ಞONE Championship’s return to the Middle East this past Thursday, February 20, delivered an earth-shattering night of martial arts action.
🌠The fans inside Lusail Sports Arena experienced an unforgettable evening at , as they were treated to 10 highlight-reel finishes and a trio of competitive wars.
𝓰Now that the dust has settled, here are the five biggest takeaways from ONE 171.
#1 Joshua Pacio Cements Himself As The Philippines’ MMA GOAT
ꦕThis was a critical moment for both and Philippine MMA.
𝓡Just a year ago at , Pacio was unceremoniously spiked on his head by . Although he took the ONE Strawweight MMA World Title home via disqualification, he would be sidelined with a neck injury.
🍰But that wasn’t the only injury “The Passion” would be recovering from. He also had to heal from a torn ACL, too.
🐼When the Filipino returned to the scene of the crime on Thursday night, it was like he had that new car smell and the latest model of Pacio rolled off the showroom floor.
🌌After a tough first round from his greatest rival, Pacio turned the tide and smothered Brooks with pressure in the second frame. The Lions Nation MMA representative got top control, rained down furious strikes on the interim titleholder, and forced a stoppage in the main event to unify the ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship.
ꦚPacio’s comeback victory was more than just a one-round turnaround; it was nearly a year in the making. The 29-year-old has only now reached his prime and still has many more chapters to write in his epic story. But as the seven-time strawweight king, he can already be considered the MMA GOAT of the Philippines.
#2 Jonathan Haggerty Proves Himself And Silences The Critics
⛦After dropping the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title to at last September and having little kickboxing experience on his resume, there were many critics who didn’t believe could successfully defend his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Championship against top-ranked contender .
🍎But the Londoner silenced all the doubters when he bested the Chinese superstar on Thursday night. Following a back-and-forth opening stanza, Haggerty wore down the challenger with his technical brilliance and swept him on the scorecards.
꧋It wasn’t a championship performance just because he walked into Lusail Sports Arena wearing the gold. Rather, Haggerty led by example, showing what a true champion does when nobody else believes in you.
🅠Now, there isn’t any doubt that he is currently the greatest bantamweight kickboxer on the planet today.
#3 Shamil Erdogan Is Ready For A World Title Shot
🅘Undefeated middleweight contender needed less than 30 seconds to reaffirm his dominance over and showcase his frightening power.
ღThe Myanmar sports icon applied pressure, but like a seasoned poker vet, Erdogan read the tell of his adversary and baited him into showing his hand. As Aung La N Sang dipped to his right, the 34-year-old launched a left kick that connected with the Myanmar star’s chin and instantly shut off his lights.
♚Erdogan, who picked up his second win over “The Burmese Python” in six months, has always been known for his elite wrestling pedigree. But that knockout showed the division that he is also a major threat on the feet.
🦂And now, with those well-rounded skills and his flawless 11-0 record, the Turkish juggernaut may have put himself in line for a crack at ‘s ONE Middleweight MMA World Title.
#4 Roberto Soldic Lives Up To The Hype
🌊With one electric punch, finally arrived on the global stage the way he had always intended.
ꦬ pushed the pace to begin their welterweight MMA clash, but the Croatian stayed composed. As the fight was approaching the two-minute mark, the Turkish athlete began to throw a right kick. However, Soldic’s rocket-like left hook landed first.
ꦫThe punch had a distinct sound. Its effect was even more devastating, putting Arslanaliev out cold mid-air and crashing face-first into the canvas for the first time in his incredible career.
🔜This is the version of “Robocop” that Soldic originally promised the world. In one emphatic strike, he finally showed why he is one of the most dangerous men on the planet and a serious threat in the ferocious welterweight division.
#5 MMA Legends Deserve Their Flowers
✅Two certified MMA legends called it a career inside Lusail Sports Arena. Their matches had different outcomes, but both of them deserve to be commended for their exceptional runs in the sport.
𓃲Former 11-time ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion closed his career against his longtime rival, , with a split-decision victory. The Brazilian went out on his own terms and thanked everyone for their years of support.
🐭After that, the first-ever two-division ONE World Champion, , struggled to find success against #4-ranked featherweight MMA contender . Following a disappointing unanimous decision loss, the Vietnamese-Australian knockout artist removed his gloves for the final time and left them in the Circle.
📖No matter the individual results, these pioneers deserve recognition for their decades of service to this sport. They have both shown it is not just about wins and losses, but about the impact they have made on the human spirit.
