You’ve got to do something pretty special to earn yourself a title shot after just two performances on the big stage, but South Africa’s Bokang Masunyane may have done just that.
The 26-year-old from Cape Town made his ONE Championship debut in December 2019 and scored a unanimous decision victory over Ryuto Sawada to get his ONE career off and running.
Then, on Friday, almost one year to the day since that fight, “Little Giant” made his return to the ONE Championship cage and immediately pushed his claims for a shot at strawweight gold.
At ONE Championship 122 in Singapore, Masunyane (8-0) faced Filipino contender Rene Catalan (6-4), whose last fight saw him unsuccessfully challenge for the title in November 2011, and the relative newcomer delivered a moment to remember by adding another stunning finish to 2020’s highlight reel.
Trading on the feet with the wushu expert, Masunyane threw with heat and, after the pair separated from a brief clinch, the South African connected with a huge left high kick that knocked out Catalan long before he hit the canvas.
Watch this (via Twitter):
It was a statement performance, and Masunyane followed up on his performance with a clear message in his post-fight interview.
“I’m the best in my division,” he declared with a smile.
“I’d like to challenge the champion. And if the champion is not ready, No. 1 (contender), No. 2, I’m always ready. But I’ve got my eye on the title. Give me the title shot!”
After a performance like that, a matchup with reigning strawweight champion Joshua Pacio may come sooner, rather than later.
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