Mixed Martial Arts

Bùi Trường Sinh (left) lands a punch on Eric Balacoa in the LION Championship Mixed Martial Arts 32. Sinh takes a KO win. Photos courtesy of VMMAF

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese fighter Bùi Trường Sinh delivered an impressive win over Eric Balacoa of the Philippines at LION Championship Mixed Martial Arts 32, which saw a string of knockouts and submissions over the weekend in Hà Nội.

Competing on the main card match, both fighters opened with attacks from the beginning in a bid to assert dominance over their opponent in the men’s 56kg bout.

They exchanged heavy kicks and powerful punches, sending the crowd at Xuân Đỉnh Gymnasium into a frenzy.

The turning point came in the third minute when Sinh suddenly delivered a decisive left kick to Balacoa’s stomach, causing the Filipino to collapse to the floor. After several seconds of assessment, the referee awarded Sinh a knockout (KO) victory.

The win confirmed Sinh as one of the best fighters in the category and he immediately challenged belt holder Lê Văn Tuần for a future event.

In the men’s 60kg class, Lương Thành Phúc secured a technical knockout win after forcing Nguyễn Hoàng Hải Triều down with a serious cut to his face in the second round.

Phúc earned a place in the final match and now awaits his opponent.

In the men’s 52kg category, Nguyễn Hữu Nghĩa and Bùi Xuân Nguyên were evenly matched for much of the contest.

Nguyên capitalised on his opponent’s declining physical condition to increase pressure and gradually gain a clear advantage in the third round. Ultimately, he won by unanimous decision, advancing to the semi-finals of the 52kg category.

Daniel William O’Rourke (above) beat Sloan Pierre Samuel Venter in the men's 77kg fight.

In the men’s 77kg category, Sloan Pierre Samuel Venter of South Africa suffered a submission loss to Daniel William O’Rourke of the United States in the third round. O’Rourke successfully wrestled his rival to the ground and applied a rear-naked choke to end his resistance and secure his first LC win.

In the only women’s bout in the 56kg class, Trần Lê Phi Khanh created considerable difficulty for Võ Nguyễn Ngọc Linh in the first round. However, Linh came back to set up a triangle choke and arm lock over Khanh in the second round to claim the most surprising win of the night.

Võ Nguyễn Ngọc Linh (right) comes back to win the only women match of the night.

In the other matches: Lê Quang Linh beat Phan Trọng Hiếu; Siyovush Gulmamadov triumphed over Lê Nguyên Phúc and Phạm Anh Đức defeated Đinh Chí Công in the men's 60kg division while Nguyễn Phú Thịnh beat Đỗ Nguyễn Minh Quyền in the men's 56kg.

The LC 33 will be held on July 11 at the Quần Ngựa Sports Palace in Hà Nội. — VNS