Michael, also known as “The Baby Face Killer”, walked through Amir Naseri in the quarterfinals in May, leaving his Iranian-Malaysian opponent struggling in the final rounds on his way to a unanimous decision win. Later on the same card, ONE Flyweight Muay Thai world Champion Rodtang outclassed England’s Jacob Smith to score his own decisive victory and punch his ticket to the next round.

Their semifinal showdown has the potential to be the best Muay Thai battle seen inside the ONE Circle yet this year, but the two striking sensations have some tough competition to beat out to get that prize. Here, we look at some of the best matches that have gone down already this year.

Tawanchai PK.Saenchai Vs. Niclas Larsen

Tawanchai PK.Saenchai may have shared the headline spot with Niclas Larsen at ONE 158 in June, but the Thai sensation stole the limelight by scoring a massive finish of his Danish opponent midway through the second round.

Larsen started the bout strong, utilizing his strange style to make it difficult for Tawanchai to find his footing. But as the opening round drew to a close, Tawanchai picked up the pace and began landing heavy body kicks and punches on his debuting foe.

The pressure continued into the second frame, and Tawanchai’s striking prowess proved simply too much for Larsen, who was eventually finished with a one-two punch combination thrown by the Thai halfway through the round.

Smilla Sundell Vs. Jackie Buntan

American-Filipina star Jackie Buntan faced off with Swedish teen sensation Smilla Sundell for the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship at ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic this past April, and both women put on a staggering show.

Buntan’s tricky footwork made life difficult for “The Hurricane” from the outset, but the 17-year-old showed knowledge beyond her years to stay in the hunt for ONE gold. She gradually began to find her pace and drop heavy strikes on her foe, causing more and more damage as the rounds continued.

Despite Buntan’s attempts to maneuver around her Swedish foe, “The Hurricane” continually found her landing points. When the fight went to the judges’ table, Sundell was awarded the win, crowning her the youngest World Champion on the ONE roster.

Sinsamut Klinmee Vs. Nieky Holzken

In what had to be one of the biggest upsets of the year, Thai star Sinsamut Klinmee did what fans thought was unthinkable when he faced off with Nieky “The Natural” Holzken at ONE X this past March. The debuting dynamo needed only two rounds to finish striking veteran Holzken, who was heavily favored to win the bout.

The Dutchman seemed to have the upper hand in the beginning. He kept Sinsamut at bay and utilized his strikes to move his foe around the Circle. However, as the bout entered the second round, the Thai upped his pressure and started to land heavy kicks.

Sinsamut’s accuracy shone through, however, and before the end of the round, he landed a devastating strike that sent Holzken to the canvas, where he remained.

Tickets for ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II on Aug. 27 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium are now available at onefc.com/tickets.

ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II will broadcast live on NETVERSE, Vidio.com, Kaskus TV, and MAXstream at 7 a.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) on Saturday, Aug. 27. The main card will follow on NETVERSE, Vidio.com, Kaskus TV, and MAXstream at 9 a.m. WIB. Also, NET TV will air a same-day delay at 10:30 p.m. WIB.

This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.

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