MMA Weekly: Malykhin Goes 3-Division, Perry Ends Diaz, Ngannou Still Terrifying
If you’re building your TKO Tycoon roster based on real-world MMA trends, this was the weekend to pay attention. Two massive cards dropped — ONE Championship in Bangkok and MVP MMA 1 on Netflix — and the results say a lot about what’s working in modern MMA.
MVP MMA 1 Results — May 16
- Ronda Rousey def. Gina Carano — Armbar, R1 (0:17). Speed + submission = fastest finish of the night.
- Mike Perry def. Nate Diaz — Corner stoppage, R2. Diaz era over. Perry’s pressure game works.
- Francis Ngannou def. Philipe Lins — KO, R1. Pure punching power. His archetype in TKO Tycoon is untouchable at heavyweight.
- Despaigne def. JDS — KO, R1. Power over experience.
- Marlon Moraes def. Nkuta — TKO sub, R3. Submission game closed it out.
ONE Championship — May 15
Anatoly Malykhin KO’d Reug Reug in R4 to reclaim the ONE Heavyweight title. The key: Malykhin didn’t rush. He read Reug Reug’s wrestling patterns, stayed patient through three rounds, and landed when it counted in R4.
Post-fight: Malykhin threw late shots, Kane’s corner entered the cage, full brawl. Malykhin then pulled his gloves off and retired — walking out as 3-division ONE champ. Chaotic ending to a methodical performance.
TKO Tycoon Takeaways
Three archetypes validated this weekend:
- Submission specialists — Rousey closed in 17 seconds. Don’t sleep on submission ratings when building your fighter.
- Patient strikers — Malykhin’s win was a masterclass in timing. High fight IQ + power = title fights.
- Pure heavyweights — Ngannou and Despaigne both finished R1. At heavyweight, power closes.
More real-world results next week. Build smart.
