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

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Xiong Jingnan celebrates after beating Wondergirl in their special rules striking clash. Photos: ONE Championship

Published: 7:46pm, 2 Oct 2023Updated: 11:22am, 4 Oct 2023

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ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong was left “disappointed” after Saturday’s first ever special rules striking clash fell a bit flat in Singapore.

Xiong Jingnan missed weight by 4lbs for the ONE Fight Night 14 showdown, with Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak eventually agreeing to compete at a 129lbs catchweight.

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.

ONE’s strawweight MMA champion Xiong, who trains out of Evolve MMA in Singapore, eventually picked up a third-round TKO, but her 24-year-old opponent was left with concussion symptoms from the illegal blows.

“Jingnan’s weight miss was unprofessional,” Chatri told the Post after the conclusion of the event, which took place at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

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