A slow start did nothing to slow down Seiya Matsuda in his ONE Championship debut.
Multiple takedowns, ground-and-pound and a near submission carried the unbeaten Blue Dog Gym export to a split decision over Mikhail Gritsanenko in a catchweight showcase on Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. Two of the ringside judges struck scorecards for Matsuda (4-0, 1-0 ONE), who was overcome by emotion following the three-round battle at 163 pounds.
Gritsanenko (3-2, 0-1 ONE) leaned on deft footwork and sharp counterattacks throughout much of the first round, where he let fly with two- and three-punch combinations, occasionally punctuating them with thudding kicks to the body.