Troy “Pretty Boy” Worthen defeated Mark “Tyson” Fairtex Abelardo by unanimous decision at ONE: KING OF THE JUNGLE on Friday, 28 February.
It marked the third consecutive win for the Singapore-based American since he first stepped onto the global stage last July.
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Instead of his usual high-power wrestling style, “Pretty Boy” impressed martial arts fans with a dazzling array of hooks, jabs, crosses, and kicks in his win over Abelardo.
“I’m really happy that I got to showcase my striking. In my other bouts, I didn’t get too many chances to show what I was working on,” Worthen said.
“I wasn’t just going for takedowns, and even with a guy who trains at one of the biggest Muay Thai gyms, I could still stand and strike with him.”
After putting away his previous two opponents with quick stoppages, Worthen had to go the full three rounds with Abelardo in a bruising encounter at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“He has an iron chin. I was swinging those kicks as hard as I could. Some of them were connecting on his chin, but he just kept getting back up and walking through them,” the American said.
Worthen, whose kicks have become a staple in his striking arsenal, revealed how it was always part of his game plan to engage the hard-hitting Filipino.
“Most guys are training most of the time to defend takedowns, keep their base low, and keep their hands a little bit lower so they can use it to get underhooks and stuff like that,” Worthen said.
“I figured with feints and enough level changes, his hands were going to be a bit lower and I could land a high kick up top.
“Once [the kick] started landing, I got more and more confident every single time, and I kept going back to it as an option all night.”
Thanks to his training environment at Evolve MMA, “Pretty Boy” has brought his striking to new levels each time he competes.
The Evolve representative is surrounded by some of the world’s best strikers, like ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao and two-sport ONE World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao.
“I spend a lot of time on my striking to try and make sure that I am getting better every single day,” he said.
“My coaches put a lot of work into me, so I’m just happy to be able to go out there and show everyone the improvements I have made.
“I am happy that it worked out inside the Circle on Friday, and I’m looking forward to imposing my will on the feet even more.”
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