"I told him I would knock him out" - Guto Inocente stops Rade Opacic in round one with a body punch

Rade Opacic and Guto Inocente met in a heavyweight kickboxing clash at ONE 158. Both fighters were coming off impressive knockout victories. Opacic was confident he would win via knockout to extend his win streak to five. However, he was stopped in the very first round by Guto Inocente.

Brazilian kickboxer Inocente stopped Opacic at 2:33 of round one with a body punch that dropped his Serbian opponent. Opacic was unable to beat the 10-count.

The win extends Inocente's win streak to four, with the last two being by way of knockout stoppage. He has fought twice in 2022 in ONE Championship and won both bouts via knockout.

In the post-fight interview, Guto Inocente told the audience:

"I told him I would knock him out. I am here to ask for the kickboxing belt. I hope they give me the chance."

Inocente was also complimentary of his opponent's skills and explained that he was ready to face anybody:

"I knew he is a very good fighter. He is supposed to come forward, he has that Dutch style, he has good high kicks. But I am very confident in my game, I am in my prime right now. No one can beat me in any rules... I can beat everyone."

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Rade Opacic vs. Guto Inocente play-by-play

In the opening round, the two heavyweight kickboxers approached each other with caution, as both carry one-punch knockout power. Inocente threw and landed a combination and followed that up with strong leg kicks. Meanwhile, Opacic landed a series of strong jabs. The Serbian switched to aggression and chased his opponent while throwing strikes.

Inocente threw a spinning kick, which was blocked. His opponent entered striking range attempting a knee and was countered by a straight body punch from the Brazilian. This blow dropped the Serbian fighter and he was unable to continue.

In the post-fight interview with Mitch Chilson, Inocente said that he took no damage in the fight:

"I am at 100% health, I can fight next week if they want... I want to fight with the best."