FREE FULL FIGHT: South African dynamo Bokang Masunyane arrives on the global stage in chaotic beatdown of Ryuto Sawada
Number two-rated strawweight MMA contender Bokang Masunyane made his ONE Championship debut in December 2019 against Japanese brawler Ryuto Sawada. It all happened at the ONE: Marke of Greatness card inside the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The full fight replay of this thrilling clash was reposted by the promotion on their YouTube channel recently, and they wrote its description with:
"Second-ranked strawweight MMA contender Bokang Masunyane is set to face off with #5-ranked Mansur Malachiev at ONE Fight Night 25 on Prime Video! Ahead of their battle, look back at his dazzling debut against Japanese warrior Ryuto Sawada at ONE: MARK OF GREATNESS in 2019!"
An early eye poke interrupted the match between Masunyane and Sawada in the opening round. But, when the action resumed, the South African MMA star instantly went to work and used his striking to set up a beautifully timed takedown and took his opponent's back in less than two minutes. He controlled the entire round with the back control and multiple submission transitions.
With the success of this fight plan, 'Little Giant' stuck with it in the next two rounds and used his superior grappling skills to take control of Sawada. He set out multiple submission attempts to cruise to a comfortable unanimous decision win.
Bokang Masunyane wants to use this upcoming fight against Mansur Malachiev as his pass for a world title shot
Since that dream debut, Masunyane has won three of his four fights and has become one of the top contenders in the weight class. Currently, he's riding a two-fight win streak, and another victory could bolt him in front of the line for a potential world title shot.
On Oct. 4, he is scheduled to face the number five-ranked strawweight MMA contender Mansur Malachiev in an all-important showdown at ONE Fight Night 25, at the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ahead of this match, Masunyane spoke with ONE Championship and revealed that he wants to get the victory to make him the next undeniable contender for the 26-pound golden belt, as he stated:
"For me, after this fight, the only fight that will matter is getting the title shot. That's what I've been wanting for the last four years. I'm super motivated for this fight, going out on my shield. This is one of the hardest training camps I've done. Mentally, I'm in a great space. I just can't wait to showcase my skills. It's going to be incredible. This fight is for my fans, this fight is for my country, and this fight is for Africa."
ONE Fight Night 25 will air live to all Prime Video subscribers in North America on Oct. 4 during U.S. primetime.