Ev Ting Outmanoeuvres Koji Ando In Battle Of Lightweight Contenders

Ev “E.T.” Ting stopped the charge of a former World Title challenger in Macau to bolster his claim for a second shot at the ONE Lightweight World Championship.

The Kiwi-Malaysian defeated Koji Ando in an all-action bout, in which he had to be at his best to overcome the Japanese athlete as he pushed forward for three five-minute rounds at ONE: PINNACLE OF POWER.

Ting used his superior footwork and variety of strikes to earn a decision victory and prove that he is equally as impressive fighting off the back foot as he is moving forward.

Ando started the contest by looking to meet Ting in the centre of the ring. The Japanese athlete came in throwing big shots, but it was Ting who seemed to have the better of the early exchanges.

The Kiwi-Malaysian looked more fluid and relaxed as he expertly mixed up his strikes while slipping out of the way of the 33-year-old’s powerful punches.

It was a pattern that played out over the course of the entire bout, as Ando came marauding forward, throwing punches. 

However, it was a rather one-dimensional approach that was well marshalled by Ting, who stayed elusive, switching stances and throwing hands and feet to keep “The Commander” at bay.

Ting was on top in the second round, but Ando’s relentless forward pressure meant the Kiwi needed to be on his guard throughout. He was, and he continued to counter effectively.

Ando poured on the pressure in the third and final round. He began to cut off the ring effectively and catch Ting up against the ropes. 

Despite that success, the bout was still under the command of Ting, who sent Ando staggering across the ring after a perfectly-timed knee, though he was unable to capitalise and find a finish.

It was a back-and-forth battle, but Ting’s more well-rounded MMA game took him to victory on the scorecards as he picked up the 16th win of his career against just four defeats.

While his record shows he has the power to finish a contest quickly, Ting’s performance against Ando proved once again that he has the talent, the bout IQ, and the gas tank to be equally effective if a match goes the distance.

There is a packed crowd of contenders jostling for position to get the next shot at the ONE Lightweight World Title held by Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen, but Ting’s hard-earned win could propel him to the front of the queue.