The 5 best photos of an explosive ONE 159 card

ONE Championship promises action and ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash delivered in spades. The lead card produced some of the most creative finishes, while the main card saw the legacies of Janet Todd and Reinier de Ridder shine brighter.

Todd, the reigning ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion, became a two-sport world champion when she added the ONE interim atomweight Muay Thai world title to her collection by beating Lara Fernandez at ONE 159.

Meanwhile, the main event between De Ridder and Vitaly Bigdash was a theater of pure mixed martial arts dominance. De Ridder continued to add to his mystique when he submitted Bigdash to retain the ONE middleweight world title and extend his perfect record to 16-0. That said, here are the night’s best finishes.

---

#5. Marat Gafurov spoils Ariel Sexton’s return at ONE 159

Marat Gafurov gets the better of Ariel Sexton. [Photo ONE Championship]

It was a matchup between two of the most talented submission artists in ONE Championship, but the ONE 159 lightweight match between Marat Gafurov and the returning Ariel Sexton ended in a knockout.

Both fighters, despite being renowned grapplers, went swinging at the start of the match but it became evident that their grappling would still take center stage in the match.

Sexton, who has battled through several injuries in the past couple of years, tried to use his Brazilian jiu-jitsu to gain control over Gafurov but the former ONE featherweight world champion was not someone to be trifled with on the ground.

Gafurov, who started his ONE Championship career with six straight submission wins, proved to be the superior grappler. The Russian star used his Dagestani wrestling to ultimately subdue Sexton and rain thunderous ground-and-pound to finish off the fight in the third round.

---

#4. Danial Williams puts Zelang Zhaxi to sleep at ONE 159

Danial Willams scores thunderous knockout over Zelang Zhaxi. [Photo ONE Championship]

It may have been fought under mixed martial arts rules, but the strawweight match between Danial Williams and Zelang Zhaxi turned out to be a striking masterpiece.

The two heavy-hitters were throwing bombs at each other, but it was ‘Mini T’ who had the nuclear power in the blistering clash of fists and limbs. Despite getting bloodied at the start of the match, Williams endured the gash and fought through adversity like a man possessed.

Williams weaved and danced out of Zelang’s range before exploding with a nasty right overhand that shut down the circuitry of the Chinese fighter late in the first round.

---

#3. Sinsamut Klinmee goes bonus-hunting, sends Liam Nolan flying

Sinsamut Klinmee secures another bonus, knocks out Liam Nolan. [Photo ONE Championship]

Sinsamut Klinmee isn’t just 2-0 in his ONE Championship career, he’s also the only man in the promotion to win a $50,000 bonus in all of his fights. This was only his second appearance in the promotion.

This fight, however, might just be one of Klinmee’s scariest knockout wins. The Thai striker engaged in an intense firefight with Liam Nolan with the two going toe-to-toe in the opening round. The second round, however, was the complete opposite of the first.

Nolan continued his aggression at the start of the second round but that proved fatal for him. The British striker attempted a jumping roundhouse but, instead of landing, caught Klinmee’s clinical left hook that immediately sent him to the shadow realm barely 15 seconds into the round.

---

#2. Janet Todd secures her second world title by beating Lara Fernandez at ONE 159

Janet Todd secures her second world title after beating Lara Fernandez. [Photo ONE Championship]

This match may be the only one on this list to get to the judges' scorecards, but that is not a disservice to the amazing chess match between Janet Todd and Lara Fernandez.

ONE 159 bore witness to Todd becoming a two-sport world champion, a feat that only Stamp Fairtex and the legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao achieved in the organization.

Todd, who already holds the ONE atomweight kickboxing world title, welcomed the debuting Lara Fernandez into ONE Championship and they promptly put on a masterclass in Muay Thai.

Both fighters weren’t shy in throwing thunderous strikes, yet it was Todd who ultimately secured that all-important fifth round.

The American striker landed cleaner and stronger shots in the final round and that late-match dominance won her the ONE interim atomweight Muay Thai world championship.

---

#1. Reinier de Ridder chokes out Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159

Reinier de Ridder submits Vitaly Bigdash to remain perfect in his career. [Photo ONE Championship]

Reinier de Ridder has always been unstoppable for the entirety of his professional career, but his victory over former ONE middleweight world champion Vitaly Bigdash at ONE 159's main event just made him invincible.

The ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world champion was the picture of both poise and power when he escaped Bigdash’s early guillotine attempt.

With the match staying on the ground, De Ridder knew that he was in his element and that Bigdash was going to be his latest prey.

De Ridder was in his domain in the final stages of the match and he pulled off one of the most creative submissions ever in ONE Championship. Controlling Bigdash from the bottom, De Ridder slapped in an inverted triangle choke that quickly took the consciousness out of the hulking Russian.

Already a superstar, De Ridder has reached unprecedented territory after the main event of ONE 159. ‘The Dutch Knight’ improved to an immaculate 16-0 record and has looked almost otherworldly in the process.