On the night of October 12, at Tay Ho Stadium (Hanoi), the MMA LION Championship 18 event concluded. 6 matches took place at this event. The highlight was the resounding victory of fighter Nghiem Van Y in the A-class match (professional level).
Entering the match as a former champion and top 1 fighter in the 65kg class, Nghiem Van Y faced off against 5th ranked opponent Quang Van Minh - who has 3 consecutive wins at the LION Championship.
Right from the first round, Nghiem Van Y showed off his superior speed thanks to his fast and powerful kicks. Under pressure from his opponent, Quang Van Minh continuously looked for opportunities for his signature punches - which helped him achieve a knockout victory in the previous match.
However, his superior speed and reflexes still gave Van Y the advantage. At the beginning of the third round, in a close-quarters situation, the former champion threw a precise backhand strike that knocked his opponent down.
His subsequent series of punches forced the referee to intervene to stop the match, officially giving Nghiem Van Y a technical knockout (TKO) victory.
With this result, Nghiem Van Y will be the name to challenge the reigning champion Felipe Negochadle in the 65kg weight class. At the LION Championship 11 event in 2023, Negochadle defeated Van Y with an arm-twist in the 4th round after dramatic situations.
The rematch between the two fighters is scheduled to take place at LION Championship 20 on December 14 in Hanoi.
Besides Nghiem Van Y, his teammate Bach Van Nghia also had a technical knockout victory when facing Nguyen Duc Thang in the B class (amateur system). The talent born in 2003 only took 1 minute and 10 seconds to defeat his opponent with a series of punches on the floor.
In the remaining match in class A, newly promoted boxer Dinh Van Khuyen defeated Vo Thanh Tung by points, contributing another quality name in the 56kg weight class.
In the remaining matches, candidates Nguyen Van Trung (56kg vs Truong Quang Kiet), Nguyen Phu Thinh (56kg vs Le Van Vu), Huynh Ngoc Tin (56kg vs Le Van Trong) all won on points.
The next event LION Championship 19 will take place on November 16 in Phu Quoc island city, Kien Giang.
