Tag: ONE Championship

Stamp Fairtex Promises a Comeback and Reveals Her 2025 Return Plans After Knee Injury ‘I lost my focus.’

Stamp Fairtex Promises a Comeback and Reveals Her Return PlansMMA star Stamp Fairtex had to sit out for over a year due to a severe knee injury. Prior…

Stamp Fairtex Promises a Comeback and Reveals Her Return Plans

MMA star Stamp Fairtex had to sit out for over a year due to a severe knee injury. Prior to that, the young fighter had held world titles in MMA, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai in ONE Championship. She is on the recovery trail and is looking to make a comeback in 2025 and has an idea of when she will return to the cage.

Stamp Fairtex Injured

The reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Stamp Fairtex suffered a significant knee injury that forced her to withdraw from her scheduled title defense at ONE 167. the partner tried to lift and twist Stamp, but her leg remained on the ground, causing her knee to twist unnaturally and would later require surgery. Stamp Fairtex suffered a torn meniscus in her left knee.

Stamp Fairtex out of ONE Championship fight in June after knee injury 80% of her meniscus is torn off
Image Credit: ONE Championship

On this injury, Stamp explained in a recent interview:

“I was training with my friend, my partner, and we were sparring. She locked me to take my back, and she wanted to lift me. She’s stronger than me, so when she lifted me, my face was still in the car. When she twisted, my knee twisted too, and it got hurt.

“After surgery, it was really, really bad. Like, why? Why did I get hurt? Why did I have to have surgery? I hadn’t fought for a long time—already one year. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t do the same things as before. Everything felt bad for me.”

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Now the Thai-born athlete is in recovery, Stamp added that she misses training. She continued:

“My recovery is going so much better. Now I feel like maybe 65 or 70 percent. I think by December, I can train at 100 percent, or something like that. I’m not back to training 100 percent yet. I’m only doing PT to build the muscle in my knee. That’s it.

“When I see everyone fight, when I see everyone training, I feel like I’m hungry to train again. I’m hungry to fight again. It’s so boring when I’m at my hometown.

“After surgery, I felt like I lost a year. It’s already almost 500 days, and I feel like everything went backward. I lost my skill, I lost my focus. Now, I know I have to build my muscle, focus again, and pay attention when I come back to training. Everyone wants my belt. My opponents are training and improving their skills, but I feel stuck. When I come back, I have to focus, learn more, and update my skills.”

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Stamp Fairtex Comeback

Being unable to train in the gym, Stamp Fairtex went home to stay with her parents and help on their farm. She began her Muay Thai career when she was still a child as a way to help bring in more money for her family. Now, she has become a star in combat sports having collected gold in Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and, most recently, MMA.

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On staying at home, she said:

“I just sleep, don’t do anything. I walk to the Douyin farm, come back, sleep, eat, play on my phone. I really, really miss training, Muay Thai, and MMA. I miss everyone because usually I talk a lot with everyone. But when I’m back home, no one talks to me. I’m really quiet. I talk to my dog, Oli.”

For her next fight in ONE Championship, Stamp Fairtex says that after her knee recovery and hitting the gym, she will be ready to go in April or May 2025. She added:

“Maybe May or April … I feel like I’m falling behind while everyone else is improving their skills, power, and muscle … It’s been one year, and no one has seen me training on social media—just dancing or something. I’m still the same, still funny, but I promise I’m going to come back. I’m 27, and I don’t know how long I’ll fight.

“Now is my time to shine and show everyone who I am. I’ll be back.”

Stamp Fairtex
Stamp Fairtex

Former ONE World Champion Signs Exclusive Deal With The UFC

UFC president Dana White took to social media last night to announce some ground-breaking news for the promotion. In recent years, the UFC Fight Pass Invitational has started to become a major fixture in the submission grappling world and it appears that the UFC is going to double down on this in the next few […]

UFC president Dana White took to social media last night to announce some ground-breaking news for the promotion. In recent years, the UFC Fight Pass Invitational has started to become a major fixture in the submission grappling world and it appears that the UFC is going to double down on this in the next few months.

White broke the news that former ONE Championship star Mikey Musumeci has signed to become the UFC’s first-ever exclusive grappling competitor. He is set to make his FPI debut on December 5 at the Apex in Las Vegas where he faces Felipe Machado in the main event.

White’s social media video hyped up Musumeci’s arrival along with the statement that this big signing is set to be the first of many that are coming in the near future.

“Over the course of the last year, I’ve been working on developing the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu program in the world. I am excited to announce that we’ve signed Mikey Musumeci to the first-ever exclusive BJJ promotional agreement in the company’s history. If you don’t know, Mikey is considered by many to be the best BJJ player in the world and he is a multiple-time world champion and unbeaten over the past eight years at 135-pounds. This will be the first of many we will sign over the coming months.”

ONE Championship has also looked to capitalize on the growing interest in submission grappling over the past few years by signing some of the top athletes in the sport like Musumeci and the Ruotolo brothers. Musumeci became the promotion’s inaugural flyweight submission grappling world champion and defended the belt several times before announcing his departure from the promotion last week.

He was recently stripped of the flyweight title after failing to make weight and pass his hydration test after agreeing to a late notice title defense at ONE 168 this past September. A video of Musumeci being sat at the Apex alongside the UFC boss prompted some speculation that this could be his next destination.

Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane Stuns Anatoly Malykhin, Takes Heavyweight Title via Split Decision – ONE 169 Highlights

Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane Stuns Anatoly Malykhin, Takes Heavyweight Title via Split Decision - ONE 169 HighlightsSenegalese sensation Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane shocked the world at ONE 169 in Bangkok, scoring a split decision victory…

Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane Stuns Anatoly Malykhin, Takes Heavyweight Title via Split Decision - ONE 169 Highlights

Senegalese sensation Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane shocked the world at ONE 169 in Bangkok, scoring a split decision victory over Anatoly Malykhin to claim the ONE heavyweight title.

Things got off to a smashing start for Kane in the opening round as he quickly took Malykhin to the mat — becoming the first fighter to ever do so inside the Circle — and promptly ragdolling him. However, Malykhin made a habit out of putting his arm over the ring ropes to stay upright which is akin to grabbing the cage in a more traditional MMA setting.

That prompted referee Herb Dean to issue a strong warning that eventually resulted in a yellow card when Malykhin did it a second time.

Despite the early setback, Malykhin appeared to be in control for much of the last three rounds, continuously cornering ‘Reug Reug’ and landing a few big blows before fishing for a takedown he’d never quite land. Dean stayed busy by breaking the fighters up every couple of minutes, but before long, they’d end up back in the same position. Things went that way for much of the final 10 minutes, leading many to believe that Malykhin’s aggression and control time would ultimately win him the fight after going the distance for the first time in his career.

Instead, the judges in Bangkok threw fight fans for a loop, crowning Kane the new ONE heavyweight king via a somewhat controversial split decision.

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Official Result: Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane def. Anatoly Malykhin via split decision to win the ONE heavyweight world championship.

With the win, Kane becomes ONE Championship’s first African-born titleholder.

Meanwhile, Anatoly Malykhin suffered the first loss of his career, falling to 14-1 and seeing his coveted status as MMA’s first and only simultaneous three-division champion disappear. Still, ‘Sladkiy’ has both the ONE light heavyweight and middleweight world titles — two belts with plenty of challengers chomping at the bit to challenge the Russian juggernaut.

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Check out highlights from Anatoly Malykin vs. Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane at ONE 169:

 
 
 
 
 
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Rodtang Smashes Through Jacob Smith, Vows to Reclaim Flyweight Title After Weight Miss – ONE 169 Highlights

Rodtang Smashes Through Jacob Smith, Vows to Reclaim Flyweight Title After Weight Miss - ONE 169 HighlightsRodtang Jitmuangnon scored another dominant victory against British standout Jacob Smith on Friday night in the ONE 169 co-main…

Rodtang Smashes Through Jacob Smith, Vows to Reclaim Flyweight Title After Weight Miss - ONE 169 Highlights

Rodtang Jitmuangnon scored another dominant victory against British standout Jacob Smith on Friday night in the ONE 169 co-main event.

After seemingly fighting the first round on autopilot, Rodtang started to pick things up in the second, showing flashes of his larger-than-life personality. Unfortunately, that typically spells disaster for his opponents.

Like their first fight in May 2022, Smith was more than willing to engage with ‘The Iron Man’ and go toe-to-toe, but that decision cost him big in the third round when Rodtang landed a nasty elbow near Smith’s right eye that immediately busted the Brit open and had him quickly retreating. Smith ultimately made it out of the round, but by then, the damage was done.

Rodtang

Things got a little chippy between the two with Smith and the Thai seemingly headbutting one another at one point in the fourth. In a rather hilarious moment, ‘The Iron Man’ put Smith on the mat with a leg kick and then proceeded to kiss him on the top of the head before the fight resumed.

Things sort of went that way during the championship rounds with Rodtang just out there dominating his opponent and having fun every step of the way. To Smith’s credit, he went the full 15 minutes with Rodtang, but in the end, it was another decisive decision victory for the Thai superstar.

Rodtang

Official Result: Rodtang def. Jacob Smith via unanimous decision.

Unfortunately, Rodtang will not leave Lumpinee Stadium with the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title. ‘The Iron Man’ failed to meet the weight and hydration requirements for their ONE 169 co-main event, meaning only Smith was eligible to win the belt.

Speaking with Mitch Chilson in the ring, ‘The Iron Man’ made it clear that reclaiming the ONE flyweight Muay Thai title is a top priority, but that will come down to whether or not ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong decides to give him that opportunity.

Rodtang

Check out highlights from Rodtang vs. Jacob Smith at ONE 169:

Jackie Buntan Outworks Anissa Meksen to Become ONE’s First Strawweight Kickboxing Queen – ONE 169 Highlights

Jackie Buntan Outworks Anissa Meksen to Become ONE's First Strawweight Kickboxing Queen - ONE 169 HighlightsJackie Buntan bested one of the most accomplished female fighters in the world to score her first ONE world…

Jackie Buntan Outworks Anissa Meksen to Become ONE's First Strawweight Kickboxing Queen - ONE 169 Highlights

Jackie Buntan bested one of the most accomplished female fighters in the world to score her first ONE world championship.

Returning to the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Buntan went toe-to-toe for five rounds with the seven-time titleholder at ONE 169 on Friday night. Throughout their 15-minute war, things remained relatively close, but it was Buntan’s constant pressure and brutal body attacks that appeared to win the day against Meksen.

Jackie Buntan

In the end, Buntan won the bout via a decisive unanimous decision and became the promotion’s first-ever ONE strawweight kickboxing world titleholder. Buntan also extended her unbeaten streak to four in a row and is now 7-1 under the ONE Championship banner.

Jackie Buntan

Official Result: Jackie Buntan def. Anissa Meksen via unanimous decision to win the ONE strawweight kickboxing world championship.

Check out highlights from Jackie Buntan vs. Anissa Meksen at ONE 169:

Rodtang Stripped of Muay Thai World Title Due To Weight Miss

Rodtang Misses Weight, Loses TitleSuperstar Muay Thai fighter Rodtang Jitmuangnon has been stripped of his ONE Championship title due to being unable to…

Rodtang Misses Weight, Loses Title

Superstar Muay Thai fighter Rodtang Jitmuangnon has been stripped of his ONE Championship title due to being unable to make hydration and weight.

Rodtang Misses Weight, Loses Title

Hosted at Lumpinee Stadium, in Bangkok, Thailand, ONE 169 was set to go down with three title matches. A heavyweight MMA championship between Anatoly Malykhin and “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane, a strawweight kickboxing title fight with Jackie Buntan and Anissa Meksen, plus a flyweight Muay Thai world championship match between Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Jacob Smith.

Making weight and hydration has been a struggle for “The Iron Man” in the past, but in more recent fights he seemed to have it under control.

Rodtang and Jacob Smith have agreed on fighting at a 135.5 lbs catchweight.

As reported by Nicolas Atkin:

“Rodtang has lost his ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai title on the scale after missing weight for ONE 169. Understand Jacob Smith has accepted a catchweight of 135.5lbs so the fight will go ahead, but only Smith can win the vacant belt. Smith will also receive a percentage of Rodtang’s 10 million baht purse.”

“The Iron Man” and the UK-born Jacob Smith fought years prior with the Thai-born Rodtang dominating the matchup. On November 8, at ONE 169, Smith was coming for revenge. The two will still fight but a title will not be on the line and Jitmuangnon has been stripped due to a weight miss.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon
One Championship