Filipino mixed martial artists Carlos Alvarez and Dave Bangguigui faced litmus tests on the undercard of tonight’s ONE Friday Fights 43, both suffering defeats against formidable foreign opponents.
Alvarez (4-1) experienced the first setback of his promising career at the hands of Mongolian-Russian debutant Nachyn Sat (5-2) in a featherweight bout, emanating live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailamd.
Seeking his fourth-straight win under the ONE Friday Fights banner, the 24-year-old Team Lakay ace encountered a rude awakening. For nearly 10 minutes, Sat dominated the match, pushing Alvarez out of his comfort zone with relentless offense.
Knees to the midsection and a barrage of heavy punches kept Alvarez on the defensive. The turning point came in the first round when Sat delivered a powerful uppercut, sending the Filipino crashing to the canvas.
Despite Alvarez’s valiant effort to recover and salvage the bout, Sat’s overwhelming attacks proved too much. Referee Kemp Cheng intervened at the 4:27 mark of the second round, calling a halt to the contest.
Meanwhile, Bangguigui (9-3) faced a similar fate against Japanese veteran Ryosuke Honda (12-3-1), who pulled off a unanimous decision victory in his maiden appearance on the weekly spectacle.
With his wealth of experience, Honda dominated the Fight Corpse MMA representative on all fronts.
Honda unleashed high kicks in the stand-up, leaving Bangguigui struggling to find an answer. On the ground, the Japanese showcased his control with effective ground-and-pound, solidifying his lead on the scorecards.
Bangguigui fought valiantly down the stretch, but Honda’s overall performance left no doubt in the judges’ minds as he walked away with a clear-cut decision win.
