Kiều Duy Quân of Việt Nam (right) fights Zhou Haoran of China in the Grand SF 2: Warriors event held in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province on February 15. — VNA/VNS Photo Huỳnh Sơn

BÀ RỊA-VŨNG TÀU — Three of five Vietnamese fighters have secured victories at the Grand SF 2: Warriors, a professional kickboxing event held in Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu Province.

Taking place at the Grand Hồ Tràm Resort in Xuyên Mộc District on February 15,  the event featured seven bouts, five of which saw the participation of Vietnamese fighters.

It was co-organised by the province’s Culture and Sports Department, Việt Nam Kickboxing Federation and Cocky Buffalo - a leading martial arts training and event company.

Việt Nam Kickboxing Federation president Vũ Đức Thịnh said this martial arts event aims to create conditions for Vietnamese martial artists to compete with foreign opponents, thereby accumulating experience and improving their skills.

"It also created an opportunity to attract more tourists to the province," he said.

Among Việt Nam’s top fighters, Kiều Duy Quân triumphed over Zhou Haoran of China in the men’s under-70kg category.

Quân, 22, is a local rising star with three wins in his pro career. Those he has beaten include South Korean 'Wild Horse' Kwon Gi Seop and Chinese boxer Zhang Zihao.

Zhou is also 22 but he has spent a long time in the fighting community, having competed in 25 matches and won 17.

The two fighters were evenly matched, but after three rounds, Quân clinched a narrow victory against his experienced opponent.

In the opening match, Nguyễn Thành Đạt took on Chankham Oathiphong of Laos in the men's 60kg category, delivering a knockout victory in the second round. Meanwhile, Hoàng Đình Mạnh made an impressive statement by knocking out Japanese Kobayashi Asato in the first minute of Round 1.

Nguyễn Xuân Phương suffered a points loss against Wu Chen Hao of China after three rounds in the kickboxing category.

The most unfortunate defeat came from the 2024 Asian champion Trần Võ Song Thương, who lost to South Korean veteran Kim Ji Sun in the closing moments of the third round in a Muay Thai bout.

In the two remaining bouts, Seo Ji Myeong of South Korea suffered a quick defeat to Yuan Wu of China, while South Korean Kwon Hyeon Woo secured a swift victory over Niyomjit Pitsanu from Thailand. — VNS