New Zealand claimed a double dose of gold at the 2019 GAMMA amateur mixed martial arts world championships in Singapore on Thursday.
Auckland MMA's Ina Manase blitzed his field to clinch the men's U84kg division, while 18-year-old prodigy Roezala Sue took the top of the podium in the women's open weight.
Run by the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts, the event stretched over two days and included a field of over 450 competitors from 45 countries.
Fighting under the tutelage of Auckland MMA head trainer Hamish Robertson, Manase was one of the stand-out fighters of the week. He outclassed his Australian quarter-final opponent in a unanimous decision win, then boxed his way to a TKO win against his Kyrgyzstani adversary in the semi-final.
But he saved his best for the tournament showpiece. At the end of a torrid exchange, Manase wobbled his Jordanian opponent, then picked him up and drove him into the canvas, leaving him limp and forcing an instant referee's stoppage.
"I feel great," Manase told Newshub. "I'm ready to go again."
Even Manase was surprised by the manner of his spectacular finish in the finale.
"When I took him down, I didn’t actually know he was knocked out, but when I posed up on him, I saw that he was completely out and his eyes were rolled back.
"[The achievement] hasn't really sunk in right now, but it will later."
Sue, who's currently based in Indonesia with Bali MMA, was far too powerful for her Indian counterpart. The Muay Thai specialist dished a serving of heavy kicks to drop her to the mat late in the first round and the fight was soon stopped after a barrage of shots from the top.
"I'm pretty excited," Sue said post-fight. "That was my first MMA fight ever - I'm really stoked with the result.
Both fighters will be in the running to be named the top male and female of the tournament, which comes with a prize of a contract with Asian-based martial arts promotion ONE Championship worth $US100,000 ($NZ155,000) each.
Former King in the Ring kickboxing champion Carlos Hicks was also in action for the New Zealand team.
Hicks, who fights under Ethan Shepp at Hamilton's House of Pain, won his first round match-up via a technical knockout forced by some huge body blows, but lost in the quarter-final to the eventual winner from the Ukraine.
Sue and Manase's wins come just a week removed from the three NZ medals won at the IMAAF amateur world championships in Bahrain.
Michelle Montague beat compatriot Mel Webster in the female lightweight final and Hannah Dawson won flyweight silver.
