Shimon Yoshinari Outpoints Ramadan Ondash To Reach Grand Prix Semifinals
Shimon Yoshinari survived an early storm and took control to beat Ramadan “The Scorpion” Ondash by unanimous decision. The win sends the Japanese star into the semifinals of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix.
The quarterfinal opened ONE Friday Fights 178 on Friday, November 13, at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. ONE moved the bout to the free-to-view card so fans around the world could watch two of the sport’s brightest young talents collide.
It did not start smoothly for the 22-year-old. Ondash came out swinging haymakers in the opening round, clipping Shimon on several occasions and shaking him up.
As the round wore on, Shimon steadied himself. He began countering from the outside with punches and kicks, slowly taking the sting out of the Lebanese striker’s attack.
Ondash came forward relentlessly again in round two. Shimon responded by mixing step-in knees into his arsenal, and one of them caught the 20-year-old flush on the chin.
By the third round, Shimon was visibly enjoying himself. As Ondash kept throwing the same wild two- and three-punch combinations, the Japanese contender smiled, pushed him toward the ropes, and punished him with elbows and punches at every opportunity.
The judges were unanimous. The Eiwa Sports Gym standout extended his flawless run in ONE and improved his overall record to 28-1.
Ondash had arrived on back-to-back wins since moving up to flyweight, including victories over Suriyanlek Por Yenying and Johan “Jojo” Ghazali. The Tiger Muay Thai representative pushed the pace throughout but could not crack the Japanese star’s composure once he settled.
Shimon now meets Nong-O Hama in the semifinals. The 40-year-old Thai legend earned his place earlier that night by dropping Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon with a high kick on the way to a unanimous decision in the main event of The Inner Circle 38.
The other half of the bracket continues on November 20, when reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Asadula Imangazaliev defends his title against Aslamjon Ortikov at The Inner Circle 39. The tournament winner will claim the silver belt and the undisputed ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title.
For Shimon, who fought with the pride of Japan behind him, the next test is a legend with more than 260 career wins.
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