FULL CARD ANNOUNCED FOR ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD IN BANGKOK ON 9 DECEMBER
YOSHITAKA NAITO TO DEFEND ONE STRAWWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AGAINST ALEX SILVA
SHANNON WIRATCHAI TAKES ON RASUL YAKHYAEV IN ONE LIGHTWEIGHT WO
RLD CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE ELIMINATOR
28 November 2017 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the full card for ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD, set for 9 December at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. The absolute best in local and international martial arts talent are ready to take the ONE Championship cage by storm to showcase their unique skills. In the main event, reigning ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka Naito will defend his title against Alex Silva. In the co-main event, Thai martial arts hero Shannon Wiratchai battles Rasul Yakhyaev in a ONE Lightweight World Championship title eliminator.
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “Bangkok is among the most thrilling places in the world to visit, because the fans are so passionate and energetic. ONE Championship always has a great time when we are out here. The atmosphere we create at the Impact Arena is unique and you have to experience it yourself. This main event we have lined up is sure to produce fireworks, as Yoshitaka Naito prepares to defend his belt against Alex Silva. Fans will certainly not want to miss all the action that is set for ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD.”
Reigning and defending ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Matsudo, Japan, is unbeaten in his professional career with a perfect 12-0 record. He owns six victories by submission and one by knockout. The 33-year-old, who made a name for himself at Japan’s world famous Korakuen Hall competing for Shooto as its Flyweight Champion, captured the ONE Strawweight World Championship by submitting Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in his promotional debut in 2016. Naito makes the second defense of his strawweight belt against Alex Silva.
Alex “Little Rock” Silva of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a second-degree black belt and Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion feared for his relentless pursuit of submission finishes. Silva is riding high on a five-bout winning streak, rapidly climbing ONE Championship’s stacked strawweight ranks. He is a technical grappling specialist with a penchant for securing highlight-reel submissions. With steadily increasing confidence, Silva’s last five victories have all ended in spectacular fashion. In his most recent contest, Silva made quick work of the highly-regarded and previously unbeaten Hayato Suzuki, earning him an opportunity for the ONE Strawweight World Championship.
Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand is one of the most thrilling offensive innovators in ONE Championship. The creator of the OneShin Striking System, Wiratchai developed his own style which incorporates various elements from Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Training out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab, Wiratchai emerges as Thailand’s biggest and most exciting martial arts star. In his last bout, Wiratchai made quick work of Rajinder Singh Meena, stopping his foe with a knee to the abdomen in less than 30 seconds into the first round. Wiratchai seeks to continue his winning ways as he faces Rasul Yakhyaev in the co-main event of the evening.
26-year-old Rasul Yakhyaev of Grozny, Russia, is a lightweight who has racked up a solid following over his seven-year professional career. A jiu-jitsu and combat sambo practitioner, he is adept in both striking and mat techniques, and is considered a solid contender with tremendous combat skills. A well-rounded warrior, four of Yakhyaev’s victories have come by submission while three have come by knockout. After establishing a name for himself in Eastern Europe, he made his ONE Championship debut in December of 2015, and now seeks to take his career to the next level against Shannon Wiratchai.
19-year-old Christian “The Warrior” Lee, younger brother of reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee, began his professional career on an absolute tear, railing off five straight victories by thrilling finish. He has impressed fans with his ability to seek out stoppage wins over top-caliber opponents. A former Pankration World Champion, Lee toppled fellow top featherweight Keanu Subba of Malaysia in his most recent bout, winning by third-round submission in a competitive contest to improve his record to 7-1. Known as a creative and fluid striker with unorthodox grappling technique, Lee is now set to face veteran Kotetsu Boku.
Kotetsu “No Face” Boku, although originally from South Korea, is a Japanese martial arts veteran and the former ONE Lightweight World Champion. With more than 30 professional bouts on his resume, Boku has the experience of a seasoned professional and has seen it all inside the cage. Always a crowd pleaser, Boku utilizes his dynamic boxing background with stunning knockout power to subdue his opponents. In his last bout, Boku finished elite Filipino warrior Eric Kelly by third-round technical knockout. He’ll now get the chance to put on a show once again opposite Christian Lee.
Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a three-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai world champion who has a 8-2 professional record as a martial artist. He is known as a technical striker with quick hands and lightning feet, employing some of the most unique and creative offensive combinations. As a martial artist with over 25 years of competitive experience, Dejdamrong is a seasoned veteran. In his last bout, Dejdamrong took on the Philippines’ Robin Catalan to bag a second-round technical knockout victory. Next, the Thai warrior goes up against Riku Shibuya.
Japanese martial arts sensation Riku “The Outsider” Shibuya won the hearts of fans with his exciting, unorthodox style and powerful combinations. With a professional record of 13-4-2, Shibuya has figured in a series of exciting battles throughout his martial arts career. A former ONE Flyweight World Championship title challenger, Shibuya is a veteran and easily one of the most enjoyable competitors to watch. After a short recuperative break in competition, Shibuya returned to the ONE Championship cage against Gianni Subba last August. Shibuya now looks to take on Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in what should be an intense matchup.
Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 28-year-old female atomweight from Thailand who trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age 9 with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist, and turned professional earlier this year. All of Ishige’s victories have ended via impressive finish, showcasing her high-level grappling skills. Ishige looks to get back on the winning track when she takes on Rome Trinidad.
20-year-old Rome “The Rebel” Trinidad of Manila, Philippines is set to make her ONE Championship debut. The atomweight competitor is a practitioner of Sikaran, an ancient martial arts discipline which originated from Rizal province in the Philippines. With no written history, Sikaran was passed on from generation to generation by succession. A former National Sikaran Champion training out of Elorde Gym, Trinidad is ready to showcase her skills to the world. She takes on Thai martial arts star Rika Ishige in her first assignment.
“The Panda” Xiong Jingnan of Shandong is an upcoming female flyweight contender in ONE Championship, and is known as one of the top three leading female martial arts talents in China. With a professional record of 9-1, Xiong began her career competing in professional boxing and was inspired by her father, who imparted in her values of courage and integrity. Featuring a wide array of skills, Xiong recently bagged a gold medal at the prestigious China Open Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament in 2017. With a penchant for scoring highlight reel finishes and executing powerful slams, Xiong has chosen to join ONE Championship as the ultimate test of her skills. Training at Phuket Top Team, and representing Alliance China, Xiong aims to showcase her martial arts talent to a global audience. She faces the Philippines’ April Osenio in her ONE Championship debut.
Atomweight standout April Osenio of the Philippines is a member of the famed Team Lakay and is one of its fiercest female warriors. The 23-year-old trains out of the high altitudes of Baguio City along with her more experienced Team Lakay brothers, such as Honorio “The Rock” Banario and Eduard “Landslide” Folayang. A former National Wushu Champion in the Philippines with solid striking and grappling skills, Osenio looks to climb the atomweight ladder to become one of the top talents in the division. In her last bout, Osenio dropped a submission loss to Taiwan’s Jenny Huang, who went on to challenge for the world title. She now seeks redemption, as she steps into the ONE Championship cage against Xiong Jingnan.
30-year-old Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai is a Muay Thai specialist and a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion who has won every major title in Muay Thai. Concluding his Muay Thai career with a record of 162-62-1, Petpayathai made his professional cage debut last March at home in Bangkok, defeating Malaysia’s Kelvin Ong via first-round technical knockout. Voted by Thai media as one of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners in history, Petpayathai is known for his highly technical knowledge in all of Muay Thai’s varied techniques. In his last bout, Petpayathai finished Mahmoud Mohamed via first-round technical knockout. Petpayathai will be taking on Jimmy Yabo next.
36-year-old Jimmy “The Silencer” Yabo is a former Cebuano Featherweight Champion from the Philippines and a veteran of the ONE Championship cage. The martial artist boasts one of the best finishing percentages in the division, having stopped all five of his opponents by either knockout or technical knockout. Although Yabo has experienced highs and lows throughout his career, the dedicated martial artist is looking to add one more to the win column. A taekwondo and boxing specialist, Yabo will have to go through talented Muay Thai star Sagetdao Petpayathai to earn the victory.
Former WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan “Little Tyson” Sityodtong of Thailand is known as a devastatingly powerful puncher, with the ability to utilize his heavy hands to stop foes with trademark combinations. With 47 knockouts in boxing and all three of his victories inside the ONE Championship cage ending in similar fashion, expect Sityodtong to always be on the lookout for an abrupt ending to his contests. Currently riding a two-bout winning streak, Sityodtong will be going for win number three against Dodi Mardian.
Indonesia’s Dodi “The Maung” Mardian is a former Silat practitioner and an Indonesian combat sports veteran. A practitioner of Muay Thai and sanda, Mardian made his cage debut in 2016 after deciding to showcase his talent on the biggest stage of competition. The 33-year-old is looking to make a name for himself in ONE Championship, as he seeks to put his skills to the test in Asia’s toughest proving ground for martial arts. In his next contest, Mardian will take on Yodsanan Sityodtong.
Strawweight contender Kritsada “Dream Man” Kongsrichai of Thailand is a martial artist and one of the most promising young athletes in ONE Championship. He made his promotional debut in ONE’s first ever show in Bangkok in 2016, stopping opponent Kev Hemmorlor via first-round technical knockout. In his last outing, Kongsrichai made quick work of Indonesia’s Adrian Matheis, finishing his opponent via first-round technical knockout. Kongsrichai is now set to return to the ONE Championship cage to give another spectacular performance, this time against Rabin Catalan.
31-year-old Rabin “The Rock” Catalan of Iloilo City, Philippines, is a wushu practitioner and a well-rounded martial artist. Featuring heavy hands and lightning quick feet, Catalan made his first ONE Championship appearance against Filipino compatriot Joshua Pacio in April of 2016, showcasing tremendous heart and determination. A powerful striker, Catalan will step back inside the ONE Championship cage looking for victory against Thai standout Kritsada Kongsrichai.
25-year-old Tang De Pan of Changsha, China is a Sanda practitioner and is currently unbeaten as a professional in martial arts. A former Chinese National Wrestling Champion, Tang is highly-aggressive and relentless, always looking for the quick finish. Making his ONE Championship debut in January of 2016, Tang defeated countryman Zhou Biao with a highlight-reel knockout by slamming his opponent emphatically to the mat. Tang now returns to competition after a recuperative break to face Asraful Islam.
21-year-old bantamweight Asraful “Warrior” Islam of Dhaka, Bangladesh, is a martial artist making his professional debut. With an amateur career that saw him go a perfect 2-0, Islam is the former UFI Bantamweight Champion. Specializing in wushu, boxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Islam is incredibly well-rounded and is ready to put his skills on full display. A former National Wushu Champion in Bangladesh, Islam makes his ONE Championship debut against Tang De Pan.
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About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1 billion potential viewers across 128+ countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.
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