An unbeaten Japanese prospect weathered a barrage of wild hooks before taking over. By the final bell, he was smiling his way into the Grand Prix semifinals.
Shimon Yoshinari defeated Ramadan Ondash by unanimous decision in a ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix quarterfinal at ONE Friday Fights 178 on Friday, November 13. The bout opened the card at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, after ONE moved it so fans worldwide could watch for free.
Ondash put Shimon in danger early, landing several clean shots in round one that shook the Japanese star. Shimon gradually regained his composure and began countering from range with punches and kicks.
The 20-year-old Ondash pressed forward again in the second round. Shimon adjusted by adding step-in knees, landing one flush on his opponent’s chin.
The third round belonged to the 22-year-old. Ondash kept throwing looping two- and three-punch combinations. Shimon backed him toward the ropes and landed elbows and punches with growing confidence.
The win extended Shimon’s unbeaten run in ONE and improved his record to 28-1. The Eiwa Sports Gym standout had entered the bout off a second-round knockout of Suablack Tor Pran49 at ONE SAMURAI 3.
Ondash had come into the bout on back-to-back wins over Suriyanlek Por Yenying and Johan Ghazali since moving up to flyweight. His aggression created early problems, but Shimon’s poise proved decisive over three rounds.
Shimon Yoshinari meets Nong-O Hama next
Shimon’s semifinal opponent is Nong-O Hama. He beat Rodtang Jitmuangnon by unanimous decision in The Inner Circle 38 main event that night. The 40-year-old floored “The Iron Man” with a high left kick in the second round.
The bracket’s other quarterfinal sees reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Asadula Imangazaliev defend his belt against Aslamjon Ortikov at The Inner Circle 39 on November 20. The tournament winner claims the silver belt and the undisputed ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title.
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