ONE Fight Night 36 post-fight breakdown: Sanzhar Zakirov cruises to dominant win over Hu Yong

Sanzhar Zakirov (pictured) kept his perfect slate intact at ONE Fight Night 36. Image: ONE Championship
Sanzhar Zakirov (pictured) kept his perfect slate intact at ONE Fight Night 36. Image: ONE Championship

The undefeated sensation from Uzbekistan, Sanzhar Zakirov, once again reminded the combat sports world why he has remained undefeated throughout his career at ONE Fight Night 36 this past Friday, October 3.

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The fourth-ranked contender overcame 'Wolf Warrior' Hu Yong with relative ease in their flyweight MMA joust in Bangkok, Thailand.

He kicked things off in usual fashion, carefully weighing up his chances before making the man dubbed 'Wolf Warrior' look like a mere prey.

The Khaturaev Team athlete threw combinations with full power. While most didn't connect, it truly didn't matter. Sanzhar Zakirov used it to distract his opposite number from what was to come next.

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After acquiring his first takedown, the 22-year-old youngster opened his encyclopedia of grappling mechanics to leave the No.5-ranked flyweight MMA contender between a rock and a hard place.

Indeed, Hu tried to escape from the Uzbek's constricting grip, but he only exposed other parts of his body, which allowed the crafty ground wizard room to explore on his back and frame.

Round two had a different plot, but not for long, however. Hu threw some hands at Zakirov, and while it drew a reaction from 'Tornado,' he stuck to his bread and butter to finish strong.

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He stuck to the same tactics in the final canto and left the Circle with his hand raised after a one-sided 15-minute matchup.

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Official result: Sanzhar Zakirov defeats Hu Yong via unanimous decision

With the triumph inside the Mecca of Muay Thai, Sanzhar Zakirov improved to 16-0 in his young and ever-thriving career.

Based on his three-round grappling clinic against Hu, there's nothing more that needs any fine-tuning there. That said, 'Tornado' needs to get creative with his stand-up arsenal if he continues climbing up the ladder.

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Third-ranked Danny Kingad and second-ranked Adriano Moraes won't be easy assignments, and he'll definitely need backup skills to see off the two veterans.

If he does, he could position himself as a clear favorite to challenge reigning ONE flyweight MMA world champion Yuya Wakamatsu, should he defeat strawweight king Joshua Pacio at ONE 173 in Tokyo, Japan.

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Edited by Himakshu Vyas
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