This second fight promised to be interesting — last time out, Aung La N Sang took the bout on short notice. Though the fight went a full five rounds, Bigdash was pulling well ahead by the end. This time, most expected the action to be much closer.

Also on the card, a one night flyweight tournament, with the tournament final serving as the night’s co-main event. Not to mention Japan’s Mei Yamaguchi taking on Jenny Huang. Both atomweights were recent victims of star champion Angela Lee, and would like to work themselves back into the title mix.

The opening of the main card saw Kevin Chung secure the win with several vicious knee strikes to the head of the defending Zhong Qing Ya in the grounded side position. Just one bout later, Tha Pyay Nyo made short work of Htet Aung Oo, securing the knockout in just sixteen seconds.

In the Atom weight battle between Mei Yamaguchi and Jenny Huang a hard fought first round took us to the second frame that saw Yamaguchi lock in a rear naked choke for the win. That win puts Yamaguchi back into the title hunt.

After moving on to the the final round of the fly weight tournament, thanks to a first round finish, Saw Min Min made short work of Ye Thway Ne. He secured victory with a guillotine choke just 43 seconds into the first round.

The Final bout of the card saw both Vitaly Bigdash and Aung La N Sang trade shots and take down attempts. Aung La N Sang got off to a strong start in the first round after landing a pair of strong left hands staggering, then dropping Bigdash before following him to the mat. The second round saw Aung La N Sang continue to get the edge in the stand up for most of the round. Bigdash started to turn things around in the third when he shot in and secured the take down, and worked some ground and pound, however in the 4th a visibly tired Bigdash was not able to repeat his previous success as Aung La N Sang continued to pressure the champion in the stand up. The final round saw Bigdash find success again with the take down, putting Aung La N Sang on his back twice in the round. Unfortunately for Bigdash it was too little, too late and the decision along with the belt went to Aung La N Sang.

This fight will likely set the stage for a rubber match between them somewhere down the line.

Check back during the event for results and a recap of the main card!

Main Card Results:

Aung La N Sang def. Vitaly Bigdash by Unanimous decision
Saw Min Min def. Ye Thway Ne by Submission (guillotine choke) Round 1, 0:43
Mei Yamaguchi def. Jenny Huang by Submission (rear naked choke) Round 2, 4:00
Bruno Pucci def. Jimmy Yabo by TKO, Round 1, 2:04
Tha Pyay Nyo def. Htet Aung Oo by KO, Round 1, 0:16
Kevin Chung def. Zhong Qing Ya by Ref stoppage (strikes), Round 2, 3:37

Preliminary Card Results:

Ye Thway Ne def. Pat Kyaw Lin Naing by Unanimous decision
Saw Min Min def. Kyar Ba Hein by KO/TKO, Round 1

The post ONE Championship: Light of a Nation Results and Recap appeared first on Cageside Press.

The flyweight tournament will feature a who’s who of Myanmar flyweights aimed at anointing the nation’s next 125lb star. Two semi-final matches have been set: Saw Min Min faces Tun Lwin Moe in the first, while Ye Thway Ne goes to war with Pat Kyaw Lin Naing in the other. An alternate bout between Shwe Kyaung Thar and Ye Yint Thway has also been booked for the fight card.

The single night tournament format should thrill old school MMA fans, but Wednesday’s Light of a Nation additions didn’t stop there. In addition to the flyweight tournament, Japanese standout and former ONE Championship atomweight title contender Mei Yamaguchi (15-10-1) has been added to the card, where she will face Jenny Huang. Both women have tasted defeat at the hands of atomweight Queen Angela Lee, and the victor should jump right back into the title hunt.

Also announced, BJJ champ Bruno “Pucci Bull” Pucci (4-2) will meet Filipino Jimmy “The Silencer” Yabo (5-4, 1NC) in a featherweight battle, while undefeated featherweight Tha Pyay Nyo (3-0) will fight Htet Aung Oo in the latter’s promotional debut.

American born South Korean Kevin “Old Boy” Chung will face BJJ fighter Zhong Qing Ya to round out the additions to the card. Zhong will be making his promotional debut in the fight. Chung (4-0), meanwhile, will be looking to keep his perfect record intact.

ONE Championship: Light of a Nation takes place June 30 at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

The post ONE Championship Announces More Bouts, Flyweight Tournament for Light of a Nation appeared first on Cageside Press.

Bigdash (9-0) is undefeated in his professional career, much of which was fought under the ProFC banner. Upon joining ONE Championship in 2015, he made an immediate impact, knocking out Igor Svirid to claim the promotion’s middleweight title. The January scrap with Aung La N Sang represented his first title defense.

Aung La N Sang (19-10), meanwhile, will be making his sixth ONE Championship appearance at Light of a Nation, in his home country no less. Neither fighter has competed since their January meeting.

In a statement in today’s release, ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said

“The first bout was an absolute showcase of incredible skill and unwavering determination, and the rematch promises nothing short of another classic. Yangon’s favorite son, Aung La N Sang, will get another crack at the ONE Middleweight World Championship held by Vitaly Bigdash. This time, it will be on his home turf. Fans will not want to miss all the action that goes down at ONE: LIGHT OF A NATION this June!”

This pairing, and the timing, may put the kibosh on Ben Askren’s desire to meet Bigdash in August.

The post ONE Championship Middleweight King Vitaly Bigdash to Rematch Aung La N Sang appeared first on Cageside Press.