ONE CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS
Former three-sport ONE world champion Stamp Fairtex will make her long-awaited return against Kana Morimoto at ONE 173 on Sunday, November 16, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Undefeated Turkish striker Shamil Erdogan will make his heavyweight MMA debut against Ryugo Takeuchi at ONE 173 on Sunday, November 16, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The 35-year-old moves up from middleweight seeking to establish himself among the division’s elite competition.
ONE strawweight MMA world champion Joshua Pacio will challenge flyweight titleholder Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE 173 on Sunday, November 16, at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
ONE Championship returns to Tokyo on Sunday, November 16, with one of their biggest-ever fight cards, with seven championship bouts confirmed for the Ariake Arena.
Willie van Rooyen enters ONE Championship on November 7 carrying a perfect 7-0 record and EFC flyweight championship, but his debut against Avazbek Kholmirzaev represents the ultimate test. He’s facing an opponent who has already proven himself at this level.
Tengnueng Fairtex learned the hard way through his knockout loss to Maksim Bakhtin in August that fighting at a weight class where his frame couldn’t compete was a bad choice. Now, his October 17 return at ONE Friday Fights 129 against Tun Min Aung represents more than a comeback — it’s a strategic reinvention built on finding his optimal competitive weight.
Yuki Yoza enters his November 16 bantamweight kickboxing clash with Superlek at ONE 173 carrying unusual confidence. It’s not from overestimating his abilities, but from spending months mimicking the Thai legend’s exact style to help teammate Takeru Segawa prepare for their encounter.
Marcelo Garcia returns to competition on December 5 at ONE Fight Night 38, bringing his status as one of submission grappling’s all-time greats against Lachlan Giles, the Australian innovator seeking validation through defeating the sport’s most revered figure.
Liam Harrison returns to ONE Championship on December 5, facing Shinji Suzuki in a bantamweight kickboxing contest where both veterans need victories to validate their continued presence in the promotion.
Fabricio Andrade has built his championship reign on devastating Muay Thai and finishing instincts, but his December 5 title defense against Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu at ONE Fight Night 38 presents a completely different threat — one that wants nothing to do with standing exchanges.
Winning titles feels different than defending them. Yuya Wakamatsu discovered that truth after capturing the ONE flyweight MMA world championship in March. He now faces the ultimate test when Joshua Pacio challenges his reign at ONE 173 on November 16 in Tokyo.
