The end was as swift as the event was impressive, Shinya Aoki’s con­summate choked submission on the bill-topping lightweight world championship bout providing a fit­ting finale to ONE Fighting Cham­pionship’s sold-out Dubai debut.

Asia’s premier MMA franchise congregated at the World Trade Centre, with the most dominant lightweight in the continent’s histo­ry securing first-round victory once Iran’s Ultimate Fighting Cham­pionship veteran Kamal Shalorus failed to free himself with a butter­fly guard.

This was the calibre of fight the glitzy new dawn for MMA in the re­gion deserved, with the federation already booked in for future Dubai World Trade Centre returns.

“I took him down and did the job, it was very simple,” the gravel-voiced Aoki said.

“If I had another opportunity, for sure, I would want to fight in Du­bai.”

Pounding music, glaring lights and boisterous fans added to the big-fight frenzy at Sheikh Rashid Hall. The deciding bout was soon over, a sixth-successive victory guaranteed once the Japanese moved into rear naked choke po­sition on prone ‘Prince of Persia’ Shalorus.

The US’ former Olympic wrestler Ben Askren set a brutal standard in the previous scrap, his reputa­tion as the best welterweight in the world finally sealed with gold after powering past holder Nobutatsu Suzuki in one-and-a-half minutes for his 14th successive triumph.

The curly-haired competitor, as promised, came at Suzuki like a train. A minute and 15 seconds of furious punishment after tackling him to the ground followed the bell, forcing the referee to show mercy in one of the most one-sided title matches in MMA history.

“I have told every single oppo­nent what I am going to do, ‘I am going to grab you, throw you on the ground and beat you repeatedly’,” Askren said. “I have got a whole load more effective recently, so it’s resulted in a bunch of stoppages.”

The trio of bill-topping bouts had gotten off to an interminable start, Narantungalag Jadambaa crowning his growing reputation by taking Koji Oishi’s featherweight world championship belt on points in a slow-paced contest.

Experienced Japanese Oishi, his swollen face evidencing the punish­ment taken, showed real grit to get through a final round spent prone in a defensive position as Jadambaa pounded away.

The undercard featured a number of thunderous highlights, five-time World Muay Thai cham­pion James McSweeney living up to his fearsome reputation by knock­ing out Cristiano Kaminishi with three minutes and 43 seconds re­maining in the first.

The 93kg British heavyweight followed up a devastating jab with a ferocious soccer kick to the head, Kaminishi needing medical atten­tion before gradually regaining his senses.

A flurry of brutal hits continued into the next, ONE FC legend Roger Huerta showing his timeless class after two years out of the game to put a first blot on Christian Holley’s previously unblemished record.

The 31-year-old exhibited all he has learned during his sojourn at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, floor­ing lightweight Holley before un­leashing a succession of knees and punches to force a merciful first-round TKO.

Brazil’s Herbert Burns exhib­ited his much-improved striking since joining Singapore’s legen­dary Evolve MMA gym to claim an unanimous points decision against featherweight Japanese scrapper Hiroshige Tanaka

The night’s entertainment began with disappointment for the Fili­pino fans, as Ana ‘The Hurricane’ Julaton lost the flyweight fight against Ann Osman to a split points decision.

A swifter ending came in the sec­ond bout, Thailand’s Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke forcing Ali Yaakub into a submission.