Diogo ‘Baby Shark’ Reis’ second match in ONE FC, this Friday, the 5th, ended with a win for the Brazilian and the promotion’s flyweight submission grappling belt. With the title vacant since Mikey Musumeci left the promotion, Diogo’s opponent in Thailand was Japan’s Daiki Yonekura, a resilient athlete who responded well to the two-time ADCC champion’s attacks.
Coming off a ONE win over Shoya Ishiguro, another Japanese athlete, Diogo Reis stayed on top to pass his opponent’s slippery guard. With a timely knee cut, the Melqui Galvão black belt found the opening he was looking for to reach side control, dominating with pressure. Advancing step by step, ‘Baby Shark’ managed to lock an arm-triangle choke, but the elusive Japanese grappler escaped. In the closing stretch of the match, attacks came from both sides with simultaneous leg lock attempts. Both survived and the clock marked the end of the war. Diogo ‘Baby Shark’ Reis, the winner by unanimous decision, added another major title to his résumé as a multiple-time champion.
LACHLAN GILES TOPPLES MARCELO GARCIA IN ONE FC IN JUST OVER SEVEN MINUTES
In another grappling match on ONE’s night in Asia, Lachlan Giles showed sharp technique by submitting Marcelinho Garcia, one of the greatest champions in Jiu-Jitsu history. In the clash of veterans, Marcelo took the lead by trying to mount, but was surprised by his opponent’s defense, a movement that quickly turned into an attack on Marcelinho’s leg. The multiple-time world champion still moved to defend, but Giles stayed on the offensive and grabbed the leg again. This time, the hip rotation opened space for a kneebar that forced Marcelinho to tap.
Lachlan, who agreed to return to competition when he learned Marcelo Garcia would be his opponent, completed a revered mission and announced his retirement after the win. The Brazilian, who had not competed in more than a decade, had not known defeat since 2009.
This article was originally published in Portuguese: read the original version.
