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Andrew Whitelaw

Abolfazl Alipourandi seized his opportunity in emphatic fashion with a 59-second walk-off knockout against Liam Nolan at ONE Fight Night 31 on Saturday.
The Englishman had briefly retired after losing to Nauzet Trujillo last year but was inspired to return in hopes of exacting revenge in a rematch.
However, when the Spaniard pulled out, Alipourandi jumped at the chance to make his ONE Championship debut.
And with less than a minute gone, unleashed a perfect kick to his opponent’s head, leaving the former WBC Muay Thai world champion folded on the canvas.
“The high kick is my favourite,” Alipourandi told the Post. “I noticed when I was kicking Liam, I saw an opening. I was doing low kicks – it looked like I’d do another one, but instead I went straight up to the neck.

“I felt amazing. My emotions are so high because Liam is really good, and I came in on short notice. For me now, because I’ve beaten Liam – and he’s high level, just like most of the guys in the division – it’s anyone, anytime, anyplace.
“One of my biggest dreams was always to compete for ONE, so when I was walking to the ring, I was just feeling that dream come true.”
At 29 years old, the Iranian has been waiting for this kind of opportunity for a long time – and he made sure he was ready when the call came.
“I always keep in shape,” he said. “That’s what we do at Venum Training Camp because big opportunities can always arrive. I got this fight on a week’s notice, and when I knew it was Liam on the big show, I knew the opportunity was huge.”
Having dispatched one of the big names in the division in such style, the newcomer can now afford to start dreaming big.
“Like all young fighters, my dream is to win a world title in ONE. I’m so proud and happy. Now I’m going back to Iran to see my family,” Alipourandi said.
In the main event, Nong-O Hama earned a unanimous decision win over Kongthoranee Sor Sommai.
The former champion showed he remains a technical master even at 38, but his win certainly didn’t produce the same level of fireworks as Alipourandi’s knockout.
Still, beating Kongthoranee will be a huge fillip for the veteran as he bids for one last crack at another title run.
He had dropped down to flyweight in his last outing and lost a split decision to the PK Saenchai man at ONE Fight Night 28 but made sure he got the upper hand in the rematch.
With Kongthoranee ranked No 3 at flyweight, Nong-O’s victory puts him right back in the mix for title contention, proving he is still a major threat in the division despite his age.
Elsewhere, American Tye Ruotolo settled the score with long-time rival Dante Leon and kept a hold of his ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling world title.
The pair clashed in the co-main event in what was a trilogy showdown between the elite Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts.
Ruotolo extended his pristine record in ONE to 8-0, pushed his career slate to 30-10, and successfully defended his title – while also confirming his intention to try his hand at MMA soon.
Also on the card, there was a stand-out performance from Lucas Gabriel, who clinched a unanimous decision win over Zhang Lipeng in their lightweight MMA battle.
On the feet, he outgunned the Chinese veteran with punches and kicks. And once the action hit the canvas, the Brazilian pummelled Zhang with powerful ground-and-pound, ultimately sealing the nod from all three judges.


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Abolfazl Alipourandi ends Liam Nolan’s ONE Championship return in just 59 seconds

Abolfazl Alipourandi celebrates knocking out Liam Nolan at ONE Fight Night 31. Photo: ONE Championship

Abolfazl Alipourandi connects with a brutal kick to Liam Nolan’s head at ONE Fight Night 31. Photo: ONE Championship

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Liam Nolan is returning to ONE Championship with a bout against Iran’s Abolfazl Alipourandi. Photo: ONE Championship

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Sport

Martial Arts

Muay Thai

Mixed Martial Arts

Iranian secures stunning knockout after taking ONE Fight Night 31 bout at just a week’s notice


Iranian secures stunning knockout after taking ONE Fight Night 31 bout at just a week’s notice.


Abolfazl Alipourandi ends Liam Nolan’s ONE Championship return in just 59 seconds

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Iranian secures stunning knockout after taking ONE Fight Night 31 bout at just a week’s notice

Iranian secures stunning knockout after taking ONE Fight Night 31 bout at just a week’s notice