Reug Reug has emerged as a new champion in ONE Championship, capturing the heavyweight title with a hard fought split decision victory over Anatoly Malykhin in the main event of ONE 169 on Friday night at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Oumar Kane, better known by his fight name Reug Reug, showcased his wrestling prowess early in the bout by securing a quick take down against Malykhin, the reigning three division ONE champion. Although Malykhin managed to regain his footing and the fight became a back and forth grappling exchange along the ropes, the Russian fighter found himself penalized with a yellow card for repeatedly reaching through the ropes.
As the fight wore on, Malykhin began to land significant strikes, but he struggled to break through Reug Reug’s formidable chin. In the final round, Reug Reug dropped Malykhin with a heavy shot, cementing his dominance in the later stages of the bout. Despite Malykhin’s consistent activity, two of the judges awarded the fight to Reug Reug, marking Malykhin’s first career loss and crowning the former Senegalese wrestler the new ONE heavyweight champion.
In the co-main event, Rodtang Jitmuangnon continued his reign in the flyweight Muay Thai division with a dominant unanimous decision victory over Jacob Smith. Although Rodtang was stripped of his ONE flyweight Muay Thai title for failing to make weight, he put on a clinic, cutting Smith open with a vicious elbow and controlling the action throughout the fight.
The evening also saw Jackie Buntan claim the inaugural ONE women’s flyweight kickboxing title with a hard earned unanimous decision win over Anissa Meksen. The two fighters exchanged blows for the full 15 minutes, but Buntan’s more decisive moments swayed the judges in her favor.
In other exciting bouts, Adriano Moraes made a successful return to the win column, submitting Danny Kingad with a second round guillotine choke. This victory marked Moraes’ first win since his trilogy loss to Demetrious Johnson, potentially positioning him for a shot at the vacant flyweight title.
Kade Ruotolo continued his rise in MMA, securing his second victory with a first round submission over Ahmed Mujtba. The world class Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist made quick work of his opponent, securing the D’Arce choke just over a minute into the first round. Also showcasing his grappling skills, multiple time BJJ world champion Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida submitted Amir Aliakbari with a rear-naked choke in the opening round.
Other notable results from the event include:
- Kongthoranee Sor Sommai defeated Tagir Khalilov (Muay Thai) via unanimous decision
- Sam-A Gaiyanghadao triumphed over Zhang Peimian via unanimous decision
- Mohamed Younes Rabah secured a unanimous decision win over Eddie Abasolo (Muay Thai)
- Ayaka Miura submitted Macarena Aragon with a scarfhold americana in the first round
- Aliff Sor Dechapan won a unanimous decision against Walter Goncalves (Muay Thai)
With a stellar night of action and several impactful victories, ONE 169 showcased the rising stars and established champions of the promotion, making a strong statement for the continued growth of mixed martial arts and combat sports in Asia.
