ONE Fight Night 17 Erupts with 7 Finishes at Lumpinee in Bangkok

#ONEFightNight17 highlight video: Roman Kryklia clocks Alex Roberts pic.twitter.com/6tAUVGBVG0

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) December 9, 2023

ONE Fight Night 17 was a pure muay thai affair, featuring eight bouts of the martial art and set in its chief temple, the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. It also served as validation for more such cards, as an amazing 7 of the 8 contests featured knockouts, most of which were sensational. And the only fight which went to the judges was not only the fight of the night but a candidate for fight of the year in any combat sport.

In the main event, the inaugural ONE muay thai heavyweight crown was at stake. On one side was the tough Australian striker Alex Roberts. On the other was the formidable Roman Kryklia, already the ONE kickboxing heavyweight champion. The first round was a back-and-forth, full-blooded affair. Kryklia scored a solid knockdown with a right cross, but Roberts came on strong near the end of the frame, hurting the 6' 6” Ukrainian with a string of blows that included punches, knees and elbows. However, fans expecting a longer contest would be sorely disappointed. Both Roberts and Kryklia threw right hands that missed at close range in the pocket, but Kryklia quickly followed it up with an immaculate left hook that kissed Roberts' chin. The Australian collapsed in a heap to the canvas and Kryklia became the first ONE muay thai heavyweight champion, as well as a ruler in two different combat disciplines.

In the co-main, Thailand's Nattawut Somkhun faced America's Luke Lessei, an imposing six-footer at lightweight, and the result was one of the most incredible striking spectacles of the year. Somkhun repeatedly landed quick strikes against Lessei, who, despite his height, didn't fight tall and would wade forward. However, Lessei was incredibly tough and starting in the second round, began landing hellacious bombs of his own. What was already a fantastic contest then coalesced into a magical third round that was right up there with some of the most exciting wars that either Justin Gaethje or Michael Chandler have been involved with, with the crowd losing their minds. Lessei likely won the final frame, but Somkhun prevailed by unanimous decision in one of the most exciting fights in any combat sport in 2023.

#ONEFightNight17 highlight video: Mohamed Younes Rabah shocks Saemapetch Fairtex pic.twitter.com/QALCnlhJvx

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) December 9, 2023

Saemapetch Fairtex met talented prospect Mohamed Younes Rabah of Algeria, who was undefeated in muay thai. Early on, Rabah dropped Fairtex with a right cross and landed an illegal knee to his foe's skull for good measure. The referee missed it and the fight continued, with Rabah knocking out Fairtex with several more blistering right crosses late in the opening stanza.

#ONEFightNight17 highlight video: Dmitry Menshikov silences Mouchine Chafi pic.twitter.com/hbo3ifJvDs

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) December 9, 2023

Russia's Dmitry Menshikov faced Morocco's Mouchine Chafi at welterweight in an absolute lunatic affair. Both men traded big strikes and Menshikov was credited with an early knockdown after Chafi partially slipped, much to the Moroccan's chagrin. Eager to get it back, Chafi unleashed an endless stream of punches, with Menshikov desperately covering up. Many, however, were getting through, and the Russian looked hurt at times. However, Chafi was too overambitious with his offense and Menshikov took advantage ruthlessly, obliterating his foe with a monstrous left hook that left Chafi a crumpled, unconscious mess on the canvas at 1:59 of the first. It was possibly the best knockout of the night, and not for lack of competition.

#ONEFightNight17 highlight video: Jacob Smith bodies Walter Goncalves pic.twitter.com/VsE5Oy2xfn

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) December 9, 2023

Walter Goncalves of Brazil was the No. 2 ranked contender in ONE's bantamweight muay thai division and a big favorite against England's Jacob Smith. However, Smith was undeterred, and what ensued was a one-round war between the two. After Smith scored with an elbow upstairs and then an absolutely perfect knee to the solar plexus, Goncalves fell to the mat and was unable to beat the 10-count.

#ONEFightNight17 highlight video: Johan Ghazali belts Edgar Tabares' liver pic.twitter.com/hPSgNkfs9z

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) December 9, 2023

Seventeen-year-old phenom Johan Ghazali needed just 36 seconds to clobber Edgar Tabares, finishing him with a series of punches in the corner.



Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat missed weight for the 135-pound bantamweight contest by a large amount, coming in at 139.75 pounds to Denis Puric's 134.25. However, the unfair advantage aided him little, as Puric battered him from pillar to post, finally finishing his foe off at at 1:35 of the second with a blistering left hook.

#ONEFightNight17 highlight video: Denis Puric folds Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat pic.twitter.com/l2eyETWL6x

— Sherdog (@sherdogdotcom) December 9, 2023

Kicking off the card, Thongpoon PK Saenchai met Ellis Badr Barbosa. Saenchai was in control early, but Barbosa turned the fight around with a thunderous elbow to the temple late in Round 2 that dropped his foe. Saenchai beat the count but soon succumbed in the third frame, being stopped at 2:21 to a body punch.