Kohei Wakabayashi Smothers Gexi Sanlang in Triumphant ONE Championship Debut

Kohei Wakabayashi prescribed a death-by-a-thousand-cuts treatment for Gexi Sanlang.

The Japanese judoka enjoyed a successful ONE Championship debut, as repeated takedowns and a crushing top game carried him to a split decision over Sanlang in their three-round ONE Friday Fights 68 strawweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Two of the three ringside judges gave the nod to Wakabayashi (8-1-1, 1-0 ONE), who was reduced to tears when the verdict was read.

Sanlang (14-3, 0-2 ONE) was far too content to play defense from the bottom. Wakabayashi tripped him to the canvas in all three rounds, set up shop in half guard, applied some mild ground-and-pound and flirted with a few arm-triangles. Sanlang answered with slashing elbow strikes from his back but not enough of them to make a real difference. He staged a late rally in Round 3, where he caught a Wakabayashi kick and dumped him to the floor before connecting with elbows to the head and knees to the body. However, Sanlang’s bid to finish went unrewarded.

The 29-year-old Wakabayashi has rattled off five consecutive victories.

In other action, Prajanchai PK Saenchai became a two-discipline champion with a unanimous decision over Jonathan Di Bella in the five-round headliner, as he walked away with the vacant ONE kickboxing strawweight title; Superlek Kiatmoo9 earned a three-round unanimous decision over Kongthoranee Sor Sommai in their flyweight muay thai co-main event; Kiamran Nabati wiped out Suablack Tor Pran49 with a left hook 1:54 into the first round of their bantamweight muay thai showcase; Petchtanong Petchfergus was awarded a technical knockout when a foot injury forced Alaverdi Ramazanov to bow out of their bantamweight kickboxing feature 1:59 into the second round; Shadow Singha Mawynn outpointed Jimmy Vienot to a unanimous decision in a three-round featherweight muay thai attraction; Pakorn PK Saenchai punched out Rafi Bohic a mere 2:15 into the first round of their bantamweight muay thai altercation; Tyson Harrison eked out a split decision over Submuen Sitchefboontham in a three-round bantamweight muay thai tilt; Yodlekpet Or Atchariya laid claim to a unanimous verdict over Komawut FA Group in a three-round catchweight muay thai scrap at 140 pounds; Suriyanlek Por Yenying zapped Pompet PK Saenchai with a right hook 2:50 into the first round of their catchweight muay thai affair at 132 pounds; Kaito Sakaguchi took a unanimous decision from Lan Shanteng in a 132-pound catchweight kickboxing battle; and Ryoto Hashimoto punched out Yuto Ueno with a devastating right hook 2:05 into the first round of their 143-pound catchweight muay thai clash.