mei Yamaguchi
After her brother narrowly missed capturing featherweight gold earlier in the evening, ONE women’s atomweight champion Angela Lee was tasked with defending her title against Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi. After the touch of gloves, Lee opened with a leg kick, and used her reach advantage to keep the Japanese fighter on the outside. Yamaguchi ate another leg kick. She looked for a takedown only to be stuffed by Lee. A clinch against the cage ensued; Lee went to the body with knees, and slipped in a pair of elbows. Lee was showing improved striking in the early going, and while Yamaguchi looked for a takedown late in the round, Lee was able to defend with a standing guillotine, then fire off more standing elbows.
Early on in round two Yamaguchi found herself on her back, with Angela Lee in her guard. Yamaguchi, who started out in a butterfly guard eventually closed her guard as Lee began landing some strikes from the top. Yamaguchi tried to keep her hips active, but as more strikes hit home she tried to cling to Lee, taking away any space. Lee created more, while Yamaguchi looked for a submission only for Lee to work her way to an arm-bar. Yamaguchi was soon standing, holding the weight of Lee with her own arm hyper-extended, but the Japanese challenger gutted it out until Lee could no longer hold on to the submission. That put Yamaguchi in Lee’s guard, where Lee was able to control her opponent from the bottom, and kick away at Yamaguchi’s thighs.
Mei Yamaguchi landed an overhand right to open round three. The third frame saw more of a feeling out process with Lee keeping her opponent at distance, though Yamaguchi would connect with her right hand more than once. The challenger then caught a kick and timed a straight right to come right over the top and clip Lee, which sent the champ to the mat. She was right back up, however, and on the offensive, only to have Yamaguchi get back in control again, going to the body to finish off a combination. A left caught Lee. Then an overhand right moments later. Lee pressed forward in answer, tying Yamaguchi up by the fence then finishing with a trip. Yamaguchi powered up, with Lee taking her back and wrenching her back down. Sneaking a hook in, she was high on the back but potentially in position for an arm-bar. Instead, she began launching a flurry of strikes, moving from one side of the head to the other until she created enough movement to sneak in a rear-naked choke! By that point, however, there wasn’t enough time left in the round to finish.
Lee went right to work in round four with a high kick, and had Yamaguchi backing up early. The challenger tried to force her way inside with punches, but wasn’t able to do any significant damage. Lee’s leg kicks were beginning to take their toll on the challenger, as Yamaguchi’s leg was blooming with color. However, later in the round she was able to clip Lee with the right hand, sending her to the mat and getting on top. Lee utilized a butterfly guard as she looked to keep Yamaguchi off her. That was followed by a high guard and threat of a triangle. While she couldn’t secure it, she did prevent Yamaguchi from firing off much in the way of ground and pound.
Angela Lee ate a leg kicked early, and another right hand before the challenger backed off a step, then dropped Lee with a big head kick! Yamaguchi charged in for a huge takedown after that, winding up in side control. Lee seemed to have recovered, but Yamaguchi was looking to finish strong. Still, Lee was able to threaten submissions off her back and even land some strikes, while Yamaguchi continued to maintain top control. Lee then grabbed and arm and got the legs across her opponent’s head, but Yamaguchi was able to defend. Yamaguchi finally began to unload with punches as Lee forced her way back up. Lee then reversed and pressed the challenger against the fence. Yamaguchi scored one final takedown at the end of the round only for Lee to pop back up and finish in a clinch with Yamaguchi! Fantastic main event. Yamaguchi definitely brought the fight to the champion. That said, Lee earned the win on all three scorecards to retain the ONE women’s atomweight championship.
Angela Lee def. Mei Yamaguchi by unanimous decision
Check back come fight time for full results and a recap of the action from ONE Championship: Unstoppable Dreams, live from Kallang, Singapore! The action gets underway at roughly 7AM EST. Six bouts will be aired via the ONE Championship Official Twitter account, which you can see below.
We’re LIVE from Singapore with 6 bouts of ONE #UnstoppableDreams! https://t.co/YW7QH35lRm
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) May 18, 2018
ONE Championship: Unstoppable Dream Results:
Angela Lee def. Mei Yamaguchi by unanimous decision by unanimous decision – to retain the ONE women’s atomweight championship
Sam-A Gaiyanghadao def. Sergio Wielzen by knockout, Round 4, 2:47 – ONE Super Series Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship
Martin Nguyen def. Christian Lee by split decision – to retain the ONE featherweight championship
Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex def. Chris Ngimbi by unanimous decision – ONE Super Series – Kickboxing
Shinya Aoki def. Rasul Yakhaev by submission (triangle), Round 1, 3:15
Eduard Folayang def. Kharun Atlangeriev by unanimous decision
Amir Khan def. Sung Jung Lee by TKO, Round 2, 3:39
Preliminary Card Results:
Singtongnoi Por Telakun def. Joseph Lasiri by TKO, Round 2 – ONE Super Series – Muay Thai
Xie Chao def. Meas Meu by TKO (strikes), Round 3, 1:10
Xie Bin def. Huang Shi Hao by TKO, Round 2, 2:26
Sunoto def. Roel Rosauro by unanimous decision
