Lê Huy Hoàng (left) chokes Nguyễn Thành Đô with an arm-triangle before winning by a submission in the men's 56kg of the LION Championship 09 on September 9 in HCM City. Photo of VMMAF

HCM CITY — Lê Huy Hoàng came from behind to take a submission win over Nguyễn Thành Đô in the main bout of the LION Championship 09 on September 9 night in HCM City.

Both two young fighters spent time in the early first round to feel out their rival. Đô, who was second seed in the 56kg class, delivered heavy punches on Hoàng. One of them sent Hoàng to the floor.

However, after being counted, Hoàng was allowed to continue fighting. A minute later he was taken down against and pressed heavily.

With Đô close to another win at the LC event, Hoàng suddenly escaped from the lock. He set up an arm-triangle choke before carrying out an armbar forcing Đô to ask for an unexpected submission loss at the 2.38 minute of the first round.

Brazilian Felipe Negochadle also secured a submission win against Nguyễn Nguyên Chương of Việt Nam in the 65kg class.

Negochadle pushed Chương to the corner of the cage and took him down using a jujitsu technique. Chương had no chance to escape and was locked by an armbar, suffering the loss after only 40 seconds.

Later, Mirko Maurice Horn intended to bag a fast win when he faced Vietnamese Lê Văn Thế Anh in the 70kg pool. The German attacked constantly. He kept sending Anh to the ground before delivering a rear-naked-choke to record a submission win near the end of the second round.

In the 77kg category, Đặng Hoàng Minh technically knocked out Lê Hoàng Nhật Long in the first round after Long asked to withdraw because of an arm injury.

In the 60kg discipline, Đinh Quốc Dũng knocked out Nguyễn Vinh Hiển midway through the first round. 

In the 56kg bout, Rơ Mah Chưng beat Vương Cát Vũ by a unanimous decision with 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 score after three rounds.

In the only women’s match, Hồ Thị Ngọc Bích beat Nguyễn Thị Hiền Lương by a unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28) in the 52kg class.

Hồ Thị Ngọc Bích (left) overcome Nguyễn Thị Hiền Lương by a unanimous decision in the women's 52kg class.— Photo of VMMAF

Lương was considered to be at a lower level compared to Bích. However, her low kicks and body shoots made Bích really tired during three rounds. However, her performance was still good enough to force judges gave her better score to take the win.

It was her third win in a row in three months and she earned a berth in the belt match against defending champion Nguyễn Thị Thanh Trúc in November.

It will be a chance for Bích to get her revenge after losing to Trúc in the 2022 season.

Prior to the A class matches, bouts for B-class athletes were organised in the afternoon with five out of seven were ended with knock-out and submission results.

Phạm Công Minh set up a record with a technical knock-out win after 15 second in the 84kg category.

After avoiding a series of punches from Hoàng Trần Minh Hiếu, Minh fought back and his hook kick injured Hiếu's arm and he had to ask for a quit.

Phạm Công Minh (left) needed only 15 seconds to win in the 84kg category. — Photo of VMMAF

His win was three seconds faster than the previous record by Hà Viết Hiếu who knocked out Joseph Hanlon of the UK in the LC07 in July.

Hiếu also competed in the LC09 but this time he suffered a knockout loss when Lê Trương Quảng Lâm floored him with a ground-and-pound in the second round of the 77kg.

Earlier, Trình Hữu Minh technically knocked out (TKO) Nguyễn Phú Thịnh in the first round of the 56kg class. Phạm Văn Lượng won a TKO against Nguyễn Thân in the third round of the 65kg. Ngô Hồng Giang earned a submission win over Trần Quốc Toản in the secound round of the 84kg.

The next LC event will be held on October 7 in Phú Quốc Island, Kiên Giang Province. VNS