Tom Keogh continued his impressive run on the ONE Friday Fights platform, stopping Michael Baranov by second-round knockout at Lumpinee Stadium to improve his professional record to 18-3.
The victory extends Keogh's winning streak and marks his third straight win under the ONE Friday Fights banner. Of his 18 career victories, his last eight have now come by way of KO or TKO.
After a closely contested opening round, Keogh increased the pace in the second, scoring an early knockdown with a left elbow before securing the finish with beautiful left hook to the body followed by a right knee to the head.
Here's how the action unfolded, round by round.
Keogh opened the contest by taking the centre of the ring, while Michael Baranov looked to establish his left kick from the outset. Inside the opening exchanges, Baranov threw a left high kick that Keogh defended well, giving an early indication of one of Baranov's primary weapons.
Both fighters settled into a measured pace, trading low kicks and working to establish range. Baranov looked to pressure in short bursts, while Keogh remained composed, maintaining his balance during the exchanges and circling away when required.
Keogh began mixing his stance, switching between orthodox and southpaw throughout the round. He stepped in with a straight right before switching southpaw to throw a left straight. Baranov continued to target the body and head with his left kick while also using a rear teep to the body to manage distance.
The opening round remained closely contested, with both fighters largely exchanging attacks one for one. Keogh missed with a body kick but followed with a left hook from southpaw and later landed another clean left hand. Baranov continued to find success with his kicking game, keeping Keogh alert with repeated attempts to the body and head.
Midway through the round, Keogh caught one of Baranov's body kicks and attempted to off-balance him with a sweep. Baranov maintained his balance before the action returned to striking. Keogh landed a right body kick, while Baranov answered with another low kick.
The pair then entered a brief clinch exchange, where both landed knees before separating. Keogh later attempted a head kick that landed on Baranov's guard and continued switching stances as the round progressed.
In the closing seconds, the fighters clinched once more. This time Keogh timed his sweep well, successfully taking Baranov to the canvas before the bell.
Overall, it was a competitive opening round with neither fighter able to establish clear control. Both had success with their preferred weapons, although Keogh finished the round strongly with the late sweep.
Round 2
Keogh began the second round with noticeably more forward pressure, looking to close the distance and engage in boxing exchanges. Just seven seconds into the round, he landed a well-timed left elbow that dropped Baranov to the canvas, forcing the referee to administer an eight count.
Following the restart, Keogh continued to press forward, switching into southpaw and landing a left hand as Baranov looked to regain his rhythm. Both fighters exchanged heavy punches in the centre of the ring, although neither found a clean connection during the brief exchange.
Keogh maintained the pressure, landing a right high kick that forced Baranov backwards towards the ropes. He followed with a body kick before Baranov responded with a knee as Keogh closed the distance.
With Baranov backed up, Keogh continued his attack, landing a left hand to the body before driving a right knee to the head. The strike dropped Baranov, prompting the referee to wave the contest off.
Three appearances, three victories. Tom Keogh continues to build momentum in ONE Friday Fights, adding another stoppage win to his record with a composed second-round knockout of Michael Baranov. At 18-3 with eight consecutive victories, the Irishman has firmly established himself as one of the sports standout professionals, and his performances continue to strengthen his case for bigger opportunities in ONE Championship.
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