English

South China Morning Post

Today News

12

ONE Fight Night 22: Smilla Sundell overcomes tough week to knock Natalia Diachkova through ropes after difficult opening round

www.scmp.com

Swedish fighter missed weight ahead of the bout, tipping the scales at 1.5lbs (0.68kg) over and so missed out on prize money of US$50,000.

Thursday, May 2

10

ONE Championship: ‘Autistic’ Muay Thai champ Smilla Sundell’s biggest obstacle might be outgrowing weight division

www.scmp.com

The Swedish 19-year-old – who headlines Fight Night 22 – is growing in size, and ONE Championship does not currently have any female flyweights.

Wednesday, May 1

09

ONE Championship: Zhang Lipeng hopes title quest begins against Maurice Abevi, assesses compatriots on One Fight Night 22

www.scmp.com

The 35-year-old, part of a three-man Chinese contingent at the ONE Championship event, still dreams of winning the lightweight title this year.

Tuesday, Apr 30

08

ONE Fight Night 23: Jackie Buntan v Anissa Meksen in main event for inaugural strawweight kickboxing title

www.scmp.com

Buntan has been competing in this division for her entire professional career and previously fought while Meksen is moving up in weight.

Monday, Apr 29

09

Chinese veteran Wei Rui set for ONE Championship debut against Hiroko Akimoto on back of 20-bout winning streak

www.scmp.com

The 34-year-old, who will appear in a bantamweight kickboxing contest at ONE Fight Night 22, has tasted just three defeats, the last one in 2018.

Friday, Apr 26

08

ONE Championship: Muay Thai veterans Liam Harrison, Seksan Or Kwanmuang to face off in catchweight bout in Denver

www.scmp.com

Their meeting on September 6, booked for the 18,000-capacity Ball Arena, will be ONE Championship’s second event in the US.

Thursday, Apr 25

ONE Championship: New strawweight champion Joshua Pacio’s expected rematch with Jarred Brooks off after ACL injury

www.scmp.com

Filipino recently won the belt off the American but it is now unlikely he will be able to defend it until 2025, meaning any upcoming title decider is postponed.

Wednesday, Apr 24

10

Japanese K1 kickboxer Masaaki Noiri signs with ONE Championship, following in footsteps of fellow champs Takeru, Wei Rui

www.scmp.com

The 30-year-old Japanese, who will compete in the promotion’s stacked featherweight division, said on social media he had ‘finally arrived’.

08

ONE Championship: Tynan to face Cerilli in Bangkok as march to heavyweight MMA title belt continues

www.scmp.com

Ben Tynan is two for two in ONE Championship after finishing Duke Didier inside a round, while Mauro Cerilli has had mixed results since signing in 2018.

Tuesday, Apr 23

10

China’s Yong wants to wow fans by stopping McLaren at ONE Championship bout to earn potential title shot

www.scmp.com

Hu Yong hopes ‘heavy punches and great physical strength and fitness’ will see him past Australian opponent in fight at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.

Friday, Apr 19

23

Trouble sleeping? More exercise could be the answer, study suggests; martial artist and runner attests to its power

www.scmp.com

Trail running and taking up martial arts reduced insomnia and anxiety for Hong Kong corporate communications worker Michelle Sum. Regular exercise was also shown to reduce insomnia in a recent study.

06

ONE Championship: Adrian Lee to continue family legacy, with teen set to become fourth sibling to compete

www.scmp.com

Christian Lee holds lightweight and welterweight titles, while Angela Lee was reigning atomweight champion but retired at 27.

Thursday, Apr 18

03

ONE Championship: Rodtang faces Denis Puric in flyweight kickboxing bout at ONE 167

www.scmp.com

Clash gives Bosnian Puric the fight he called for after beating Jacob Smith at ONE Fight Night 21.

Wednesday, Apr 17

07

ONE Championship: veteran Nong-O Gaiyanghadao storms past rising star Kulabdam and declares that ‘the king is back’

www.scmp.com

Victory came off the back of successive defeats as the 37-year-old took the opportunity to hit back at critics and now seeks title shot.

Monday, Apr 15

09

ONE Championship: Swedish champion Smilla Sundell back in ring after 8 month break due to fight cancellations

www.scmp.com

The strawweight Muay Thai title-holder was to fight England’s Iman Barlow, but she retired instead, while a bout against Jackie Buntan also fell through.

Sunday, Apr 14

UFC 300: Zhang Weili wins historic all-China bout in co-main event, Conor McGregor comeback announced

www.scmp.com

Mixed martial arts promotion stages its first title bout between two Chinese fighters, while Conor McGregor is to make long-awaited comeback, UFC president Dana White says.

Thursday, Apr 11

13

ONE Championship: limb-different Muay Thai fighter Jake Peacock ready for more after impressive debut win

www.scmp.com

After comfortably beating Kohei Shinjo, the Englishman is looking to build on his momentum and ready for bigger challenges in the bantamweight division.

06

ONE Fight Night 22: Wei Rui leads Chinese contingent in Bangkok with bantamweight kickboxing clash against Hiroki Akimoto a potential title eliminator

www.scmp.com

Kickboxing legend one of three fighters from China on the night, with Hu Yong facing Reece McLaren in MMA bout and Zhang Lipeng facing Maurice Abevi.

Tuesday, Apr 9

10

ONE Championship: CEO Chatri Sityodtong says plan this year is international expansion, showcasing other combat sports

www.scmp.com

This year will see more events away from Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium, and numbered nights featuring combat sports other than Muay Thai.

Saturday, Apr 6

09

ONE Championship: Eersel stunned by Nicolas in kickboxing title clash, Superbon bags interim belt

www.scmp.com

Two-sport champion Regian Eersel loses lightweight kickboxing title to Alexis Nicolas at ONE Fight Night 21.

Friday, Apr 5

10

ONE Friday Fights 58: defending champion Di Bella pulls out of kickboxing title bout at last minute, fails hydration test

www.scmp.com

Italian-Canadian Jonathan Di Bella had been expected to defending hi strawweight crown against Prajanchai PKSanchaigym.

Thursday, Apr 4

14

ONE Championship: Smilla Sundell to make second defence of her strawweight Muay Thai title against Natalia Diachkova

www.scmp.com

The Swedish teenager will face the 29-year-old Russian at ONE Fight Night 22 in Bangkok on May 4.

12

ONE Championship: 13 years after his first title, strawweight kickboxer Prajanchai PK Saenchaigym says best is yet to come

www.scmp.com

The Thai had expected to face Canada’s Jonathan Di Bella at ONE Friday Fights 58 for the strawweight kickboxing crown.

Wednesday, Apr 3

10

ONE Championship: submission grappling champion Tye Ruotolo says Izaak Michell will be his ‘most difficult opponent’ so far

www.scmp.com

The American makes the first defence of his belt at ONE Fight Night 21 on Saturday, against an opponent who has won his past six matches.

Monday, Apr 1

11

ONE Championship: Jonathan Di Bella expects step up against Prajanchai in strawweight kickboxing title bout

www.scmp.com

The Canadian has won all his 18 fights, but says he will be the underdog against one of the best Muay Thai fighters in the world.

Thursday, Mar 28

03

Stamp Fairtex, Superlek Kiatmoo9 to step up in weight for world championship super fights at ONE 168 in Denver

www.scmp.com

Stamp Fairtex will battle MMA strawweight champion Xiong Jing Nan, while Superlek Kiatmoo9 takes on Jonathan Haggerty for British fighter’s bantamweight Muay Thai crown.

Tuesday, Mar 26

11

ONE Championship: Superbon Singha Mawynn takes first step towards regaining kickboxing crown when he faces Marat Grigorian

www.scmp.com

The 33-year-old Thai is the headline act at ONE Friday Fights 58, where he faces the Armenian for the interim featherweight kickboxing world title.

Monday, Mar 25

08

ONE Championship: Sinsamut and Menshikov to clash for another shot at Regian Eersel’s Muay Thai belt

www.scmp.com

Sinsamut Klinmee and Dmitry Menshikov are top two contenders in lightweight Muay Thai division, and have both previously lost title fights against champion Regian Eersel.

Friday, Mar 22

09

ONE Championship: Muay Thai veteran Nong-O Gaiyanghadao vows to become world champion again before calling it quits

www.scmp.com

Thai legend faces compatriot Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek Uthai at ONE Friday Fights 58, and wants to clear out the bantamweight division one last time and recapture the title.

Wednesday, Mar 20

One Championship: Chinese fighter Tang Kai makes up for lost time by finally defending his title, hopes for home fight

www.scmp.com

Featherweight champion had to wait almost two years to defend his title after a knee injury cost him all of 2023, and the 28-year-old now hopes to fight in his homeland.