04 May 2016 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), is set to electrify the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on 27 May with an electrifying fight card for ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS. This historic event is the first live ONE Championship event in Bangkok and features hometown hero, ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, in the card’s headlining bout against undefeated Japanese fighter Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito.
Tickets for ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS are available at https://www.thaiticketmajor.com/.
ONE Strawweight World Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke is a three-time Lumpinee stadium Muay Thai world champion and is also undefeated as a professional mixed martial artist. He is known as a technical fighter with quick hands and lightning feet. Dejdamrong employs some of the most unique and creative striking combinations in MMA, and is a martial artist with over 25 years of competitive experience. He will defend his title against Japanese fighter Yoshitaka Naito in the headlining bout of ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS.
Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito of Chiba, Japan, is an unbeaten mixed martial artist with a perfect 10-0 record. He has four wins by submission and one knockout under his belt. The 32-year-old, who made a name for himself at Japan’s world-famous Korakuen Hall competing as the Shooto flyweight champion, will be fighting outside of his native Japan for the first time, and it will be in a contest for the ONE Strawweight World Championship against Thai titlist Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke.
Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Russia is undefeated at 13 wins and no losses and is the former M-1 featherweight champion. In his first four bouts with ONE Championship, he defeated the top ranked fighters in his weight-class with relative ease. Out of his 13 victories, 9 have come by submission, proving that Gafurov is an absolute force to be reckoned with on the ground. He is the reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion and will defend his belt against Kazunori Yokota.
38-year-old Kazunori Yokota of Chiba, Japan, is a mixed martial arts veteran with over 12 years of professional fight experience under his belt. The reigning Deep featherweight champion, Yokota is one of the toughest fighters at featherweight, sporting a stellar record of 25 wins and just 5 defeats. He will be making his ONE Championship debut in a title bout against reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion, Marat Gafurov.
Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin has notched a series of ferocious finishes since joining ONE Championship, including stoppage wins over top fighters Eduard Folayang and Yusuke Kawanago. Nastyukhin now returns to action against one of the biggest names in Asian MMA, taking on striking specialist Rob Lisita.
33-year-old Rob “Warrior of God” Lisita of Campbelltown, Australia, is making his highly-anticipated return to the ONE Cage. At 14-7, feared striker Lisita is raring to go, and promises an overall improved martial arts game in his next outing. He’ll battle Timofey Nastyukhin in what promises to be an instant classic.
Leandro Ataides of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will return to the ONE Cage on a mission to regain his standing in the middleweight ranks. Ataides, 29, strung together eight straight victories before encountering his first setback, and is a force to be reckoned with for any contender. Ataides looks to get back on track by defeating his next opponent, Marcin Prachnio.
Marcin Prachnio is a Polish mixed martial artist with an impressive 10-2 professional record. He’s won his last five bouts, four of which by devastating technical knockouts. The attacking machine was victorious in his first appearance inside the ONE Cage, ousting Alexandre Machado just last February, and is making a quick turnaround to face the returning Leandro Ataides.
Thailand’s Anatpong “Mak Mak” Bunrad is one of the fiercest competitors at flyweight. He has a standout 5-2 professional mixed martial arts record, and has defeated the likes of Geje Eustaquio and Marc Marcellinus. Bunrad likes to pepper opponents with heavy handed strikes and powerful kicks, maximizing the effectiveness of his world-class Muay Thai. His next assignment is against Filipino Eugene Toquero.
Flyweight standout Eugene Toquero is a former celebrity mixed martial arts and fitness coach in his native Manila, Philippines. The Filipino stalwart has a knack for highlight-reel striking techniques and operates at a pace which opponents find hard to keep up with. In his last bout, Toquero nearly defeated former ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes, showcasing his elite skills. He now faces Thailand’s Anatpong Bunrad.
41-year-old WBA Boxing World Champion Yodsanan “Little Tyson” Sityodtong of Thailand is making his return to professional mixed martial arts competition at ONE: KINGDOM OF CHAMPIONS. With the opportunity to compete in Bangkok, Sityodtong just simply could not pass up the chance to perform in front of his hometown crowd. He’ll take on Chrech Kosal of Cambodia next.
Cambodian bantamweight prospect Chrech Kosal has two wins and only one loss as a professional mixed martial artist. A Khun Khmer specialist, Kosal is quick on his feet and powerful with his strikes. Thailand and Cambodia are set to rekindle their age-old rivalry when Kosal meets Thai boxing specialist Yodsanan Sityodtong.
Shannon Wiratchai is one of the promotion’s most devastating strikers. A Muay Thai specialist with 4 wins and only 1 loss, Wiratchai has competed against solid opposition since joining ONE Championship in 2012. In his most recent bout, Wiratchai starred in an absolute classic against young Singaporean prospect Amir Khan in one of the best bouts of the year. Now, Wiratchai gets a chance to perform in front of his hometown crowd in Bangkok against Kyal Linn Aung.
Myanmar’s Kyal Linn Aung is a two-time Lethwei Gold Belt Champion, a glowing testament to his elite striking ability. Kyal made his professional MMA debut at ONE: UNION OF WARRIORS, prevailing in a hugely entertaining three-round battle with Thway Thit Aung. He now faces Shannon Wiratchai as his next assignment in ONE Championship in a clash between two of the region’s national martial arts.
Also, young local Thai mixed martial arts prospects Pongsiri Mitsatit and Kritsada Konsrichai will take to the ONE Cage, against high-level strikers Ye Thway Ne of Myanmar and Cambodia’s Kev Hemmorlor respectively, to kick off what is expected to be an exciting night of world-class mixed martial arts action.