It’s hard to handpick a Malaysian martial artist who has evolved at the rate Ev 'E.T.' Ting has.
With an impressive 16-6 record to back his diverse skill set, the Malaysian is easily one of the most exciting lightweights in the world.
This coming Friday, 12 July, when ONE: MASTERS OF DESTINY unfolds at the Axiata Arena, expect him to do what he does best against Japan’s Daichi Abe.
Ahead of what could be another Ting special in the Malaysian capital, we take a look at three of his most tremendous performances in front of his hometown fans.
#1 A thunderous head kick
In October 2014, Ting returned to the Circle four months after an impeccable debut victory.
This time, he met the Philippines’ Edward Kelly and captured a stunning highlight-reel moment with a flawless head kick.
The Malaysian martial arts sensation switched to attack mode as soon as the opening bell rang. He tripped Kelly soon thereafter, and then explored more options in the half guard.
But with 40 seconds left in the opening stanza, the tussle started to simmer down as both warriors took part in another clinch battle.
He returned in the second round with the same game plan, as he looked to maintain pressure alongside a higher volume of wrestling.
A patient Ting waited for the right moment, and he was rewarded as a thunderous right head kick caught Kelly on the temple. That ended the bout at the 4:28 mark of round two.
#2 Rock-solid guillotine
Following a defeat to Marat 'Cobra' Gafurov, Ting returned to his winning ways with a jaw-dropping performance against former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio 'The Rock' Banario.
The Team Lakay representative pressured the Malaysian instantly, sending him crashing onto the canvas with a single-leg takedown.
'E.T.' was able to defend even with his back taken away, and got back to his feet in a split second.
Not falling for the same trick twice, the 29-year-old baited the single leg with a perfectly transitioned front headlock. He then secured the guillotine choke before transitioning to a full mount and tightening it even further.
Banario was left with no other option but to tap 56 seconds into the contest.
#3 Dismantling a legend
Former ONE Welterweight World Champion Nobutatsu Suzuki was supposed to be Ting’s toughest career test – but the battle that unfolded proved otherwise.
'E.T.' brilliantly utilized a side stance to bait Suzuki to throw more kicks. Unaware of that, the Japanese veteran continued landing fierce kicks, which eventually came to a halt as Ting caught his leg as planned.
A quick right hand by the 29-year-old Malaysian lightweight lacerated Nobutatsu’s right eyebrow, leaving a bad gash.
The cut was a telltale sign for him, as he closed in with powerful strikes followed by a huge double-leg slam, which sent his Japanese counterpart to the ground.
He rained down continuous strikes with a dominant half guard, forcing referee Olivier Coste to step in and end the match-up at 3:29 of the first round.
Astro Awani
Wed Jul 10 2019
Ev Ting showcasing his striking skills at the ONE: Masters Of Destiny Open Workout in KL, last Tuesday. - ONE photo
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