Chihiro Sawada Hands Natalie Salcedo First Career Loss at ONE Fight Night 39
Unbeaten records carry weight until someone technical enough dismantles them systematically, and Chihiro Sawada proved exactly that capacity Friday night at ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev on Prime Video. The former Shooto Champion handed Natalie Salcedo her first professional loss through relentless striking and superior grappling, claiming unanimous decision victory that elevated her record to 11-1 while positioning herself firmly in atomweight title contention.
Sawada’s game plan required discipline most wrestlers cannot maintain, keeping the fight standing against a BJJ black belt whose ground game represents her greatest strength. The 28-year-old Tokyo native understood that taking Salcedo down would surrender control to the American’s submission skills, so she forced the undefeated prospect to engage in striking exchanges where experience gaps become undeniable.
The strategy worked immediately. Sawada dominated the opening round with sharp left punches, backing the 33-year-old into corners repeatedly. When clinch opportunities emerged, the Japanese striker landed punishing knees that tested Salcedo’s durability from the opening bell. Round two brought another early storm, with Sawada continuing her striking assault while Salcedo’s resilience showed through submission attempts during scrambles.
That left punch remained Sawada’s primary weapon throughout round three, punctuating her performance by pinning Salcedo to canvas for one final takedown as time expired. The comprehensive victory maintained her position among the division’s elite while moving her closer to challenging Denice Zamboanga’s ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Title.
The performance represented validation of specific training adjustments Sawada implemented for this matchup. She added daily sessions with Japanese MMA fighter Izawa Seika at JPP gym, supplementing her regular Asakusa training to sharpen striking skills she openly identifies as former weaknesses.
“I believe that I had shown a performance that also depicts my level of striking game, which used to be my weakness,” Sawada explained through her interpreter. “I added another MMA fighter that I trained with for this fight every day, and it’s Izawa Seika, she’s a Japanese MMA fighter.”
Despite the decisive victory over an undefeated opponent, Sawada rated her performance just six out of ten, revealing the championship standards she holds herself against rather than satisfaction with merely winning. Breaking Salcedo’s unbeaten streak carried no special emotional significance for someone who previously held her own winning streak and understands that results simply represent fighters doing what they’re supposed to do.
What does carry significance is her current positioning. After improving to 6-1 inside ONE Championship, Sawada believes the time has arrived for her title opportunity. With Zamboanga recovering from injury, the Japanese contender expressed clear interest in facing compatriot Ayaka Miura for interim gold.
“First, I am feeling sympathy, and I wants Denice [Zamboanga] to recover as fast as possible, and for the title shot, of course I want to do it with Ayaka Miura,” Sawada stated.
The potential all-Japanese title fight in Tokyo represents massive commercial opportunity that Sawada recognizes could generate significant attention from Japanese audiences if properly marketed. She estimates 60 to 70 percent likelihood of that matchup materializing, though she emphasized needing promotional support making it reality.
Friday’s victory over Salcedo eliminated any remaining questions about whether Sawada deserves championship consideration. Her systematic dismantling of an undefeated prospect through strategic discipline and technical superiority demonstrated exactly why she belongs in atomweight title conversations — and why she’ll likely get that opportunity soon.
“I will keep improving, keep getting better, be an athlete, be a fighter that deserves the title shot,” Sawada concluded.
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