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If you've caught a whiff of social media sensations called the 'Island Boys', then you know they've been trying their hand at fighting now. "Trying" is a major operative word at that.
If you haven't heard of this ridiculously-viral TikTok group, they're basically a pair of tattoo-filled boys with colorful glob haircuts aping Rastafarian music. It's one of those "it's so bad, it's good" things the internet is filled with...
As for their recent viral antics, the Island Boys have posted a video of themselves doing some intense boxing mitt work, even calling out Jake Paul. Needless to say, it garnered tremendous attention from the web for all the wrong reasons.
The fight world has gone crazy with the chance to roast the video, from major sports outlets like ESPN to UFC fighters like Sean Strickland to fight fans around the world.
Perhaps it was ONE Championship who made the most important and obvious comment to end the short-lived fame of said video:
"Leave it to the pros"
The Singapore-based promotion showed why there are pros and there are wannabes in this sport. Just look at the way ONE's atomweight Muay Thai fighter Anissa Meksen hit the pads and see the huge difference. From technique to speed and precision, there's no actual comparison.
Yes, the internet and social media are free-for-all jungles for anyone to do anything to gain notoriety. It shouldn't be, however, at the expense of someone's life-long craft.
ONE Championship and Anissa Meksen showed that fighting should be taken seriously, and that it shouldn't be used to gain momentary clout on social media.
Island Boys = 0, ONE Championship = 1
Island Boys have nothing on what Anissa Meksen did at ONE 156
You want to see what real fighting looks like? Forget the Island Boys for a bit and watch Anissa Meksen's three-round demolition of Marie 'Snow Leopard' Ruumet at ONE 156.
The 33-year old French kickboxer put the pressure on the Estonian prodigy from start to finish.
The multi-time world champion has had over a hundred fights and made Ruumet feel every bit of that experience advantage throughout the fight.
Her ferocious combinations and unstoppable forward momentum were too much for Ruumet to handle. In more ways than one, the bout was like a cat toying with a mouse.
Meksen has a bright future ahead of her in ONE's atomweight Muay Thai ranks.
