ONE Championship Unveils Its Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix Fighters
November finally has its centerpiece. ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong took to Facebook on Tuesday, September 22, to name the eight men who will contest the 2026 ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix.
The brackets, the matchups, and the grand prize are all still to come. What the announcement did reveal is a field built on contrast: a titleholder, the man he beat, two Thai legends, and four hungry contenders.
“I am thrilled to announce the greatest world grand prix in history for Muay Thai! Get ready for fireworks in November!” Chatri wrote.
“Stay tuned for news on the fights, the brackets, and the grand prize for the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix! LET’S GOOOOO!!!”
At the top of the bill sits Asadula “The Dagestan Ninja” Imangazaliev. The 23-year-old Russian owns the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship after edging Aslamjon “El Pantera” Ortikov for the then-vacant belt in the main event of The Inner Circle 20.
Imangazaliev had scored seven knockouts across eight ONE appearances before that night, while Ortikov had been a perfect 24-0. With the Uzbekistani also confirmed, a second chapter is possible.
Thailand supplies the tournament’s deepest reservoir of experience. Former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon, 29, is hunting the 275th win of his career after an unforgettable two-fight saga with Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa.
Former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama joins him with 268 career victories to his name.
Shimon Yoshinari has yet to lose in seven outings on the global stage. His latest was a second-round stoppage of Suablack Tor Pran49 at ONE SAMURAI 3 in Yokohama, Japan, earlier this month.
Black Panther, a 26-year-old Thai, has stacked six consecutive wins.
The youngest names could prove the most disruptive. Lebanon’s Ramadan “The Scorpion” Ondash, 19, edged Johan “Jojo” Ghazali this past July, while 20-year-old Englishman Ubaid “Bad” Hussain earned a US$100,000 main roster contract with his eighth straight global-stage win at The Inner Circle 28, moving to 17-0.
Every pairing will come with its own subplot once the draw is made. Only one of the eight will leave with the silver strap, and whoever claims it will have earned it in a tournament Chatri has already billed as the greatest in Muay Thai history.
READ MORE: Nadaka To Admire Takeru’s Perfect Goodbye Ahead Of ONE SAMURAI 4 World Title Defense
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