Pound-for-pound contender Giorgio Petrosyan got his 2016 off to a great start with a third round TKO on the Wu Lin Feng (WLF) show in Shanghai, China.
Competing at the Shanghai Gymnasium on January 23, Petrosyan, made pretty light work of the overcommitting Jiao Fukai, whose corner team threw in the towel at the beginning of the third.
The first round was tentative, with both Petrosyan and Fukai throwing wild shots. The slackened Fukai seemed to briefly stumble ‘The Doctor’ in the opener with a exchange of left and right hooks, but the 30-year-old clinched and regained composure.
Fukai seemed to have a severe case of cramp in his left leg before the start of round two.
Petrosyan showcased his usual style, often sitting back early on in the fight, until he decided to increase the pace. The Italian-Armenian used his blistering left leg kick to slow down Fukai before cutting off the ring.
The Chinaman really looked like he wasted all his energy in the first round, trying to get a quick stoppage, and that really hindered him in the second, with Petrosyan able to land on cue. A well timed right and left hook combination, followed by a forceful right knee to the solar-plexus dropped Fukai.
Experienced referee Tony Weeks should probably have counted to eight when Fukai dropped to the canvas.
The resilient Fukai tried to continue, and made it out of the second, before his corner team chose to call the fight at the start of round three.
All in all, pretty easy work for Giorgio, who is set for a busy 2016, including a fight with Enriko Gogokhia, April 16 in Torino, Italy on the Bellator MMA – Oktagon collaboration show.
Interestingly, Gogokhia lost an extra round decision to Sittichai Sitsongpeenong in the Kunlun Fight World MAX Middleweight World Final per Kiksie.
