Off the opening bell, De Ridder immediately shot for the double leg takedown and took N Sang down. Aung La tried to work up by the fence, but de Ridder would eventually take the back. With de Ridder riding him, the champ protected his neck, and tried to sneak out the back, working to shake de Ridder off. But de Ridder regrouped, and locked in a tight arm-triangle choke from the top. Just when it looked like N Sang might go out, he scrambled free and turned the tide. Aung La landed some big punches from the top, then backed off and chopped at the legs of de Ridder, who stayed on his back.

In the second, de Ridder went back to the well, shooting for the takedown and eventually landing it. Aung La was quickly back to his feet, first to a knee, then back up — but he immediately had to contend with another takedown attempt. The champ landed an uppercut in the clinch before de Ridder secured another brief takedown. This time, de Ridder managed to work his way to mount, forcing N Sang to cover up, but he scrambled and used to the fence to escape. Again, however, de Ridder dragged the champ down taking the back and getting one hook in. N Sang thew a back elbow, but de Ridder would transition to top and finish the round there.

Round three, rinse and repeat for de Ridder. He landed the takedown in the opening minute, and when the champ got back up, de Ridder dragged him back down. de Ridder got the back and had both hooks in, with over three minutes left in the frame. Just when N Sang looked like he was turning and getting on top, de Ridder scrambled and stayed in control. de Ridder than worked for a d’arce choke, and with that not available, the challenger fired off a number of knees at his opponent.

If Aung La N Sang was to have a hope of retaining his title at ONE on TNT IV, he was going to need to stay off his back. To do that, he was going to need to avoid, or at least stuff, the takedown. But again in round four, N Sang found himself looking up at the ceiling of the Singapore Indoor Arena. The energy being expended at scrambling, escaping, fighting off submissions, and getting up was starting to build for the champ. Through the rest of the round, N Sang had to contend with de Ridder being all over him, essentially a living, breathing wet blanket.

The fifth round was do or die for the champ. de Ridder, the fresher fighter, immediately shot the takedown. The challenger landed the trip, again putting N Sang on his back within the opening minute of the round. Within 30 seconds, to be accurate. de Ridder quickly moved to half guard, but N Sang broke free and took top position with just over half the round remaining. The champ worked the body, and tried to create space to land ground n’ pound. de Ridder tried to slide out the side, but N Sang stuck to him. Simply put, de Ridder held on, Aung La couldn’t land enough, and they’d go to the scorecards with Reinier de Ridder well in the lead. He’d win the fight, and the second of Aung La N Sang’s titles. Then, with the smoke cleared, Reinier de Ridder called out Brandon Vera for a heavyweight title fight, saying he had room for one more belt.

Official Result: Reinier de Ridder def. Aung La N Sang by unanimous decision

The post ONE on TNT IV Results: Reinier de Ridder Takes Decision, Second Title from Aung La N Sang appeared first on Cageside Press.

The feeling ahead of Kane vs. Grishenko was that the fight would not be going the distance. It didn’t, but it didn’t end how anyone had expected.

Early on, Kirill Grishenko surprised by backing Kane up, and fighting off an early takedown attempt. Kame stayed heavy on the taller fighter, eventually moving to an over/under position, but Grishenko began landing to the body with short punches. The ref warned Kane not to grab his opponent’s shorts off the break, and Grishenko began walking “Reug Reug” down. He’d land a low kick, then fire one upstairs that was blocked. Meanwhile, through the first five minutes, Kane had landed little to no offense. He’d land a late takedown, but essentially landed it as the bell sounded.

In the second, “Reug Reug” took a different approach, firing some big hooks on the way in. That allowed him to close the difference, but once again, Grishenko was able to fight off the takedown. Grishenko then slipped off a kick, but Kane couldn’t capitalize. A clinch along the fence led to a stalemate, taking things past the halfway mark in the fight. Kane managed to control when the pair tied up, but things took a sudden shift late.

Just as the bell sounded, Grishenko landed a throat punch. Kane seemed to protest what might have been considered a late blow, then dropped to his knees holding his throat. He did not get back up, and was unable to answer the bell for round three. Grishenko, in the end, was awarded the TKO victory. “Reug Reug,” meanwhile, was taken from the cage on a stretcher.

Official Result: Kirill Grishenko def. Oumar Kane by TKO, Round 2, 5:00

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The Asian MMA powerhouse’s introduction to U.S. prime time has not been without its stumbles. Eddie Alvarez wound up DQ’d at ONE on TNT I, although that was recently overturned to a No Contest. Demetrious Johnson, one of the greatest fighters of all time, was knocked out in his attempt to claim a second major title to add to his pile of UFC belts.

But there were highlights as well. Albeit the show aired via tape delay, Christian Lee’s lightweight title defense against Timofey Nastyukhin was superb. Rodtang Jitmuangnon put on a striking spectacle atop ONE on TNT I. And Oumar Kane, better known perhaps as “Reug Reug,” is a star in the making.

Two of those names returned Wednesday, both on ONE on TNT IV’s main card. “Reug Reug” opened the show, taking on another undefeated heavyweight prospect in Kirill Grishenko. And Alvarez returned as well, to face South Korea’s Ok Rae Yoon, with a potential title shot hanging in the balance.

Of course, then there was the main event. With Vitaly Bigdash off the card, Reinier de Ridder stepped up the challenge Aung La N Sang for light heavyweight gold. The plot twist: de Ridder was the man who, last year, defeated N Sang for the middleweight title. Could he take two belts from the same man?

On the preliminary card, meanwhile, Colbey Northcutt returned, as did Shinya Aoki, like Alvarez another top lightweight contender. He was matched up with fellow former champ Eduard Folayang, in the rubber match to their trilogy.

ONE on TNT IV airs live on TNT, with the main card kicking off at 10PM following online prelims. Full results are below. Where available, a live stream of the action can be viewed above.

ONE on TNT IV: N Sang vs. de Ridder Results:

Main Card

Reinier de Ridder def. Aung La N Sang (c) by unanimous decision – for the ONE light heavyweight world championship
Ok Rae Yoon def. Eddie Alvarez by unanimous decision
Kirill Grishenko def. Oumar Kane by TKO, Round 2, 5:00

Preliminary Card

Shinya Aoki def. Eduard Folayang by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 4:20
Jackie Buntan def. Ekaterina Vandaryeva by majority decision
Colbey Northcutt def. Courtney Martin by submission (arm-bar), Round 1, 2:28

The post ONE TNT IV: N Sang vs. de Ridder Live Stream and Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

After picking up a win in her promotional debut earlier this year against “Wondergirl” Fairtex, the 23-year old Buntan returns against Belarus’ Ekaterina Vandaryeva, a.k.a. “Barbie.”

“I’ve only watched her previous fight with Janet [Todd],” said Buntan at a ONE on TNT IV media day this week, asked about her opponent, who like Buntan has just a single fight under the ONE banner. “She will sometimes stay stagnant, and she likes to throw her left kick and her right hand a lot.”

“Just being able to kind of use the same weapons, use my footwork, use my speed, I think that will be the greater factor in this fight,” she added.

Taking part in a big event in U.S. prime time (ONE on TNT IV takes place in Singapore, but fighters will compete in the morning to allow for the time different) has Buntan excited. “I’m super stoked about it, being born and raised in the U.S., and having friends and family being able to see me on prime time TV, it’s a really cool thing to happen.”

As a Filipino-American, Buntan also has a whole other country supporting her. “It feels amazing,” she said of that support. Being born in the U.S., “the fact that I have a whole nation in the Philippines rocking behind me, it’s an incredible feeling. Definitely adds on to my confidence as a person, as a fighter.”

Watch the full ONE on TNT IV media day interview with Jackie Buntan above. The event takes place Wednesday, April 28, with the main card airing live on TNT starting at 10PM ET.

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Folayang (22-10) himself had a different opponent originally, as he was linked to a bout with former UFC star Yoshihiro Akiyama. But with Akiyama withdrawing, the stars have aligned for a rubber match with Aoki.

Aoki is on a solid run, potentially circling a title fight. That’s not the case for former two-time ONE lightweight champ Folayang, who has lost four of his last five, dating back to the night Aoki defeated him for the title.

“Of course I didn’t expect that we’d be facing each other again in this time, because I’d been on a losing streak, and he’d been winning all his fights,” Folayang admitted during the ONE on TNT IV media day this week. “So when his opponent was injured, it was a divine appointment for us to meet each other.”

Folayang is a ONE Championship original, making his participation in the ONE on TNT series all the more impressive. Ten years later, the Filipino fighter remains a big part of the promotion.

“It’s been fun to be in ONE Championship ever since its inauguration. I didn’t expect that it would grow this big,” Folayang admitted this week. “For now it’s already growing into the west, and a lot of my countrymen there are very happy to watch us live. I think I’ve also grown as an athlete here, as a martial artist I’ve learned a lot of lessons. I’ve had a lot of wins and losses, but the most important thing is that I was able to secure the belt two times, and of course I’m aiming for the third time again. It’s a pretty tough journey, but it’s worth it.”

As for how he’ll adjust, from Akiyama to Aoki, “Shinya is known for his aggressiveness on the ground, and finishing a lot of his opponents. I had to really shift my focus, and the way I will handle his style.” But, noted Folayang, while he wants the fight on the feet, his strong suit, “everything happens, it’s mixed martial arts, I need to be prepared in all the areas in the sport.”

Watch the full ONE on TNT IV media day interview with Eduard Folayang above. The event takes place Wednesday, April 28, with the main card airing live on TNT starting at 10PM ET.

The post ONE on TNT IV: Eduard Folayang Admits He Didn’t Expect ONE “Would Grow This Big” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Northcutt (1-1) is a flyweight prospect from a fighting family. Brother Sage shot to stardom in the UFC; husband Raymond Daniels has transitioned from a world champion kickboxer to a mixed martial artist competing for Bellator.

Having a life partner that also fully understands and is part of the combat sports world, “it’s fantastic,” Northcutt told Cageside Press during the ONE on TNT IV media day this week. “It’s something that, I can’t actually describe how great it really is. He’s my partner in life, but also my training partner as well. We do everything together. We run a business together, we train together, everything’s together. It’s great that I have somebody who not only supports me and pushes me, but understands what I’m going through and does it themselves.”

In Singapore for her fight against Courtney Martin, Daniels is her lone cornerman. “There’s not too many fighters that can say they have their spouses as their one corner, that they would trust fully, 100% with all their training and everything like that,” she observed. “It’s something that you can’t really describe how great it is, and I’m really grateful for it.”

In an interesting bit of scheduling, Daniels himself fought for Bellator a little less than two weeks ago. “This is the first time that we’ve been in a camp together, and I actually really love it. Because, it’s funny, fighters, when you’re in a camp, you’re very strict, you’re very serious about your sleep, your training, your recovery, your diet.” Having one half of the couple in camp and the other not, explained Northcutt, leaves on a little bit more flexible, and the other a little bit more moody. “It’s nice to be going through it together, because it takes the pressure off of both of us, and we help each other out too.”

“This has been fantastic. And I am glad he fought first, because I get extremely nervous for him,” she continued. Of course, Daniels gets equally nervous if not more so when his wife fights. How nervous? Northcutt shared a story from her ONE Championship debut that makes it clear as day.

“My last fight, my ONE debut, I’ll go and tell this to people because I think it’s hilarious now — My opponent, Putri Padmi, she’s already in the ring, they’re announcing my name, I’m about to walk out and open the curtains up,” recalled Northcutt. “[Raymond]’s so nervous pacing behind me as I am getting my name called, he goes and throws up right on the floor right beside me, when I’m about to walk out.

“I’m seeing him throw up on the floor, and I’m thinking to myself ‘gosh that doesn’t make me feel any better about what I’m about to go do.’ So yes, he gets more nervous for me than I do for him.”

The nerves might never go away, but hopefully, there will be no vomit Wednesday night. In the meantime, Northcutt is now focused on Courtney Martin, after Sovannahry Em was forced out of the fight a few weeks back.

“I’m very very happy that ONE Championship was able to find me an opponent, that Courtney stepped up and said ‘yeah I want to fight,'” Northcutt stated. “Not too many people would do that such short notice, but I do understand the magnitude of this card. It’s a great opportunity for both of us.”

Of course, there will be adjustments. “Everybody is a little bit different stylistically. Whether they’re more of a kickboxer, grappler, whatever. That being said, I’m still going to be me no matter what. And I’m still going to use my advantages and attributes in this fight, and I would do that for anybody.”

“Yes, I got an opponent change, but that doesn’t mean the game plan changes,” she added.

That switch in opponents has led to a crash course on Courtney, taking in whatever video is available on the amateur fighter who turns pro this Wednesday. “She’s extremely tough, very durable, likes to go forward, is aggressive, and is very well rounded in every area. Some submissions, some knockouts, finishes, decisions, everything. From what I’ve seen, her amateur record is 8-1, 9-1, something like that. And she is a GAMMA world champ. So I’m not taking her lightly whatsoever. Courtney’s tough.”

Watch the full ONE on TNT IV media day interview with Colbey Northcutt above. The event takes place Wednesday, April 28, with the main card airing live on TNT starting at 10PM ET.

The post ONE on TNT IV: How Nervous Was Raymond Daniels Prior to Colbey Northcutt’s Debut? He Threw Up appeared first on Cageside Press.

Grishenko, like the Senegalese wrestler, has been a finishing machine thus far in his career. But despite that, Kane (3-0) is not planning to make any changes in the fight.

“I won’t change my strategy. I have a way of going through things, and I won’t change it because of my opponent,” he said during Monday’s ONE on TNT IV media day.

Immediately after his win against Patrick Schmid earlier this month, Kane had suggested that he’d be up for fighting again within weeks. The promotion made it happen. Asked if he had any inkling that a quick turnaround would be possible, Kane said simply that “ONE Championship is a big league, and on top of that it is very flexible. So it all depends on my shape. And talking with the promotion organizers, they understand I was well in shape and ready to fight, so they just pushed for it and organized a new fight.”

In terms of training adjustments given the short-notice nature of the bout, Kane explained that “I didn’t change any of my routine, I just kept doing the same thing, pushing for cardio, pushing for the same training routine. Nothing changed.” In fact, if he were booked into a new fight two weeks from now, “then I would do the same,” Kane stated.

Kirill Grishenko, like “Reug Reug”  sits at 3-0 as a pro, and is an interesting prospect out of Belarus. He’s finished all three of his opponents, none of whom had much experience. But he’s performed exactly as expected, dominating competition he should have dominated.

“I’m ready to take on whatever my opponent is bringing,” Kane said of the match-up. “Whether he wants a tough fight,  or whether he wants to play technically.”

“From my side, I don’t like long fights, so I don’t think this fight will last more than two or three minutes,” he added.

Watch the full ONE on TNT IV media day interview with Oumar Kane above. The event takes place Wednesday, April 28, with the main card airing live on TNT starting at 10PM ET.

The post “Reug Reug” Predicting Short Night at ONE on TNT IV appeared first on Cageside Press.

Complications from COVID-19, however, have seen Northcutt fall out of the bout. Instead, Aoki (46-9, 1NC) features in a rubber match with Eduard Folayang.

The pair have fought twice before, with both previous encounters coming in title fights. In 2016, Folayang defeated Aoki to claim the Japanese fighter’s lightweight title. In 2019, Aoki submitted Folayang to win the belt back.

There will be no title on the line Wednesday at ONE on TNT IV. In fact, Aoki admitted during this week that he “wasn’t expecting Folayang’s trilogy.” Nor is he expecting to be paired up with another fighter he has a long history with, who is also fighting on the card — Eddie Alvarez. “I’m not expecting [to fight] against Eddie. Whatever I want, I never get it, so I’m not asking for anything,” he stated via translator.

There’s a possibility that could happen, however, given ONE’s top exec., Chatri Sityodtong, expressed interest in the fight during his own media day session.

Aoki was also asked about Alvarez’s recent DQ loss to Iuri Lapicus, which was later overturned to a No Contest. “Don’t make me do that. I don’t want to get in trouble,” he laughed.

Then there’s champ Christian Lee, who brought about the end to Aoki’s second reign as lightweight champion. “He’s really young. I saw a lot of improvement,” Aoki said of Lee’s most recent title defense, a finish of Timofey Nastyukhin. “When I fought two years ago against Christian, I felt that he was going to get better and strong, and he really did.”

Despite their history and what a fourth straight win under ONE Championship banner could mean, Aoki “is not looking at Christian’s belt,” he stated. Instead, he “just wants to continuously fight, and enjoy the martial arts.”

As he frequently has in recent times, the 37-year old wore a t-shirt this week emblazoned with the slogan “Age is just a number.” So what’s the secret to success at his age? Well, it’s not a secret at all, said Aoki.

“It’s not a secret, but practice every day, eat good food, practice well, sleep well. Just do the basic important things that you have to do in life, and then you can keep your conditioning.”

As to whether he’s coming up on the end of his career, Aoki said he’d been asked that before. The answer is the same. “It’s not the end, I don’t feel the end. I don’t feel I’m in the best condition right now, and I’m still improving.”

Watch the full ONE on TNT IV media day interview with Shinya Aoki above. The event takes place Wednesday, April 28, with the main card airing live on TNT starting at 10PM ET.

The post ONE on TNT IV’s Shinya Aoki Doesn’t Feel End Is Near: “I’m Still Improving” appeared first on Cageside Press.

Speaking at a media day for this week’s ONE on TNT IV, which has both Alvarez and Aoki on the card, although not against each other, Sityodtong told Cageside Press that “I think before everything is said and done, I think definitely, Eddie and Shinya, the trilogy bout is a must.”

In fact, it’s a fight the promotion tried to put together for Wednesday night. Exclaiming that “I really want to do” Alvarez vs. Aoki 3, Sityodtong revealed that “we were trying to make that fight happen for ONE on TNT IV. It just didn’t happen, but we’d offered that fight to Shinya and Eddie. The trilogy.”

The pair first met at Dynamite 2008, an annual K-1 and Dream hybrid event, with the WAMMA lightweight championship on the line. Aoki submitted Alvarez by heel hook within a round, serving up just the second loss of the Philadelphia native’s career.

The rematch came four years later, in 2012, under the Bellator banner. That time out, it was Alvarez earning a first round stoppage, via TKO. Since “The Underground King” arrived in ONE Championship a few years ago, the rubber match has been an interesting possibility.

Except, perhaps, for Alvarez. “I don’t feel the need to beat Shinya Aoki to put it to rest,” he said during his own media day session on Monday. The rematch was over quick, he added. “But if the trilogy match happens and the fans want it, then it happens. But it’s not something that I necessarily care for or want or need.”

In the meantime, Sityodtong sees Alvarez as a possibility for a title shot with a strong performance this week. While rankings might play a factor, “it also all depends on how Eddie performs. Obviously if he doesn’t perform well, then I don’t think he’s ready for a title shot. If he performs well, then that’s up for consideration,” he stated. “Because Christian Lee has beaten I think the top four ranked lightweights already, there is a strong possibility that if Eddie puts on an incredible performance, than he’s next in line for a title shot. He’s definitely one or two fights away from a title shot.”

If that doesn’t happen, could Aoki get the next shot? The Japanese fighter is looking for his fourth consecutive win on Wednesday. “Definitely. That’s also a possibility,” replied Sityodtong.

Watch the full ONE on TNT IV media day interview with Chatri Sityodtong above. The event takes place Wednesday, April 28, with the main card airing live on TNT starting at 10PM ET.

The post ONE Championship’s Chatri Sityodtong: Alvarez vs. Aoki Trilogy Bout is “Is A Must” appeared first on Cageside Press.

To some extent, that may be true — the other dominoes don’t fall until the first one is tipped, after all. But asked just that at Monday’s ONE on TNT IV media day, Alvarez said that if the opportunity had presented itself regardless, he’d still be fighting.

“Yeah. The answer to that is yes. I think so,” Alvarez (30-7, 2NC) told Cageside Press. “If I was presented this opportunity that I was presented, to come back, to stay active, to take advantage of— I had almost two or three camps that I missed, that got cancelled because of COVID. So it was important to make up as many fights as I could in a short amount of time. I missed a lot of fights, that was a year and a half off. I went to the gym, I owned my craft, I innovated, I worked at some things, I got better at some things. I think not staying active would have been a disservice to me.”

ONE not only gave him an opportunity to compete, said Alvarez, they game him a chance to come back and fight one of the top guys in the division in Ok Rae Yoon. “It’s an opportunity that I needed to take advantage of.”

Also on the card Wednesday is a name Alvarez is very familiar with: fellow lightweight Shinya Aoki. The pair both hold a win over the other, and a rubber match is something that has interested fans ever since Alvarez arrived in ONE, where Aoki is a former champ.

Alvarez seems less than enthused about the possibility, however. “Whatever. I’m really fixated. I feel like Aoki, to me, it’s in the past. He beat me very early on in my career. When he did beat me, it was very early on, I didn’t know anything.”

In the pair’s rematch in 2012, “when I was a full-fledged MMA fighter and I was well-rounded,” continued Alvarez, “I beat pretty him quickly. So I don’t feel the need to beat Shinya Aoki to put it to rest. But if the trilogy match happens and the fans want it, then it happens. But it’s not something that I necessarily care for or want or need.”

He may wind up in the fight regardless. Later during Monday’s media day, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong expressed interest in the trilogy bout.

In the meantime, “my eyes are on Christian Lee. My eyes are on the prize,” said Alvarez. “He has the belt, and that’s who I’m lasered in on.”

Lee defended the title once again earlier this month, against Timofey Nastyukhin, and earned considerable praise from “The Underground King.” The Philly native said Lee’s performance “was excellent. Great hook. He got his head off, he threw the hook, landed clean, put Timofey away. Christian Lee never ceases to amaze me. He goes out and puts on phenomenal performances. I’m just wondering when we’re going to fight.”

That sense of bewilderment comes from having heard Lee call for a fight with him, but not seeing that fight ever materialize. “I don’t care who he beats in the division. He has the opportunity to beat someone who’s great. I’ve done great things and I’ve beat champions all over the world for almost two decades. If he don’t fight me, he’ll be losing the opportunity to do something great.”

Watch the full ONE on TNT IV media day interview with Eddie Alvarez above. The event takes place this Wednesday, April 28, live on TNT. The main card airs at 10PM ET.

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