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Ia berikutan anak buah Nur Saiful Zaini Nasiruddin itu sekali lagi akan membuat perhitungan bertemu skuad muda Jepun itu hari ini, untuk penentuan tempat ketiga/keempat, selepas pasukan lawan menduduki tangga keempat dengan kelebihan jaringan berbanding New Zealand setelah masing-masing mengumpul enam mata.

Pada aksi malam tadi, Malaysia memperoleh gol sulung hasil jaringan padang Muhammad Hafizi Zainudin seawal minit kelima, namun Jepun bangkit meledak dua gol pada minit kelapan dan ke-12, masing-masing menerusi pukulan sudut penalti yang disempurnakan Sota Ukai serta jaringan padang Ryuji Tamekuni.

Ketika skuad negara berdepan tekanan, Muhammad Amirul Hamizan muncul wira apabila menjaringkan gol melalui pukulan sudut penalti pada minit ke-42 dan jaringan padang pada minit ke-50.

Kejayaan menumpaskan Jepun itu juga sekali gus memberi peluang kepada skuad muda negara yang menghuni tempat ketiga selepas mengumpul tujuh mata untuk memperbaiki rekod edisi tahun lepas dengan menamatkan cabaran di kedudukan kelima.

Sementara itu, finalis tahun lepas, Great Britain dan India yang masing-masing mengumpul 10 mata setelah terikat 3-3 pada aksi di venue yang sama petang tadi, akan bertemu sekali lagi dalam aksi final, malam esok.

Pada aksi sengit itu, juara bertahan, Great Britain terlebih dahulu memperoleh gol pada minit ke-27 hasil pukulan sudut penalti Ioan Wall, sebelum Andrew McConnell menambah jaringan pada minit ke-32 menerusi gol padang.

Tidak berputus asa, India melakukan serangan balas dan berjaya menghasilkan gol padang pada minit-48 melalui Shilanand Lakra dan berjaya menyamakan kedudukanj dengan pukulan sudut penalti pada minit ke-51 melalui Mandeep Mor sebelum menambah satu lagi gol, juga melalui pukulan sudut penalti Nand Tiwari Sharda pada minit ke-57.

Ketika India yang muncul naib juara tahun lepas berada di ambang kemenangan, Matthew Ramshaw menjadi pemusnah apabila meledak gol ketiga Great Britain seminit sebelum perlawanan berakhir, sekali gus mengikat India dengan keputusan 3-3.

In a matter of months, the Singaporean star has evolved from one of the brightest talents to possibly the most dominant athlete in ONE Championship.

Three world-class opponents attempted to disrupt his dominance, but Lee lived up to his moniker and exhibited traits of a true World Champion.

“Honestly, it was just me as a fighter, as a champion, showing up and going to work,” the 21-year-old Evolve MMA standout said.

“I’ve been saying it all week, ever since I got the fight. As the champion, I should be ready to face any opponent at any time, and that’s what I did. I took on a dangerous opponent and got the win after three rounds.”

What made his most recent win against Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev at ONE: CENTURY PART I more incredible was the repertoire of his opponent – who finished the likes of Timofey Nastyukhin, Ev Ting, and Amir Khan all in the first round.

“I had 10 days to prepare for this bout. My game plan was there, we created a quick strategy for this opponent, but as you could see – the camera probably caught it, me throwing up after the fight – I left everything in there,” the Hawaii-based athlete said.

“‘Dagi’ is a tough opponent, I have all the respect in the world for him, and he pushed me very far.”

In May, “The Warrior” scored a technical knockout win in 51 seconds of the second round against Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki to be crowned the ONE Lightweight World Champion.

His only target now is to be the athlete who leads ONE Championship’s charge into North America in 2020. And he names the perfect opponent for what could be another year of martial arts magic for the largest martial arts organization in the world.

“There are a lot of [lightweights] worthy of being the contender, but as we’re doing the first show live on TNT in the US, I’d love to see a show in New York City against Eddie Alvarez,” Lee said.

“I think that the fans would be very excited to see a match with Eddie Alvarez in the US, and I would love to be the first person to bring ONE Championship to the United States, so I could see that being next.”

Until then, ONE Championship travels to Jakarta, Indonesia for ONE: DAWN OF VALOR on Friday, 25 October.