ONE Championship: Chatri says special rules fight ‘should have been stopped on a DQ’ as Wondergirl suffers illegal blows
- Wondergirl ‘fine’ after CAT scans at hospital following multiple blows to the back of her head from Xiong Jingnan
- ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong ‘disappointed’ after teething problems with new ruleset in Singapore
ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong was left “disappointed” after Saturday’s first ever special rules striking clash fell a bit flat in Singapore.
The new ruleset seemed to then not only confuse the fighters, but also referee Olivier Coste, with China’s Xiong and Wondergirl of Thailand both appearing to call their own fouls after being struck in the back of the head.
“Jingnan’s weight miss was unprofessional,” Chatri told the Post after the conclusion of the event, which took place at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“Olivier Coste is normally an outstanding referee, but he really did a poor job today protecting our athletes by allowing repeated blows to the back of the head. I was disappointed to say the least.
“For me, the fight should have been stopped on a DQ after the third foul. Luckily, Wondergirl is 100 per cent healthy upon examination at the hospital.”
Wondergirl said her CAT scan results were “fine” but she still felt dizzy and “heavy” on the back of the left side of her head after going to hospital.
“Kinda feel disappointed in myself that I cannot be there fully for three rounds. I would rather lose by KO than by TKO like this. Sorry for this,” she said.
During a post-event media scrum backstage, Chatri told reporters he was still “proud” of both women despite the criticism of the fight.
“They are pioneers in developing a new product for ONE, and it was a tough battle,” he said. “I don’t know how many athletes are willing to step in with small gloves, it’s a scary thing, and to just bang. So I really appreciate Jingnan and Wondergirl making history as two female superstars.”
Despite the teething problems on Saturday, Chatri insisted special rules boxing in 6oz gloves can be an “outstanding sport”, and a “great product for fans” to create different storylines.
“But if you put two people in there without one-punch KO power, it gets a bit messy and not as dramatic,” he added. “It would be spectacular if people go toe to toe.
“The first duo we offered this to was Liam Harrison and John Lineker, and they both accepted. Imagine that fight, somebody would’ve got knocked the hell out. That’s the concept, we want dynamite hands, and another way for martial artists to express themselves.”
For his part, former bantamweight MMA champion Lineker is down to take on the one-time Muay Thai title challenger Harrison, with ONE targeting the fight for January.
“Yes, I’m very excited about this match-up, it’s great, it’s diverse disciplines,” Lineker told the Post after beating Stephen Loman via decision at ONE Fight Night 14.
“I come from boxing, so it would be great to go out and box. I really love the idea, I’m really excited for that. I really respect [Harrison], he’s a phenomenal fighter, but in boxing we’re gonna box it out.”
