ONE Fight Night 11 results: Ilya Freymanov vs. Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg

Ilya Freymanov made it two first-round finishes from as many appearances on the ONE Championship stage with a crushing victory over Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg at ONE Fight Night 11. However, he had to dig deep and recover from a losing position to overcome the spirited Mongolian fighter inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on Friday, June 9.

Zoltsetseg’s fists drew first blood in this featherweight MMA war as he pressed the No.3-ranked contender with one-twos and hook-cross combinations. Soon, a four-punch mix that ended with a piercing left jab stung Ilya Freymanov.

Sensing that the finish was near, the Zorky MMA representative followed up with a barrage of strikes hoping to earn a quick ticket back home. At the same time, the 27-year-old Russian slugger was having none of his rival’s onslaught.

The Kuznya Fight Club upstart managed to take the action back to the feet and went straight down the center against the 26-year-old’s heavy boxing. He operated behind push kicks and followed up with strikes of his own.

Ilya Freymanov's decision to do so paid dividends as he caught the Mongolian with a poisonous knee that reversed the plot. The lanky Russian bit on his mouthguard and did not waste time from there, following his rival to the mat and attacking with a merciless ground-and-pound assault via elbows.

Zoltsetseg, at the end of a pounding, understandably wanted to find an exit route. He shelled up and went on all fours in search of a gateway out, but it only gave the Russian a chance to sink in a rear-naked choke.

The Mongolian instantly tapped, earning the No.3-ranked featherweight contender his first submission win at 2:18 of the opening canto.

With two eye-catching finishes on the global stage of ONE, including a debut knockout of Martin Nguyen, a world title opportunity could very well be in sight for the Russian athlete.

Official Result: Ilya Freymanov defeats Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg via submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:18 of round one