ONE Championship's 5 most shocking moments of 2021

ONE Championship atomweight and Muay Thai phenom Stamp Fairtex shocked everyone when she submitted a gifted grappler in Ritu Phogat in December of 2021. (Image courtesy of ONE Championship)
ONE Championship atomweight and Muay Thai phenom Stamp Fairtex shocked everyone when she submitted a gifted grappler in Ritu Phogat in December of 2021. (Image courtesy of ONE Championship)

#2. Superbon Banchamek takes out the legendary Giorgio Petrosyan - ONE Championship: First Strike

Superbon Banchamek delivered perhaps the most violent head-kick knockout in ONE Championship history. The relatively unknown Superbon shocked the kickboxing world by sending the legendary Giorgio 'The Doctor' Petrosyan to the negative zone.

Petrosyan, known as one of the greatest kickboxers of all time, debuted in ONE Championship with an air of invicibility upon him. Having only lost twice in over 100 fights before facing Superbon, Petrosyan was no doubt favored to win.

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With the crowd firmly believing that 'The Doctor' would steamroll the Thai fighter as he always does, everyone's jaw dropped when the unthinkable happened.

Superbon was never fazed by Petrosyan's aggressiveness and trademark clinical precision. The Banchamek fighter answered all of Petroyan's attacks with his own; kick for kick and punch for punch.

In the second round, Superbon made history by connecting with a head kick that immediately separated Petrosyan from his senses. The Armenian-Italian legend fell lifeless to the floor like his soul left his body.

Pulling off such a devastating knockout win over a legend of the sport is a once in a lifetime achievement.

Watch the full fight here:

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#1. Adriano Moraes does the unthinkable -ONE Championship on TNT 1

What ONE flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes achieved in less than two rounds will forever be discussed in MMA lore. Without a doubt, this one's the most shocking moment in ONE Championship this year.

'Mikinho' effectively shook the foundations of the sport when he knocked out Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson in a fight that very few saw him winning. Johnson, widely recognized as one of the greatest MMA fighters ever, has a resume that's the stuff of legend.

Johnson's UFC record and achievements might never be broken or surpassed. Imagine the collective shock of the entire sport when Moraes, mostly known for his grappling, knocked out the UFC great with strikes.

Moraes surprisingly matched Johnson's pace on the feet. He also thwarted all the grappling entries and, in the midst of calculated chaos, landed a short right uppercut. The punch immediately sent Johnson to the canvas and Moraes ended his night with a devastating knee on the ground.

It was like time stopped and we were transported to another dimension. For a moment, we couldn't believe our eyes. Demetrious Johnson. Out. Cold.

Watch the full fight here:

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Edited by Harvey Leonard
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