Moroccan fighter Mouhcine Chafi suffered his second straight defeat in his second ONE fight, losing to Dmitry Menshikov by first round knockout.
Chafi looked fired up as he brought his attacking approach and never-say-die attitude to the fight, constantly charging forward during the Lightweight Muay Thai at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
The 26-year-old Moroccan fighter first struck with straight punches while utilizing quick movements that hindered his Russian counterpart’s ability to use his boxing arsenal.
Chafi connected with an overhand right punch and a knee to the face. As the Moroccan drove forward, knockout artist Menshikov was more than happy to trade punches.
The Russian quickly put his punching power on display, knocking down Chafi with a big right punch midway through the first round.
After contesting the referee’s decision to count his fall as a knockdown, Chafi quickly returned to action, attacking his opponent who had his back to the ropes.
As Chafi tried hard to land heavy punches, however, it was Menshikov who found gaps in the Moroccan’s defense, connecting with a combo of punches that landed heavily on Chafi’s face, dropping him to the canvas.
With this win, Menshikov added another highlight reel finish to his overall record which now stands at an impressive 30-2. This second consecutive win means that the Russian fighter is now 2-1 in ONE, having beaten Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong following a debut loss against ONE Lightweight Muay Thai champion Regian Eersel.
Meanwhile, the dismal performance continues Chafi’s disappointing run in ONE Championship. The WBC Muay Thai Light Heavyweight champion entered the promotion with high expectations, but has now suffered his second straight defeat in two fights – albeit to two world-class athletes (he lost to former world title challenger Sinsamut Klinmee in his debut).
While his overall fight record has dropped to 31-7, there remains hope that Chafi can use his skills and determination to make a comeback and prove his striking abilities in ONE Championship’s stacked Lightweight Muay Thai division.
