Algeria’s Joachim Ouraghi suffered a narrow defeat despite putting in a solid performance against Thailand’s Duangsompong Jitmuangnon at ONE Championship event ONE Friday Fights 76.
The Thai kicked off the first round with a variety of kicks, utilizing push kicks to keep Ouraghi from entering his distance. The Algerian used head movement to make it difficult for his opponent to target his upper body, caught the Thai’s leg, and threw in a combination of punches.
As the clock winded down on the first stanza, two men traded strikes with the Thai focusing his efforts on hitting high kicks.
In the second round, a revitalized Ouraghi pressed forward, striking with two left hooks and a punching combination. Just as the Algerian picked up the pace, an unintentional low blow stopped the action. When Ouraghi recovered, the fight resumed with both men trading knees to the midsection from inside the clinch.
Knowing that he was trailing on points, Ouraghi entered the third round searching for a knockout. The Algerian pressed forward and threw several jabs before Duangsompong halted his momentum, forcing him into the clinch. Ouraghi went on targeting his opponent’s body with punches, but the Thai stopped his attacks by locking him again into the clinch.
In a massive moment of action, Ouraghi hit the Duangsompong with a spinning back fist followed by a big right hand. With the Thai fighter shook, Ouraghi quickly cornered him, landing several punches in the final moments of the third and final round.
After a tight affair, two of the three judges gave Duangsompong the nod. The split decision loss is Ouraghi’s third consecutive defeat and sees his record at ONE Friday Fights drop to 1-3.
With his latest defeat, the 29-year-old Algerian’s overall fight record drops to 32-6.
