South African kickboxer Vuyisile Colossa pulled off the biggest win of his short mixed martial arts career on Friday, handily defeating former ONE FC lightweight champion Kotetsu Boku via unanimous decision in the main event of ONE FC 10: Champions and Warriors.
In a bout that lulled the audience within Jakarta, Indonesia’s Istora Senayan Stadium to boos early but came alive late, Colossa systematically chopped away Boku’s base with a ruthless and relentless succession of low kicks. For three rounds, Colossa cut off angles and punished Boku’s lead leg, sucking the energy out of the 36-year-old and staggering him several times.
In the final few minutes, Colossa nearly stopped an exhausted Boku with strikes for the first time in the former champ’s career, unloading a ferocious barrage of punches, elbows and knees to Boku’s head against the fence. However Referee Yuji Shimada allowed the fight to continue, and Boku ultimately made it to the final bell.
“I was looking for the finish but then I realized it was going to be impossible,” Colossa said afterward.
“His movement is very tricky. He’s a typical boxer. He has great footwork.”
Colossa’s record improves to 6-4 with the victory, while Boku’s drops to 20-9-2 in defeat.
In the night’s co-main event, lightweight veteran Vincent Latoel emerged from a four-year hiatus to submit Willy Ni just 1:25 into the opening frame.
Ni bullrushed the center of the cage early, winging looping punches before being trapped against the fence by Latoel. The 34-year-old dropped Ni with a knee to the head, jumped onto a mounted one-arm in guillotine, then readjusted from guard to coax the tapout, advancing his record to 14-13-2.
“I wasn’t nervous because I had trained very hard with my team,” Latoel said. “I’m mentally and physically very strong now, so the four-year layoff wasn’t a problem for me. I’m stronger now. I’m better, faster. This is Vincent 2.0.”
Ni falls to 15-8 with the loss.
Elsewhere on the card, former NCAA Division I wrestler Jake Butler moved his record to a perfect 3-0, effortlessly submitting Canadian kickboxer James Kouame via first-round head and arm choke.
Butler shot for a double leg takedown from the outset, then switched to a single and slammed Kouame onto the mat. From there the 30-year-old light heavyweight took Kouame’s back, swept into a high mount and sunk in the fighting-ending submission. The finish came at 2:11 of the opening frame.
Check out complete ONE FC 10: Champions and Warriors results here.