One Championship Writer - Sidekick Boxing

Teenage Sensation Reiji Meets Hardened Portuguese Veteran Rui Botelho In Tokyo

One Championship Writer — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 06:39:01 +0000

Reiji is 18 years old, unbeaten in ONE Championship, and already the owner of domestic titles in Japan. His next opponent has spent years in the ring with world champions.

The Nanseikaikan prospect faces European Kickboxing Champion Rui Botelho in strawweight kickboxing at ONE SAMURAI 5 on Wednesday, November 18, at Tokyo’s EBARA WAVE Arena Ota. The event is headlined by Joshua “The Passion” Pacio defending his ONE Strawweight MMA World Title against Keito “Pocket Monk” Yamakita.

Reiji holds a 10-3 professional record and has started his ONE run perfectly. He beat Sheng Yi Hang by unanimous decision in his debut at The Inner Circle 11 in April, then outpointed fellow Japanese prospect Shoma Okumura at ONE SAMURAI 2 four months later.

Slick footwork and razor-sharp counters carried him through both outings. Botelho, however, represents a completely different level of experience.

The Portuguese veteran has shared the ring with ONE Strawweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Di Bella and “The Angel Warrior” Panpayak Jitmuangnon. He also owns two split-decision wins over former World Title challenger “Fighting Rooster” Zhang Peimian, the most recent in September 2025.

That history of spoiling the division’s brightest young talents makes him a dangerous assignment for a teenager on the rise. A win would mark Reiji as one of the most promising names in Japanese kickboxing.

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The matchup pits youthful momentum directly against hard-earned experience, and Tokyo will be watching closely.

Another home-grown bantamweight kickboxing bout joins the card as well. GUMP “Mr. No Damage,” a 23-year-old Team Teppen product with a 19-5 striking record, faces 29-year-old Shuto Inui, who makes his ONE debut.

GUMP arrived in ONE in 2025 and won twice on ONE Friday Fights, and he now competes in front of a home crowd that will only sharpen his determination to keep his winning streak alive. Inui, by contrast, gets the chance to turn his first appearance on the global stage into a career-changing upset.

The post Teenage Sensation Reiji Meets Hardened Portuguese Veteran Rui Botelho In Tokyo first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Former Strawweight King Jarred Brooks Seeks A Fresh Start Against Veteran Tatsumitsu Wada

One Championship Writer — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 06:36:21 +0000

The last time Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks felt truly at home, he was ruling the strawweight MMA division. After three straight setbacks, the American is heading back there.

Brooks faces Japanese veteran Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada at ONE SAMURAI 5 on Wednesday, November 18, at Tokyo’s EBARA WAVE Arena Ota. The card is headlined by reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio defending against Keito “Pocket Monk” Yamakita.

Since joining ONE in 2021, Brooks has leaned on suffocating wrestling and relentless pressure to beat Lito Adiwang, Hiroba Minowa, and Bokang Masunyane. That run peaked at ONE 164 in December 2022, when he outworked Pacio over five rounds to take the undisputed belt.

He lost it back to the Filipino by disqualification after an illegal slam in their 2024 rematch, then rebounded by submitting Gustavo Balart in round one for interim gold. Since then, a split-decision loss at flyweight, a second-round TKO against Pacio in their trilogy, and a north-south choke from Mansur Malachiev have followed.

Wada will not make the comeback easy. The former DEEP Flyweight Champion has competed in ONE since 2018, reached the 2019 ONE Flyweight MMA World Grand Prix semifinals, and took Demetrious Johnson the full distance.

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The Japanese veteran returned to winning ways at ONE SAMURAI 1 in April, edging Seiichiro Ito by split decision for the 27th win of his career. He now drops to strawweight with a career-defining opportunity in front of him.

ONE SAMURAI 5 also gains a heavyweight MMA collision between two Japanese power punchers. Ryugo Takeuchi, a 23-year-old judo black belt who stopped Kang Ji Won in 98 seconds, meets 28-year-old debutant Brandon Hashimoto, whose 8-2 record is built largely on knockouts.

For Brooks, though, the night carries extra meaning. A win over a respected veteran at his best weight would go a long way toward proving his days as a title threat are not behind him.

The post Former Strawweight King Jarred Brooks Seeks A Fresh Start Against Veteran Tatsumitsu Wada first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Johan Ghazali And Rustam Yunusov Have Already Fought Three Times, And Both Want A Fourth

One Championship Writer — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 06:31:16 +0000

Long before either teenager reached Lumpinee Stadium, Johan “Jojo” Ghazali and Rustam “Tomahawk” Yunusov were trading shots at the IFMA World Youth Muay Thai Championships. Yunusov won their first two meetings, and Ghazali took the third in 2022.

Now 19 and both thriving in ONE Championship, the old rivals are circling each other again. This time, the opening exchanges are happening in interviews.

Yunusov fired first after outpointing Thai veteran Suriyanlek Por Yenying by unanimous decision in the main event of The Inner Circle 34 at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The win kept the Russian perfect at 18-0, including 9-0 in ONE, and pushed him closer to a US$100,000 main roster contract.

Rather than talk up a rematch, the One Chance and Tomahawk Kamilov Team product chose to take a swipe at the Malaysian-American’s profile outside the ring.

“What I can say about Johan – I cannot say anything, because I don’t want to fight with actors. I fight with fighters. Johan has to film Malaysian films,” Yunusov said.

Ghazali was in no mood to be wounded by it. Fresh from avenging his earlier loss to Diego Paez at The Inner Circle 35, the Rentap Muaythai Gym and Superbon Training Camp athlete treated the jab as flattery.

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“Thank you very much. Thank you so much [for the compliment]. It’s not easy to look like me. It’s not easy to be as rich as me. It’s not easy to be as influential as me. So I take it as a compliment,” Ghazali said.

The humor did not hide his intent. Ghazali, now 28-11, holds the most recent win in their youth trilogy and believes he would extend that edge on the global stage.

He has heard Yunusov calling for this fight for some time. If the fans want it, he is more than willing to oblige, and he already knows how he would celebrate.

“Rustam, you’ve been calling for this fight for a while. If the fans want to see it, I have no problem. Let’s do it, and I’ll beat you again like the last time I did. And then, I’ll make a movie about it,” he said.

The post Johan Ghazali And Rustam Yunusov Have Already Fought Three Times, And Both Want A Fourth first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Nabil Anane Fires Back At “Boring” Yuki Yoza After Tokyo Win

One Championship Writer — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 19:12:35 +0000

Yuki Yoza branded his style boring after their fight. Nabil Anane responded the way a modern fighter often does, by firing off a post that left little room for misunderstanding.

The 22-year-old had just outpointed Yoza by unanimous decision in bantamweight kickboxing at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. He controlled the opening round with knees to the body before weathering Yoza’s calf kicks over the final two frames.

That was no small feat. Less than six months earlier, the Japanese K-1 Champion had gone five rounds with Jonathan “The General” Haggerty, yet Anane made the night look routine.

Yoza’s post-fight remark, however, did not sit well. The Algerian-Thai star took to Facebook with a reply that wasted no words.

“Boring? How the h*ll is that boring?! You said you’d break my legs, so I fought you under your rules, and this is all you could do? If you want an exciting fight, come fight me in Muay Thai. I guarantee it’ll be exciting!” Anane wrote.

“This is exhausting. You’re the one who’s boring. I’m the one who should be saying, ‘I thought this would be much harder than it actually was.'”

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The win carried extra weight for a fighter who had entered on consecutive losses to Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon and Suakim Pongsuphan PK. Critics had started questioning him again, despite an eight-fight unbeaten run earlier in his ONE career.

The Venum Training Camp and Team Mehdi Zatout athlete answered them in the same post. Rather than gloat, he struck a reflective tone that revealed how he views his own development.

“I’m just a human being like everyone else, and I still have a lot to improve. I know that myself. No matter how good my physical condition is or how many fights I win, I still have to look at what I can do better,” Anane wrote.

“Who wants to stay in the same place forever? I’m trying to become a better person in every aspect of my life, every single day.”

The post Nabil Anane Fires Back At “Boring” Yuki Yoza After Tokyo Win first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Masaaki Noiri Hid An Injury To Reach The Grigorian Final He Always Wanted

One Championship Writer — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:59:21 +0000

Masaaki Noiri had just booked his place in a tournament final, yet the first thing he offered the Tokyo crowd was an apology. A split-decision win, it turns out, was never going to satisfy him.

The former ONE Interim Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion edged Mohammad Siasarani over three rounds in the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament semifinals at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, inside Ariake Arena. He managed the distance with sharp calf kicks while the Iranian made him work for every round with crisp counters.

For a man who won interim gold by stopping Tawanchai PK Saenchai and flattened Liu “Spirit Dragon” Mengyang in the quarterfinals, a close verdict felt like unfinished business.

“This might not have been a good enough result [for me]. I know Siasarani is a very tough fighter; I couldn’t KO him. I received a lot of power from the fans, and I’m sorry I couldn’t knock him out,” Noiri said.

The reward for that grit is the matchup he has coveted since the bracket was drawn. Marat Grigorian beat Mamuka Usubyan in the quarterfinals and was sent straight to the final after Luo Chao missed weight and was disqualified.

The 33-year-old Team Vasileus star has wanted to face the Armenian for years.

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“He is powerful, very strong. One of the strongest athletes. We used to be in different weight classes, and I’ve always wanted to fight him. And now, I’m going to be able to fight Marat Grigorian. I’m very happy,” Noiri said.

“He advanced without fighting, which was maybe not the best way, but now we’re here, and now we’re gonna do it.”

The Japanese star also revealed he had carried a secret into the semifinal.

“Honestly, I was injured before the fight, and during the fight I was trying to kind of hide that, but I was in a lot of pain. Marat is not the type of opponent I can fight injured. I need to be completely ready to take on a guy like him,” he said.

“The main goal was to fight Grigorian in the final of the tournament. I don’t know when that will be, but I’m ready. I’ve always wanted to fight Grigorian. It’s going to be a great fight.”

The post Masaaki Noiri Hid An Injury To Reach The Grigorian Final He Always Wanted first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Tokyo Dreams Fell For Jihin Radzuan As Itsuki Hirata Leveled Their Rivalry

One Championship Writer — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 17:46:41 +0000

Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan arrived in Tokyo assuming nobody would recognize her. By the time she left, strangers had queued at her hotel for photographs, some clutching printed pictures of the Malaysian.

That warmth came on a difficult night. The 28-year-old dropped a unanimous decision to Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata in their women’s atomweight MMA rematch at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, as the Japanese judoka leaned on improved grappling to reverse their 2022 meeting.

Back at ONE X in March of that year, Jihin had handed Hirata the first defeat of her professional career with a split decision. This time, Hirata’s takedowns and control proved decisive, though the Malaysian’s punches and kicks landed whenever the fight stayed upright.

For the Johor Bahru native, a former Malaysian National Wushu Champion, her first competitive trip to Japan still delivered something special. The reaction began in the hotel lobby and followed her all the way out of the cage.

“I love the crowd. I love getting back to fighting on the big stage, doing the [opening] ceremony, and fighting in the cage. The feeling is so awesome as an MMA fighter. Fighting in Japan, everyone thought nobody knew me. Actually, people stopped me at the hotel to take pictures, asking me for autographs. They even had printed photos of me,” Jihin said.

“When I got out of the cage, people were rooting for me. They were saying, ‘You did a good job,’ and ‘Do your best next time.’ So far, nothing bad.”

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Those words of encouragement have done nothing to dull her competitive streak. Jihin knows the grappling exchanges cost her, and she plans to address them before stepping back into the Circle.

With the pair now locked at one win apiece, a deciding chapter feels almost inevitable. Jihin is not usually one for repeat matchups, but she is happy to make an exception for this rivalry.

“Of course, now it’s one-one. Why not? As a fighter, I don’t really like to fight the same opponent every single time, but let’s do it. Let’s do the trilogy,” she said.

The post Tokyo Dreams Fell For Jihin Radzuan As Itsuki Hirata Leveled Their Rivalry first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Aliff Sor Dechapan Finally Gets His Shot At Prajanchai In Strawweight Muay Thai Unification Bout

One Championship Writer — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 06:51:32 +0000

Nearly a year after earning the right to face Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK, Aliff Sor Dechapan finally gets his chance. The ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion meets the reigning divisional king in a title unification bout at The Inner Circle 43 on Friday, December 18.

The five-round showdown takes place at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium and streams live in Asia primetime exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com. Only one man will leave with undisputed strawweight Muay Thai gold.

Aliff first earned his title shot with a unanimous decision over Ramadan “The Scorpion” Ondash at ONE Fight Night 38 in December 2025. Months after his kickboxing rematch with Jonathan Di Bella at ONE Fight Night 36 in October 2025, however, Prajanchai suffered an injury that required surgery.

Rather than wait on the sidelines, the 22-year-old kept moving. In July at The Inner Circle 23, he knocked out the legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao in the fifth round to capture interim gold and become the first Malaysian to win a ONE World Title.

That performance earned him a US$50,000 bonus and a hero’s welcome at home, where Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim joined the celebrations. It also extended his winning streak to six and lifted his record to 63-9.

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The Sor Dechapan representative uses his rangy frame to keep opponents at the end of his shots, chops at the body with his left kick, and waits patiently to counter. Six of his 10 promotional wins have come in highlight-reel fashion.

Prajanchai, meanwhile, has only just eased back into action. The 32-year-old PK Saenchai Muaythaigym star returned at The Inner Circle 35 in kickboxing and lost a razor-close split decision to “The Warrior” Wang Junguang.

That setback does little to dim a resume that includes 344 career wins and a reign as a two-sport ONE World Champion. During a six-fight tear, he outpointed Di Bella in their first kickboxing meeting and finished both Sam-A and Joseph Lasiri.

A sharp teep, an elite fight IQ, and an ability to read rhythm within moments have long made him the standard in this division. On December 18, a young Malaysian who has already rewritten history once gets his chance to prove that standard has changed.

The post Aliff Sor Dechapan Finally Gets His Shot At Prajanchai In Strawweight Muay Thai Unification Bout first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Nadaka Finally Joins His Eiwa Teammates In The Bonus Club After Head Kick Knockout

One Championship Writer — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 06:44:29 +0000

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Everyone at Eiwa Sports Gym had already pocketed a performance bonus except Nadaka Yoshinari. After ONE SAMURAI 4, the reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion finally has some bragging of his own to do.

The 25-year-old retained his crown at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, knocking out Malaysian challenger Rifdean “Magic Boy” Masdor with a left head kick at 0:58 of the second round inside Tokyo’s Ariake Arena. Rifdean had missed weight and was ineligible to win the belt.

For a fighter who is rarely satisfied with anything, the finish meant more than usual. His kickboxing debut against Har Ling Om at ONE SAMURAI 3 last month ended in a comfortable unanimous decision that still left him quietly frustrated.

“Last time, I wasn’t really happy with my performance. So this time, I thought I’d bring all of that kind of dissatisfaction from the last fight into this fight,” Nadaka said.

“My opponent was very strong. But because of that, I think the fight was really entertaining, and it was just a great fight overall. And that technique that I finished him with, it’s one that I had practiced.”

The knockout snapped a run of three straight fights that had gone the distance and extended his winning streak to 43. It also marked his second successful World Title defense.

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Better still, it brought him a six-figure performance bonus, the one prize his teammates had already claimed. That group includes his cousin, #4-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Shimon Yoshinari, along with the rest of the Eiwa team.

Nadaka is not usually one to chase outside validation, but this particular reward clearly carried extra weight inside the Eiwa camp. He already knows how he plans to celebrate.

“Everyone on my team from Eiwa Sports Gym has gotten a bonus. It was just me without the bonus, and I was really happy to get that bonus with a good victory today in front of everyone,” he said.

“I’m going to talk to everybody and maybe joke around and boast a little bit.”

The post Nadaka Finally Joins His Eiwa Teammates In The Bonus Club After Head Kick Knockout first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Jonathan Haggerty Eyes Two-Sport Glory Again After Stopping Hiroki Akimoto

One Championship Writer — Tue, 20 Oct 2026 06:40:54 +0000

Fresh off another title defense in Tokyo, Jonathan “The General” Haggerty is already thinking about a second belt. The ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion believes the Muay Thai gold he once held is well within reach.

Haggerty retained his crown with a third-round stoppage of former titleholder Hiroki Akimoto in the main event of ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, at Ariake Arena. A knee and a final flurry 42 seconds into the round prompted Akimoto’s corner to throw in the towel.

The win was his third successful defense, kept him perfect at 4-0 in kickboxing, and earned him a US$100,000 performance bonus. Before looking ahead, the 29-year-old Londoner made a point of honoring the man who pushed him.

“[Akimoto was] a great opponent, you know. It was a pleasure to share the Circle with him in Japan. He had all the skill set to be the best as well. But, obviously, the best man turned up to win tonight – and that was me. And that is why I am the best in the world at this weight,” Haggerty said.

Akimoto had waited four years for another shot at the gold he once held, rebuilding himself with three straight wins to earn it in front of his countrymen. Haggerty felt that determination firsthand, including a clean hook that briefly rattled him in the opening round.

With the challenger dispatched, the conversation quickly turned to where the Team Underground and Knowlesy Academy star goes next. His answer points back to the sport that first made him famous.

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Long before he ruled bantamweight kickboxing, Haggerty captured ONE Muay Thai World Titles at both flyweight and bantamweight. The bantamweight Muay Thai belt now belongs to Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri, and with his kickboxing reign in full flight, the Englishman has every reason to chase it.

He sees no threat to his current crown in the meantime. As far as he is concerned, the kickboxing division has nobody left who can solve him.

“For me, two-sport World Champion sounds good to me. I think I might be top now. [In kickboxing], I don’t think there is anybody in [this] division that could beat me, and I’m gonna stay the champion,” he said.

The post Jonathan Haggerty Eyes Two-Sport Glory Again After Stopping Hiroki Akimoto first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.

Olivia Bahsous And Malia Weaver Take Their Online Rivalry Into The Ring At The Inner Circle 35

One Championship Writer — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:51:35 +0000

Weeks of videos and sharp words online have built a genuine rivalry. Now Olivia “Diamond” Bahsous and Malia Weaver, both just 16, get to settle it with their fists.

The pair meet in a three-round women’s atomweight Muay Thai bout at The Inner Circle 35 on Friday, October 16, live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium. The event streams exclusively for subscribers at live.onefc.com.

Bahsous does not see their exchanges as harmless fun. The Canadian won three consecutive IFMA Junior World Championships before arriving in ONE, and she believes Weaver’s call-out suggests a newcomer can skip the work it took to get there.

“Beef? What beef? That’s just me. She called me out, and I take that very personally because she thinks that she could skip steps to be where I am,” Bahsous said.

“And because of that, she’s letting other people know that you can just call me out and be able to get onto this stage, ONE Championship, when they haven’t put the same hours in that I have.”

Weaver sees it differently, explaining that the “Olivia Slayer” nickname came from a fan and that she simply reposted it.

“We have been making videos back and forth, but at the end of the day, I don’t know how she feels on her part,” Weaver said.

“None of the videos I make are to put her down. If you look at my videos, none of them are rude or disrespectful toward her. They’re more just funny.”

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Bahsous has backed up her words so far. She stopped Phontip Khlongtoeiyouthcenter in 89 seconds at The Inner Circle 19 in June, then finished Nonglek Krudamgym 48 seconds into the second round at ONE Friday Fights 164 in July.

Weaver, a 2024 TBA Classic World Championships titleholder with an unbeaten professional record, makes her promotional debut after sharpening her game at Fairtex Training Center in Pattaya. Despite it being her first fight in 4-ounce gloves, she has no intention of taking a backward step.

“Obviously, I’m going for the knockout, like everyone would. I just know that I’m not going to back away. It’s going to be pressure, pressure, pressure the entire fight,” Weaver said.

“That’s my plan. It’s just going to be pressure. There’s no going back.”

The post Olivia Bahsous And Malia Weaver Take Their Online Rivalry Into The Ring At The Inner Circle 35 first appeared on Sidekick Boxing.