Ben Royle Outduels Ivan Parshikov to Unanimous Verdict at ONE Friday Fights 40

Ben Royle showed no signs of ring rust after a yearlong layoff.

The well-rounded Phuket Top Team product reasserted himself in the One Championship bantamweight division, as he outstruck Ivan Parshikov to a unanimous decision in their three-round ONE Friday Fights 40 showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. All three members of the judiciary sided with Royle (7-2, 2-1 ONE), who has rattled off four wins in five outings.

Parshikov (11-4, 3-1 ONE) struck for a takedown in the first round, applied heavy ground-and-pound and successfully navigated his opponent’s spidery guard. He lost his way from there. Royle forced him into extended standup exchanges, operated behind a potent jab, leaned on effective counters and targeted the body with sadistic punches, knees and kicks. He nearly finished it in the waning seconds of Round 3, as he lured Parshikov into a corner, scrambled to the back and locked in a rear-naked choke. The Russian was literally saved by the bell.

Further down the card, Coopar Royal put forth a dazzling promotional debut and put away Ely Malinis Fernandez with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their featured flyweight attraction. Fernandez (3-2, 0-1 ONE) conceded defeat 2:36 into Round 1, his three-fight winning streak having run its course.

The unbeaten Royal (2-0, 1-0 ONE) drew the Filipino prosect into a ground battle, progressed to the back and cinched the choke a little more than 90 seconds after their brief encounter began.

Meanwhile, Jaosuayai Sor Dechapan took care of Paidang Kiatsongrit with punches in the second round of their muay thai flyweight headliner. The 23-year-old Paidang met his end 2:21 into Round 1.

Jaosuayai fought in calculated bursts, as he switched stances and unleashed a variety of weapons in between intermittent periods of inactivity in the first round. Paidang answered with thudding body kicks and potent jabs but ultimately failed to keep his countryman at bay. Jaosuayai upped his aggression in the middle stanza, found an opening and leveled his adversary with a clean one-two. Paidang faceplanted where he stood and could not answer the referee’s count.

Finally, Malaysian wunderkind Aliff Sor Dechapan floored Peyman Zolfaghari three times to force a mandatory stoppage in the first round of their muay thai co-main event at a 120-pound catchweight. The 19-year-old Aliff brought it to an emphatic close 1:44 into Round 1.

Zolfaghari chose to trade, ran into a counter right hook inside the first 30 seconds, hit the deck and never fully recovered. He answered the 10 count, only to be marched into the corner and dropped a second time with a savage three-punch combination. Zolfaghari managed to return to a standing position, albeit on unsteady footing, but the proverbial writing was on the wall. Aliff closed in, cut loose with a right cross and let gravity do the rest.

In other action, Khunsuk Sor Dechapan wrecked Detphupa ChotBangsaen with a punches to the body 1:19 into the second round of their 113-pound catchweight muay thai scrap; Mehrdad Khanzadeh outworked Yangdam Jitmuangnon to a unanimous decision in a three-round catchweight muay thai altercation at 122 pounds; Nongam Fairtex laid claim to a unanimous verdict over Phetchumpair Highland Gym in a three-round catchweight muay thai encounter at 110 pounds; Ricardo Bravo disposed of Oliver Hansen with punches 2:59 into the third round of their 165-pound catchweight muay thai match; Xavier Gonzalez took a unanimous decision from Omar El Halabi in a three-round catchweight muay thai confrontation at 126 pounds; Rhuam Felipe Morais Caldas was awarded a split verdict over Samingdam LooksuanAutomuaythai in a three-round flyweight muay thai pairing; Parham Gheirati cut down Samingnum M Ekachart with punches and elbows 2:39 into the second round of their bantamweight muay thai clash.