WATCH: South Korean slugger Kwon Won Il sends Manila into a meltdown with vicious 19-second KO of Eric Kelly

As Kwon Won Il prepares for the most important bout of his career this Friday, January 24, ONE Championship looks back on one of his earlier victories that set the stage for this pivotal moment.

The outing marked a key step in establishing 'Pretty Boy' as a dangerous finisher in the promotion. In just 19 seconds, he delivered a jaw-dropping knockout to the hometown hero in the final preliminary bout of ONE: Roots of Honor.

In April 2019, the South Korean hard-hitter stormed into the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines, by effortlessly dispatching local favorite Eric Kelly in their featherweight MMA showdown.

Revisit that stunning finish by checking out the clip below:

Following his first professional loss to Masakazu Imanari months prior, Kwon was eager to shake off the sting of defeat.

When future divisional kingpin Tang Kai, who was initially scheduled to face Kelly, had to withdraw, Kwon seized the opportunity and stepped in on short notice.

Just 16 seconds into the encounter, Kwon unleashed a perfectly-timed straight right hand that landed flush on Kelly’s chin, sending him crashing to the canvas.

He swiftly followed up, unloading a barrage of punches and hammer fists. The referee stepped in, halting the bout before Kelly could absorb any more damage.

This victory marked just the beginning for Kwon, who then made the move down to bantamweight. There, he won seven of his next nine assignments, all by knockout, which helped him secure a No. 3 ranking in the weight class.

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Kwon Won Il gets to vie for the top prize at ONE 170

Now, Kwon Won Il has his eyes on the ultimate prize as he takes on ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade in the co-feature attraction of ONE 170, taking place at the sold-out Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, this Friday.

This will be a rematch of their June 2022 encounter, where Andrade delivered a stunning 62-second knockout with a brutal body kick.

This time, Kwon is not only chasing 26 pounds of gold that Andrade holds but is also seeking redemption. And the South Korean is ready to do what he does best — turn the lights out on his opponent.