ONE: Banario beats Wiratchai in successful return to featherweight

FILE – Honorio Banario in a ONE Championship match. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Honorio Banario successfully returned to the featherweight division after scoring a split decision win over Thailand’s Shannon Wiratchai in the lead card of ONE: King of the Jungle Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Banario’s return to featherweight, the division he once ruled as its inaugural World champion, also broke his three-fight losing streak after plying his trade in the lightweight ranks.

Team Lakay's Honorio Banario 🇵🇭 edges out Shannon Wiratchai 🇹🇭 via split decision in his return to featherweight! #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #KingOfTheJungle pic.twitter.com/rvjdcJAqoN

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) February 28, 2020

Relying mostly on his grappling, Banario (15-10) controlled much of the bout with his ground and pound repeatedly putting Wiratchai (9-6) underneath him at the end of rounds.

Wiratchai, who lost his fourth straight match, had stronger starts with his left head kick connecting in the first two rounds until Banario caught wind of it in the third.

The Singapore card was played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus outbreak.