August was another huge month for ONE Championship.
Among the highlights for the world’s largest martial arts organization over the last four weeks was Chingiz Allazov‘s triumphant ONE featherweight kickboxing world title defense against longtime rival Marat Grigorian, flyweight submission grappling king Mikey Musumeci seeing off a spirited challenge from ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks, and featherweight kickboxing titleholder Tawanchai PK.Saenchai adding Davit Kiria‘s arm to the growing list of limbs shattered by his devastating kicks.
ONE has even more fireworks in store for September, and here’s what we’re looking forward to most.
The muay Thai showdown the world’s been waiting for
It’s the striking war that’s been a long time coming.
Thai megastars Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 will finally lock horns at ONE Friday Fights 34 on September 22, with “The Iron Man” putting his flyweight muay Thai belt on the line.
The pair were originally scheduled to meet to contest Superlek’s ONE flyweight kickboxing world title at ONE Fight Night 8 in March, but an injury to Rodtang scuppered the much-anticipated bout.
With both men now healthy, though, the world will finally get an answer to who the best flyweight striker on the planet is, and it’s only fitting that their showdown will do down inside the Mecca of muay Thai, Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The World’s Best Atomweights Fight For Gold
After the success of ONE’s landmark all-female card at “ONE: Empower” in 2021, some of the promotion’s top female talent will again take center stage at ONE Fight Night 14 on September 29.
Former two-sport titleholder Stamp Fairtex (10-2) will square off with South Korean veteran Seo Hee Ham (26-8) for the ONE Interim women’s atomweight MMA world title in the evening’s main event inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and it promises to be a barnburner.
Stamp has previously held gold in both atomweight kickboxing and muay Thai, so she will be hoping to become ONE first three-sport world champion when she meets “Hamzzang.”
For her part, Ham is riding a nine-fight winning streak that includes a perfect 3-0 slate in ONE, meaning she’ll be out for ultimate glory on September 29.
Strawweight stars do battle as ONE continues to innovate
Also at ONE Fight Night 14, an intriguing strawweight special rules matchup will do down.
Longtime ONE women’s strawweight MMA world champion Xiong Jing Nan will take on multi-discipline star Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak in a hand strikes-only battle – in which they will don 4-ounce MMA gloves.
China’s Xiong has been a dominant force since joining ONE in 2017, and she has reeled off nine wins in the promotion, including winning the inaugural women’s strawweight MMA crown and defending it seven times.
Her opponent, “Wondergirl,” is a muay Thai veteran despite being only 24 years old. She recently turned her attention to MMA but has showcased her striking weaponry every time she has stepped into action.
It will be fascinating to see how both women adapt to the unqiue rule set on September 29.
Xiong vs. Jaroonsak is the latest in a line of innovative matchups put on by ONE Championship, following the success of the mixed rules super-fight between Rodtang and Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in March 2022.
