Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez (16-0,11 KOs), delivered the performance of a lifetime, as he successfully defended his WBC super flyweight title against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (50-6-1, 43 KOs). The current youngest active world champion in boxing showcased why he is the future of the sport, as he stopped the hard-hitting veteran Rungvisai in his hometown within eight rounds.

Rodriguez looked to establish dominance from the opening bell, throwing quick and powerful shots, ensuring Rungvisai would never find his rhythm. He nearly made the former champion’s glove touch the mat in the fourth following a powerful right hand to the head. This dominance continued to the seventh, where Rodriguez dropped Rungvisai with a powerful left hook to the temple. The punishment only continued in the eighth, and following a powerful overhand left as well as a barrage of shots referee Mark Colo-oy waved it off. Rodriguez defeated Rungvisai via TKO at 1:50 in the eighth round.

Following this impressive win, the door is wide open for Rodriguez to challenge either WBA champion Juan Francisco Estrada or former #1 pound-for-pounder Roman “Chocalito” Gonzalez. Whoever his next opponent is one thing is for certain, the entire boxing world will be watching to see how he follows up from this elite-level performance.

The co-main-event pitted IBF and WBA unified super bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev (11-0, 8 KOs against the veteran underdog Ronny Rios (33-4, 16 KOs). Akhmadaliev flexed his power throughout the fight, throwing hard shots at the seasoned super bantamweight. He continued his dominance through the rest of the match, and with less than a minute left in the 12th round, Akhmadaliev dropped Rios for the first time in the fight. Following the standing 8-count, the champion unloaded with one final assault, prompting the referee to get in between both fighters and stop the fight. Akhmadaliev defeated Rios via TKO at 2:06 in the 12th round.

The second fight of the main card pitted undisputed welterweight champion Jessica McCaskill (12-2, 4 KOs) against challenger Alma Ibarra (10-2, 5 KOs).  Both women opened the fight with strong swings, looking to put a quick end to the fight, especially McCaskill, who flexed her power from the opening bell. The 147lb champion laid the damage on through the first three rounds. Going into the fourth round, Ibarra told her trainer she’d had enough, prompting her corner to stop the fight. McCaskill defeated Ibarra via RTD at 0:10 of the fourth round to remain the undisputed women’s welterweight champion.

McCaskill expressed interest in moving down to 140 lbs., a weight class she has experience in, to face junior welterweight champion, Chantelle Cameron. “She’s done spectacular in her career, and we’re doing so well at 147…” said McCaskill. “I think it’s time to move back down to 140, there’s some great fighters [there].”

In the main card opener, featherweight prospect Raymond “Savage” Ford (12-0-1, 6 KOs) retained his WBA Continental Americas Featherweight title as well as won the vacant IBF North American Featherweight against an undefeated Richard Medina Jr. (13-1, 7 KOs) After a solid opening set of rounds from Ford, he continued to dominate late in the fight, winning a resounding unanimous decision against the hometown fighter. The final decision reflected this dominance, with all judges scoring in favor of Ford, 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91. Ford outstruck Medina 191-79.

Raymond Ford will face unbeaten local talent Richard Medina at the Tech Port Arena in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday June 25 live worldwide on DAZN – with fellow young guns Marc Castro, Nikita Ababiy and Khalil Coe in action on the undercard of the quadruple header of World title action, led by San Antonio’s own Jesse Rodriguez making the first defense of his WBC World Super-Flyweight title against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
Tickets starting at $35 (plus fees) are on sale now – click here for more details
Ford (11-0-1 6 KOs) steps through the ropes in his fourth title fight and puts the WBA Continental Americas Featherweight strap on the line that he won by split decision in his last outing, edging out another unbeaten man in Edward Vazquez in Phoenix.

‘Savage’ is ranked at #8 with the WBA and is closing in on the top five and can make an impact in the IBF rankings too, with the IBF North American belt on the line and Ford currently sitting at #13 with the organization.

Those belts and rankings will have Medina (13-0 7 KOs) licking his lips as he fights for a title for the first time in career and on home turf. The 21 year old landed his seventh win inside the distance in his last outing in March, forcing Armando Frausto to retire after seven rounds of their clash in San Antonio.

“This is the third time in my last five fights that I’ve gone and taken on an undefeated fighter in front of their fans,” said Ford. “I don’t see any of these other prospects stepping up to the plate.

“They keep putting these guys in front of them and I’m going to keep handling my business. I know I’m going right to the top in this game and if I have to do it the hard way by fighting these guys in their hometowns, then that’s what I’m going to do.”

“I’m excited and thankful for the opportunity,” said Medina. “I want to thank my promoter Rick Morones of TMB Promotions and my manager Greg Hannley, and Matchroom for the opportunity. I’m looking forward to fighting in my hometown and putting on a spectacular show for my fans and family.

“Getting to fight on the undercard of one of my closest friends, ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, who I’ve known practically my whole life and grew up fighting with, is an honor. I’m ready to showcase my skills to the world.”

Ford and Medina will close the ‘Before The Bell’ broadcast on a huge night of action in Texas, and the New Jersey talent is joined by more rising American stars on a stacked bill.

Marc Castro (7-0 5 KOs) tastes action for the third time in 2022 and does so against unbeaten Puerto Rican Jean Guerra Vargas (6-0 1 KO) over eight rounds at Lightweight. Castro landed his seventh win in the paid ranks earlier in the month in his fourth fight on a Canelo Alvarez card, and the Fresno talent is grateful to be so active as he continues to hone his craft and test himself against the hungry Vargas.

“I’m grateful to stay healthy and stay active,” said Castro. “I’m continuing to work hard daily and ready to put on a show for my supporters.”

Nikita Ababiy (11-0 6 KOs) fights for the first time in 2022, and ‘White Chocolate’ believes he’ll dazzle as he takes on Noe Larrios Jr (14-1 6 KOs) over eight rounds at Middleweight.

“I’m super excited to get back in that ring and show everyone what I’ve been working on,” said Ababiy. “I’m just excited for everyone to see me show out. I know everybody missed the White Chocolate, time to make some noise again and give the people the excitement they’re missing!”

Big hitting Light-Heavyweight Khalil Coe (3-0-1 2 KOs) is back in action in his fourth paid outing, and takes on unbeaten Dominican Joaquin Berroa Lugo (3-0 2 KOs) over six rounds.

“June 25, Big Steppa, we are back at it,” said Coe. “I’m fighting an undefeated opponent and these are the challenges I want. I know what I’m capable of and the ability I have and I’m excited to showcase my skills. This is opportunity for me to show just how good I am and that’s exactly what I plan on doing.”

Rodriguez and Rungvisai headline a huge night of action with those young talents joined by three more World title tussles.

Julio Cesar Martinez (18-2 14 KOs) and McWilliams Arroyo (21-4 16 KOs) pick up where they left off from their curtailed firefight for Martinez’s WBC World Flyweight title, where both men hit the canvas in the opening round and Arroyo touched down again in the second, before the action in New Hampshire in November had to be halted after Arroyo suffered a nasty cut from an accidental headclash.

World title clash number three on the bumper card will see IBF and WBA World Super-Bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev defend his titles against Ronny Rios. The pair were set to meet in New Hampshire in November, but COVID ruled Rios out and he was replaced by game late challenger Jose Velasquez. Akhmadaliev (10-0 7 KOs) retained his belts with a near-shutout on the cards, going the distance for just the third time in his 10^th pro bout, and second as a World champion. Rios (33-3 16 KOs), the mandatory challenger for the WBA crown, goes for glory for the second time in his 36-fight career after challenging Rey Vargas for the WBC strap at 122lbs in August 2016.

Undisputed Welterweight ruler Jessica McCaskill (11-2 4 KOs) makes the third defense of all her marbles at 147lbs against Alma Ibarra (10-1, 4 KOs). McCaskill ripped the straps from long-standing ruler Cecilia Braekhus on the streets of Downtown Tulsa in August 2020 and saw off the Norwegian in a rematch for her first defense in March 2021. The Chicagoan recorded the fourth stoppage win of her career in the second defense of the belts in December, ending Kandi Wyatt’s challenge in the seventh, and will face the tough test in the form of Ibarra.

Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez will defend his WBC World Super-Flyweight title against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday June 25 at the Tech Port Center + Arena in San Antonio, live worldwide on DAZN and leading a stacked quadruple header of World title action.

Tickets starting at $35 (plus fees) go on sale at 10am CDT tomorrow (Friday May 13) – click here for more details
 Rodriguez (15-0 10 KOs) makes the first defense of the belt he won in stunning fashion in February, flooring former World ruler Carlos Cuadras en-route to becoming the youngest current World champion in just his 15^th pro-outing. ‘Bam’ will get a hero’s welcome on his home turf when he steps through the ropes in San Antonio for the first time as king of the world and only the third time in his career, boxing on his doorstep in his third and fifth fights in June 2017 and March 2018 respectively. 

The 22 year old could hardly face a stiffer test when putting his belt on the line for the first time, coming up against former two-time Super-Fly kingpin Rungvisai (50-5-1 43 KOs). The Thai star was set to face Cuadras in a long-awaited rematch for the title in San Diego, only for Rungvisai to fall ill and be replaced at late notice by the new young champion. The 35 year old has a chance to get his hands on the coveted green and gold strap for a third time, having first held the belt in 2013 and then reclaiming it against Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez three years later.

“Fighting a guy like Rungvisai is going to bring me to a whole new level,” said Rodriguez. “He’s a great fighter but this is my time now. You have to take risks in this sport, that’s what special fighters do. They said it was a risk me challenging for a World title fight on short notice and now they say it’s a risk taking on a fighter like Rungvisai but this is what I want. These are the types of fights you need so you can be remembered by the fans long after your career is done.

“I’ve always said that me and my brother are going to bring the big fights back to San Antonio and this is just the start of it. We are so proud to be from this city and we get that love back from the people there so this will be a special night.”

“Jesse might be the youngest current World champion, but this is a fight where he can prove he already belongs with the very best in boxing,” said trainer Robert Garcia. “We have a lot of respect for Rungvisai, we know what he is capable of, and he is a great, great fighter but I also know what Jesse is capable. I have so much belief in him, and I know he is ready for this.”

“I am very excited for this opportunity to fight for the WBC World title,” said Rungvisai. “I will be at my best to win the WBC World title and become the first three times WBC World champion in the history of Thailand. Thank you so much to Matchroom, DAZN, and the WBC for this opportunity.”

Rodriguez and Rungvisai lead a stellar night of action with three more World title fights on the bill, with Julio Cesar Martinez and McWilliams Arroyo picking up where they left off from their curtailed firefight for Martinez’s WBC World Flyweight title, where both men hit the canvas in the opening round and Arroyo touched down again in the second, before the action in New Hampshire in November had to be halted after Arroyo suffered a nasty cut from an accidental headclash.

Arroyo (21-4 16 KOs) has been out of action since that night, while Martinez (18-2 14 KOs) bravely rolled the dice to take on modern great Chocolatito as the headline act on the night Rodriguez won his belt.

World title clash number three on the bumper card will see IBF and WBA World Super-Bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev defend his titles against Ronny Rios. The pair were set to meet in New Hampshire in November, but COVID ruled Rios out and he was replaced by game late challenger Jose Velasquez. Akhmadaliev (10-0 7 KOs) retained his belts with a near-shutout on the cards, going the distance for just the third time in his 10^th pro bout, and second as a World champion. Rios (33-3 16 KOs), the mandatory challenger for the WBA crown, goes for glory for the second time in his 36-fight career after challenging Rey Vargas for the WBC strap at 122lbs in August 2016.

The fourth bout on the card has the most belts on the line, as undisputed Welterweight ruler Jessica McCaskill makes the third defense of all her marbles at 147lbs. McCaskill (11-2 4 KOs) ripped the straps from long-standing ruler Cecilia Braekhus on the streets of Downtown Tulsa in August 2020 and saw off the Norwegian in a rematch for her first defense in March 2021. The Chicagoan recorded the fourth stoppage win of her career in the second defense of the belts in December, ending Kandi Wyatt’s challenge in the seventh, and will face the tough test of Alma Ibarra. Ibarra (10-1, 4 KOs) also then beat Wyatt in an eight-round decision in an eliminator for the WBA strap, dubbed the ‘Thrilla for Caskilla’, landing Ibarra the shot at McCaskill’s WBA, WBO, WBC, IBF and Ring Magazine World titles.

“Everyone is coming for the throne and it’s my job to protect it,” said McCaskill. 

“This is a good fight. This fight will confirm why Jessica is the queen of the Welterweight division,” added McCaskill’s trainer and manager Rick Ramos.

“I’ve won fights, I’ve lost fights, I’ve been in the big stage, I’ve fought for a world title, I’m a single mom, I’ve been kidnapped, there’s not one thing that she can bring to the fight that I haven’t seen and surpassed,” said Ibarra. “She’s just holding what’s mine, I’m here to take them!!”

Matchroom and DAZN announce two new shows today as Hiroto Kyoguchi will defend his WBA Super and Ring Magazine World Light-Flyweight titles against Esteban Bermudez at the Arena Coliseo in Mexico City, Mexico on Friday June 10, live worldwide on DAZN, in the latest installment of Matchroom and DAZN’s fight series in Mexico, in association with Canelo Promotions and Clase Y Talento and then Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez will defend his WBC World Super-Flyweight title against Srisaket Sor Rungvisai on Saturday June 25 at the Tech Port Arena in San Antonio, live worldwide on DAZN (except Uzbekistan & Thailand) and leading a stacked quadruple header of World title action.
 
Kyoguchi (15-0 10 KOs) puts the titles he ripped from Heikie Buddler in December 2018 on the line for the fourth time and makes a welcome return to the ring after his entertaining battle with the pocket rocket Axel Aragon Vega in Dallas in March 2021 came to an end when the challenger was forced to quit the bout with a hand injury in the fifth round.
 
The Japanese, who previously defended the titles in successive points wins over Tanawat Nakoon and Tetsuya Hisada in June and October of 2020 in his homeland, fights in Mexico for the first time in the paid ranks and does so against a hungry contender.
 
Bermudez (14-3-2 10 KOs) holds the WBA Regular title after handing a first career defeat to defending champion Carlos Canizales in stunning fashion – flooring the belt-holder towards the end of the sixth round before wiping him out with 23 seconds left in the session. The 26 year old will be fired up to elevate to Super champ and rip the coveted Ring Magazine strap from Kyoguchi, and the defending king knows he’s in for a big test on June 10 as he covets unification bouts down the line.
 
“It was always my dream to fight in Mexico because the Mexican style has influenced me a lot,” said Kyoguchi. “It is a great opportunity to show my boxing in that country against a rival like Esteban Bermudez. Regarding the unification fight, I think it is my mission as absolute champion.”
 
“He is a very good champion but kind of weak because too many injuries – I’ve been waiting a year for him to fight me!” said Bermudez. “I live from boxing, and I’ve needed this fight to happen for a long time. I’ve been at training camp for this fight, and he is coming to my home town, the title is going to still here.” 
 
Two weeks later, focus switches to a monster card in San Antonio, as Rodriguez (15-0 10 KOs) makes the first defense of the belt he won in stunning fashion in February, flooring former World ruler Carlos Cuadras en-route to becoming the youngest current World champion in just his 15^th pro-outing. ‘Bam’ will get a hero’s welcome on his home turf when he steps through the ropes in San Antonio for the first time as king of the world and only the third time in his career, boxing on his doorstep in his third and fifth fights in June 2017 and March 2018 respectively.
 
The 22 year old could hardly face a stiffer test when putting his belt on the line for the first time, coming up against former two-time Super-Fly kingpin Rungvisai (50-5-1 43 KOs). The Thai star was set to face Cuadras in a long-awaited rematch for the title in San Diego, only for Rungvisai to fall ill and be replaced at late notice by the new young champion. The 35 year old has a chance to get his hands on the coveted green and gold strap for a third time, having first held the belt in 2013 and then reclaiming it against Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez three years later.
 
“Fighting a guy like Rungvisai is going to bring me to a whole new level,” said Rodriguez. “He’s a great fighter but this is my time now. You have to take risks in this sport, that’s what special fighters do. They said it was a risk me challenging for a World title fight on short notice and now they say it’s a risk taking on a fighter like Rungvisai but this is what I want. These are the types of fights you need so you can be remembered by the fans long after your career is done.
 
“I’ve always said that me and my brother are going to bring the big fights back to San Antonio and this is just the start of it. We are so proud to be from this city and we get that love back from the people there so this will be a special night.”
 
“Jesse might be the youngest current World champion, but this is a fight where he can prove he already belongs with the very best in boxing,” said trainer Robert Garcia. “We have a lot of respect for Rungvisai, we know what he is capable of, and he is a great, great fighter but I also know what Jesse is capable. I have so much belief in him, and I know he is ready for this.”
 
“I am very excited for this opportunity to fight for the WBC World title,” said Rungvisai. “I will be at my best to win the WBC World title and become the first three times WBC World champion in the history of Thailand. Thank you so much to Matchroom, DAZN, and the WBC for this opportunity.”
 
Rodriguez and Rungvisai lead a stellar night of action with three more World title fights on the bill, with Julio Cesar Martinez and McWilliams Arroyo picking up where they left off from their curtailed firefight for Martinez’s WBC World Flyweight title, where both men hit the canvas in the opening round and Arroyo touched down again in the second, before the action in New Hampshire in November had to be halted after Arroyo suffered a nasty cut from an accidental headclash.
 
Arroyo (21-4 16 KOs) has been out of action since that night, while Martinez (18-2 14 KOs) bravely rolled the dice to take on modern great Chocolatito as the headline act on the night Rodriguez won his belt.
 
World title clash number three on the bumper card will see IBF and WBA World Super-Bantamweight champion Murodjon Akhmadaliev defend his titles against Ronny Rios. The pair were set to meet in New Hampshire in November, but COVID ruled Rios out and he was replaced by game late challenger Jose Velasquez. Akhmadaliev (10-0 7 KOs) retained his belts with a near-shutout on the cards, going the distance for just the third time in his 10^th pro bout, and second as a World champion. Rios (33-3 16 KOs), the mandatory challenger for the WBA crown, goes for glory for the second time in his 36-fight career after challenging Rey Vargas for the WBC strap at 122lbs in August 2016.
 
The fourth bout on the card has the most belts on the line, as undisputed Welterweight ruler Jessica McCaskill makes the third defense of all her marbles at 147lbs. McCaskill (11-2 4 KOs) ripped the straps from long-standing ruler Cecilia Braekhus on the streets of Downtown Tulsa in August 2020 and saw off the Norwegian in a rematch for her first defense in March 2021. The Chicagoan recorded the fourth stoppage win of her career in the second defense of the belts in December, ending Kandi Wyatt’s challenge in the seventh, and will face an opponent to be named soon in San Antonio.  
 
Mexico’s undercard is shaping up nicely, supporting what promises to be an explosive main event is a cast of hot talents led by Jorge Casteneda meeting Mexico City’s Eduardo Hernandez for the WBC Silver International Super-Lightweight title. Texan Casteneda (15-1 11 KOs) has upset the apple cart in his last two bouts, first handing a majority decision defeat to unbeaten Otha Jones III in Florida in April 2021, and then travelling to London, England to take another ‘0’ by beating Youssef Khoumari in October, again via majority decision.
 
Supporting what promises to be an explosive main event will be a cast of hot talents led by Jorge Casteneda. Texan Casteneda (15-1 11 KOs) has upset the apple cart in his last two bouts, first handing a majority decision defeat to unbeaten Otha Jones III in Florida in April 2021, and then travelling to London, England to take another ‘0’ by beating Youssef Khoumari in October, again via majority decision, and his opponent will be announced soon.
 
Diego Pacheco (14-0 11 KOs) continues to be a must-watch talent and the 21 year old ticks off another major milestone as he stretches his legs over the ten round distance for the first time, against an opponent to be named.
 
“June is looking red hot with two fantastic shows,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Kyoguchi- Bermudez is a great fight. Hiroto is hunting down unifications at 108lbs, but he is going to have his hands full with Esteban, who has proved that he has devastating power – it’s going to be a great night in Mexico City.
 
“As for June 25 in San Antonio – what can we say? It’s a quadruple header of World title action, with four bouts that could headline any card. I’m thrilled to see Jesse get the chance to headline at home as a World champion, and what a foe to face in the Thai legend Rungvisai.
 
“Martinez-Arroyo is a long-running saga that both men want to end in emphatic style, MJ is one of the very best World champions out there and is looking to produce that statement win to lure his fellow champions into unifications – and after an amazing run of fights for women’s boxing in recent months, which continues this weekend in New York with Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, the undisputed Welterweight ruler will want to show that she’s one of the very best out there.”

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Carlos Cuadras will reignite their rivalry with the vacant WBC World Super-Flyweight belt on the line at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday February 5, live worldwide on DAZN.
TICKETS STARTING AT $20 (PLUS FEES) ARE ON SALE AT 12PM MT AT TICKETMASTER.COM
The pair first met in May 2014 for the same title, with Cuadras claiming the crown via a unanimous technical decision following an accidental headclash in Mexico.

There’s more than just the WBC crown on the line for Rungvisai (50-5-1 43 KOs) and Cuadras (39-4-1 27 KOs), with the winner likely to be pitted against the winner of the March clash between Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez, setting up more fireworks in the always exciting 115lb division.

Rungvisai heads into the bout on the back of three victories in Thailand following his clash with Estrada where he surrendered the WBC crown that he fights Cuadras for. Victory in the rematch in Phoenix would see the 35 year old win the green and gold strap for the third time and almost nine years since he first picked up that crown.

Cuadras ended Rungvisai’s reign on that occasion and the Mexican made six defenses of the title before Chocolatito took the crown in California in September 2016. It’s the second time that the 33 year old has tried to reclaim the throne and comes on the back of his last battle for the belt where he floored defending champion Estrada in the third round of his defense before the champion prevailed in Mexico in October 2020.

“I’m really looking forward to winning in this championship bout,” said Rungvisai. “I really want to become the first three-time WBC champion of Thailand. I also have an unfinished business with Juan Francisco Estrada. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Matchroom and DAZN for making this fight possible”. 

“I am very excited for this opportunity to fight for another world title,” said Cuadras. “We are sparring 3-4 different southpaws that have a similar style to Rungvisai. We are ready to win, and I am training very well in the high-altitude mountains of the ceremonial center in Otomi in México.

“I want to thank firstly God and Teiken, especially Mr. Honda who has never left me behind and always given me a hand in boxing. We will not disappoint come fight now and bring back another title for Mexico and Teiken.”

A stacked card in support of the rematch is led by Light-Flyweight sensation Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez as he closes in on World title action. Rodriguez (14-0 10 KOs) dispatched Jose Burgos in style inside four rounds in his last outing in Fresno in October, and the WBA #2 and WBO #4 will look to enhance his claim for world honors against an opponent to be named soon.

There’s more World title action on the card as Jamie Mitchell makes the first defense of her WBA Bantamweight title against Carly Skelly. Mitchell (7-0-2 4 KOs) claimed the strap in October in England by seeing off Shannon Courtenay via majority decision, with the belt only on the line for the American after then-champion Courtenay failed to make the weight. After winning the belt in Liverpool, Mitchell will defend the title against a Liverpudlian fighter, as Skelly (4-0-1) fights for her first World title having picked up the WBC International Super Bantamweight title at home against Dorota Norek in October, a year after a split draw against Amy Timlin for the Commonwealth crown.

Raymond Ford defends his WBA Continental Featherweight title for the second time against Edward Vazquez. Ford (10-0-1 6 KOs) impressed in his first defense in New York in November, stopping Felix Carabello in eight rounds to retain the belt he landed in England in August via a third round KO of Reece Bellotti. Unbeaten Texan Vazquez (11-0 3 KOs) will look to end Ford’s reign in Phoenix, and the 26 year old fights for his first title in his 12^th pro outing.

Matchroom’s latest Stateside signing Aaron Aponte (4-0 KOs) looks to extend his unbeaten start to life in the paid ranks against unbeaten Canadian Louis Jourdain (2-0 1 KO), Light Heavyweight talent Khalil Coe (1-0-1 1 KO) also meets Canadian opposition in the form of Stuart Twardzik (1-0-1 1 KO) and there’s a big stage for two Arizona fighters, Heavyweight Adam Stewart (12-1-1 8 KOs) and Middleweight Elijah Garcia (9-0 8 KOs).

“Srisaket and Carlos promises to be another brilliant Super-Flyweight World title battle,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Carlos got the better of Srisaket in their first fight seven years ago – and there’s no doubt in my mind that this will be a real fan-friendly war with so much at stake.

“The undercard is stacked with talent. Jesse is a World champion in waiting and is so exciting to watch, Jamie was terrific in beating Shannon in Liverpool and I know Carly will give everything to try to take the title back to England and Ray’s stock rises with every impressive win he notches. Aaron is our latest signing and one to watch, Khalil is looking to bounce back from a draw last time out and it’s a great opportunity for local guys Adam and Elijah to make an impression under the bright lights.”

Rungvisai and Cuadras headline the event that was initially due to be held at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, but logistical and operational issues mean the night moves venues but stays in Arizona and just a short distance to the downtown home of the Phoenix Suns. It’s a return to the venue for Matchroom where Daniel Jacobs defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in December 2019. A clash between Jessie Vargas and Liam Smith was slated to top the bill but the former tested positive for COVID forcing it to be postponed, with the fight set to be rescheduled.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai kicks off this week’s action in Thailand searching for a 50^th pro win against Kwanthai Sithmorseng live on DAZN from 9.30pm ET tonight – and the Thai legend wants to make a big statement before sitting back the next day and watching Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez go to war for the second time in Dallas on Saturday night, knowing he’s in line to face the winner.

Rungvisai is looking to get back to World champion status having lost his WBC World Super-Flyweight strap to Estrada in LA in April 2019. The 34 year old responded to that defeat with a pair of wins on home soil in 2020, and knows that a milestone win against Sithmorseng would be the perfect preparation for a trilogy fight with the winner in Dallas.

“I am not only preparing to fight Kwanthai, but also for the Estrada and Chocolatito winner,” said Rungvisai, who scaled 114.7 lbs, with Sithmorseng weighing 114.9lbs. “I’m not overlooking Kwanthai, but I’m confident that I will beat him.

“He’s a very well-rounded boxer with great experience, who has fought at World level, but I am confident that my 50th win will be impressive. I am the stronger man, but I can’t afford to overlook him.

“Their first fight was very competitive. Ultimately, I think it will come down to their preparation and the fighter with the best conditioning will win. 

“Both of my fights with Chocolatito were extremely entertaining, if I am to fight him next for a third time, I’ll do it again and become a three-time World champion.

“My second fight against Estrada was very close. I accept the judges favored him, but if it’s him for the trilogy I will beat him.

“They are legends of the sport. It’s great for the division the best fight the best and I obviously include myself in that list. It can only help elevate the 115lbs division to become one of the more popular weight classes in the game.”

In a battle of former world champions Srisaket Sor Rungvisai won a 10-round unanimous decision over Amnat Ruenroeng at Workpoint Studio in Bang Phun, Thailand

In round three, Rungvisai was cut on his left eyelid from an accidental clash of heads.

Both fighters from Thailand, weighed 120 lbs that saw Rungvisai won by scores of 98-91, 97-94 and 96-93 and is now 48-5-1. Ruenroeng is now 20-4.

Chainoi Worawut stopped Jomar Farjardo in round two of their scheduled six-round super bantamweight bout,

In round two, Worawut dropped Farjardo with a right and the corner stopped the fight at 59 seconds.

Worawut, 122 lbs of Thailand is 11-0-1 with 10 knockouts. Farjardo, 122 lbs of the Philippines is 17-17-1.

Matchroom Boxing will live stream Srisaket Sor Rungvisai’s ring return against Amnat Ruenroeng on Saturday August 1st.

Ahead of our Fight Camp opener, the ten round contest from Thailand will go out across Matchroom’s YouTube channel.

Fans around the world (excluding in Thailand, Caribbean and Latin America) will be able to watch from approx 9.45am (BST) on fight day.

Rungvisai boasts two impressive victories over Roman Gonzalez in recent years, plus two close fights against Juan Francisco Estrada which went one apiece. 

Ruenroeng, a former IBF World Champion, looks to make it three wins on the bounce and put his name firmly back into title contention. 

Promoter Eddie Hearn said: “As if August 1st couldn’t get any bigger with the launch of Matchroom Fight Camp, the return of former WBC Super-Flyweight World Champion Rungvisai against former IBF 112lbs ruler Ruenroeng will now be shown live on the Matchroom YouTube channel.

“It’s a great little warm-up at 8.45 in the morning for what will be a very exciting day for the world of boxing. Next Saturday is all about the return of boxing. Fight fans will get a chance to watch a pound-for-pound star in Rungvisai before enjoying the opening night of Fight Camp.

“Juan Francisco Estrada will fight ‘Chocolatito’ next, we’re in the process of trying to make that fight, probably for October time in America. The winner of that fight will face Sor Rungvisai providing he gets through on the 1st. It’s a great little run of fights for those three and the division itself. We’re so lucky to represent those three great fighters.”

Fans are invited to subscribe to the channel ahead of the live coverage: www.youtube.com/matchroomboxing

Former 115-pound world champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will return to action on April 4th against former flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng  in Rungvisai’s native Bangkok, Thailand.

“For this warm-up fight with Amnat, I want to show my physical ability to Estrada that I still have the thirst for a third fight with him because I want to bring my championship belt back to my home country,” Sor Rungvisai said in translated remarks. “I am counting the days to part 3, but before I get there I have this fight which I know it is not easy, because (Ruenroeng) is a great fighter and a former world champion and I can’t underestimate him. Guarantee that it will be a fun fight for sure.”

By Bart Barry-

Three Saturdays from now a comain at the Dallas
Cowboys’ practice facility will feature Nicaragua’s Roman “Chocolatito”
Gonzalez, the once king of our beloved sport. 
Chocolatito will challenge Birmingham’s Khalid Yafai for Yafai’s WBA
super flyweight world title.  It will be
the third time Chocolatito fights since what Srisaket Sor Rungvisai did to him
in 2017.  It likely won’t go well for
Chocolatito.

It’s the sort of return that appears to be financial-advisor-mandated
more than love-o’-the-game compelled.

How dare I? 
Well it’s the weight mostly.  In
some longlost video or other familiars of Chocolatito’s crowed after his second
and brutalest loss he’d been manipulated somehow or other to make fights at super
flyweight.

Now he’s back at that weight in a tilt with a
legitimate titlist who knows how to punch and be punched at 115 pounds, and
more troublesome still: Yafai made his prizefighting debut at 122 3/4
pounds.  Chocolatito’s own debut, 15
years ago, happened at 108.  No need to
bore you with the maths, dear reader, but 14 pounds on a man who weighs not
much more than 100 is an appreciable bit, and more appreciable still on a man
who invites contact the way Chocolatito does. 

If there’s a lasting strike against Chocolatito as
a stylist it lies in how much he allows and always has allowed opponents’
gloves touch him.  Chocolatito is a
proper prizefighter and showman, mentored by a modern master of the craft, the
late Alexis Arguello, and the craft until recently required a man be punched to
achieve celebrity and wealth.  That is
how Chocolatito learned to fight, then, before men learned to extend their
careers by specializing in defense and mic skills, igniting in ticketbuyers a frothing
lust to see them slept, and pundits adapted themselves to modern metrics, going
along with a charade the best fighter is he who fights least.

If Chocolatito, pre-Rat King at least, did not
often catch punches flush on his chin he nevertheless caught plenty on his
shoulders and wrists.  Even a novel
dissuasion technique of his – hanging the hook between an opponent’s right shoulder
and ear such that the opponent’s cross necessarily drove Chocolatito’s left
knuckles into the side of his aggressor’s head – required an opponent’s right
wrist at least to crash against Chocolatito’s upper left arm or shoulder.

Which wasn’t any problem when Chocolatito was
young and nimble and big as those who challenged him.  That stopped quite abruptly in 2016, when Chocolatito
made a successful if illadvised challenge for Carlos Cuadras’ super flyweight
title.  Chocolatito did what he’d always
done and well as he’d always done it but the effect it took on Cuadras was disproportionately
less than anticipated.  And that
anticipated what’d come next even while few of us did.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is an excellent and
bruising prizefighter but hardly the man we expected to unseat the world’s
best.  Sor Rungvisai did so with quite a
bit of skill but even more physicality. 
Just that suddenly the headbutts and whatnots that favored Chocolatito,
always, favored his opponent moreso.  If
Chocolatito looked a man threadbaring himself in his first match of 2017 he
looked worn and desperate by September of that year, when Sor Rungvisai’s
misses moved him round the canvas.  Sor
Rungvisai was happy to trade with Chocolatito, and a few minutes into their
rematch it was a mismatch.

Not since Roy Jones Jr.’s collapse did a man
considered invincible look so immediately vincible.  Since then Chocolatito has been semiretired,
fighting twice in 29 months against men with a cumulative 10 losses and four
draws on their dossiers, sparring partners honored to share a mat with
him.  Even so.

A couple months ago in Tokyo against Diomel Diocos,
a man of impeccable courtesy and a chin that floats, Chocolatito looked
initially dull, needing a round and a half too long to victimize a designated
victim.  Because at 115 pounds his
punches no longer pack, Chocolatito exerts more throwing them, both tiring and disbalancing
himself; even the feckless Diocos managed to get an uppercut in position for
Chocolatito to impale himself.  Luckily
for Chocolatito, of course, Diocos, in the homestretch of a 1-4 year and seven
fights since his last knockout, hadn’t a prayer of hurting Chocolatito, who
looked more sheepish than vicious in finishing him.

Unluckily for Chocolatito, the whole thing now
looks a setup, doesn’t it?  In Frisco,
Chocolatito will fight under a British promotional banner a man the BBC calls Britain’s
longest reigning world champion.  What do
you think that portends?

Hint: “A chance to justify a rubber match with Sor
Rungvisai!” mightn’t be the answer.

No, the purpose of Yafai-Gonzalez is to get the
Brummie a hall-of-fame scalp en route to a higherpaying affair with higherweighing
men.  Fair is fair, right, and it’s all
in the game, yes, but one hates to see it in realtime, a man once an example of
boxing’s best qualities made an example of a different sort altogether.

A couple hours ago, when I set about this column,
I believe I planned to name it “Why I’ll be in Frisco” – and now I realize why I
won’t be.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

By Bart Barry-

After two weeks of exhibitionist fare boxing returned Friday and Saturday to competitive and excellent matches, excellent for being competitive. Or maybe the passive voice delivers better here: Boxing got returned to competitiveness by DAZN. The aficionado’s platform delivered simple, striking excellence Friday, with its broadcast of Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada’s super flyweight rematch with Thailand’s Srisaket Sor Rungvisai. Then the next round of the World Boxing Super Series happened Saturday with two of its semifinal matches, Regis Prograis versus Kiryl Relikh and Nonito Donaire versus Stephon Young.

They were all three of a piece and beautiful for the same reason: They participated in a genuine pursuit of the best available competition by identifying that competition and then going to it.

Friday’s participants had the benefit of having already identified, through their own perseverance and courage, the very best opposition they might face, and then, bless their exceptional spirits, chosen to face each other once more. Saturday’s participants, two of the four anyway, did their level best to identify what men would challenge them properly – with one of the other two a latenotice replacement and the fourth, Donaire, having previously identified such men and done his best against them.

More about that in a bit if space and endurance allow, but back to the main event among main events, back to a fight unlikely to be surpassed the rest of this year. No, Estrada-Sor Rungvisai 2 was not what mindless madness we bestow yearend honorifics upon but rather two of the world’s very best prizefighters in their primes and fighting one another best they were able. More clearly written, even had Errol Spence and Mikey Garcia been the exact same size, they’d not have been able to match Estrada and Sor Rungvisai for quality; Spence lacks Sor Rungvisai’s experience like Garcia lacks Estrada’s complexity.

There is, as a matter of fact, no current prizefighter who has on his resume a man better than the man whom Sor Rungvisai took from prime to pursuing-other-career-opportunities. If you take the best win on the resumes of each of prizefighting’s five best practitioners currently and add all those men all together, they just about equal the Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez whom Sor Rungvisai decisioned then slept in a halfyear’s time.

Eight pounds and 6 1/2 years ago Chocolatito put it on Estrada thoroughly, and it made Estrada better – and that makes Estrada exceptional. Friday was about Estrada more than Sor Rungvisai. The man aficionados who know what’s what affectionately call The Rat King showed up and made the sort of fight he makes every time, and if DAZN’s mediocre broadcasting crew didn’t realize how close the fight was it was because their headsets precluded them from hearing punches well as the judges did – as, below a din of babbling groupthink, Sor Rungvisai’s body punches, to which he committed from the very start, made audible confirmations of what tariffs they exacted from Estrada’s awesome initiative. And it was indeed awesome.

Estrada showed Sor Rungvisai the same lack of respect that canvassed Chocolatito in March 2017 then savasana-d him in September that year. After 12 rounds of tasting power from a man who’s much of it as anyone fighting, Estrada went after Sor Rungvisai like he’d no inkling who Sor Rungvisai was. This column is proof you can write about our beloved sport 14 years and think about it in your spare time, too, and still not be very close to explaining how a man does what Estrada did – delusion himself into believing a man who beat a man who beat him, and who also punched him hard and often 14 months ago, is so much less than the sum of those accomplishments he might go after him directly if given another chance.

Estrada fulfilled every definition of courage Friday. With both an outcome and his own health in doubt Estrada chose to go first. Compare that statement to the very best you might say or write about what Terence Crawford did a couple Saturdays ago or Vasiliy Lomachenko did the week before that. Among the world’s best prizefighters, and Estrada is exactly that, the nearest one comes to a man making Estrada’s choices is Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, and we’re not allowed to celebrate him too loudly because he’s both overcompensated and guilty of bodypunching the shine right off yesteryear’s embellishment, the former “most feared” champion now readying to make a June war on Canada’s fourth-best middleweight.

Saturday’s fights were excellent and suffer only if one happens to watch them immediately before or after Estrada-Sor Rungvisai 2. No matter how much they might suffer by comparison, anyway, they are redeemed by the tournament that made them happen, even if that tournament’s masterminds have yet to realize their fights do not belong in American venues or any venues unknown to boxing and farflung as Lafayette, La.

Nonito Donaire, a subject of sympathy through his opening 10 minutes with Ryan Burnett in November, now finds himself the WBSS’ unlikeliest finalist yet, after hooksawing poor Stephon Young in Saturday’s comain. Donaire did not belong in the semifinals but Young belonged there much less, and Donaire played him a 2007 Vic Darchinyan remix to prove it.

The evening’s mainevent and ostensible reason WBSS stubbornly returns to empty Louisiana arenas, Regis “Rougarou” Prograis, beat the joy out a very good Belarusian super lightweight named Kiryl Relikh, causing Relikh and his corner and referee Luis Pabon to conclude as one the match needed concluding at its midway point. On his shield Relikh did not retire, but the result’d’ve doubtfully changed had he tried to do so.

Were this another tired exhibition on premium cable or its cheaper counterparts there’d be plenty of reason to doubt Prograis is good as he looks. But that’s the blessed thing about this WBSS tournament (and the Super Six before it): If Prograis turns out to be peerless it will be from his lessening his every peer.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

Juan Francisco Estrada won the WBC Super Flyweight title with a unanimous decision over Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in a rematch at The Forum in Ingleoowd, California.

Estrada dominated as he was sharp by landing hard shots with both hands. Rungvisai landed some shots, but it was few and far between action led by by Estrada.

Rungvisai made a late-go of it, but Estrada was too far ahead on the cards, and won by tallies of 116-112 and 115-113 twice.

Estrada, 114.6 lbs of Hermosillo, MEX is 39-3. Rungvisai, 114.2 lbs lbs of Si Sa Ket, THA is 47-5-1.

Danny Roman used two knockdowns to unify his WBA and the IBF Super Bantamweight title with a 12-round majority decision over TJ Doheny.

In round two, Roman dropped Doheny with a left hook. In round four, Doheny began to bleed from his nose. In the next round, he had swelling from around his left eye.

In round seven, Doheny landed a series of power punches that hurt Roman. In round nine, a big left hook buckled Doheny. In round 11, Roman sent Doheny t a knee with a hard left hook to the body.

Roman, 121.2 lbs of Los Angeles, CA won by scores of 116-110 twice 113-113 and is now 27-2-1. Doheny, 121.8 lbs of Bondi Junction, AUS is 21-1.

“This is what it’s all about,” said Roman, who is promoted by Thompson Boxing and Matchroom Boxing. “I love challenges like these. TJ put up a great fight, but I was too much for him. I knocked him down early, late and roughed him up in the middle. It’s crazy now that I think about it. This is what I wanted, to unify the division. I’m looking forward to celebrating with my team and enjoying this for a while.”

In a battle of former world champion, Jessie Vargas stopped Humberto Soto in round six of their scheduled six-round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Vargas was cut over his left eye from an accidental headbutt. There were several furious exchanges throughout the fight.

In round six, Vargas landed a perfect right hand that sent Soto to the canvas. Vargas finished the fight by landing several flush shots that snapped the head back of Soto, and the fight was stopped at 1:48.

Vargas, 150.4 lbs of Las Vegas is 29-2-2 with 11 knockouts. Soto, 150.4 lbs of Tijuana, MEX is 69-10-2.

Anthony Sims Jr. won a 10-round unanimous decision over Vaughn Alexander in a super middelweight bout.

Sims, 168 lbs of Plainfield, IN won by scores of 98-92 and 96-94 twice and is now 19-0. Alexander, 166.6 lbs of St. Louis, MO is now 14-3.

Diego Pacheo remained undefeated with a vicious 1st round stoppage over Guillermo Maldsonado in a middleweight bout.

After landing several hard right hands that rocked the head of Maldonado, Pacheco landed a thunderous left hook that dropped Maldonado hard to the canvas, and the bout was stopped at 1:46.

Pacheco, 161.8 lbs of Los Angeles is 3-0 with two knockouts. Maldonado, 159 lbs of Seattle, WA is 1-1.

Shakhram Giysaov won a 10-round unanimous decision over Emanuel Taylor in a junior welterweight bout

In round one, Taylor hurt Giysov badly with a hard left hook to the chin. Taylor hurt Giyasov again in round four, but the judges barley gave Taylor any credit as two cards read 99-91 twice and 98-92 for Giyasov.

Giyasov, 139.6 lbs of Bukhara, UZB is 8-0. Taylor, 138.6 lbs of Edgewood Arsenal, MD is 20-6.

Austin Williams made a successful pro debut with a 1st round stoppage over Joel Guevara in a scheduled four round middleweight bout.

Williams dropped Guevara once and finished him with a hard flurry at 2:06

Williams, 159 lbs of Houston is 1-0 with one knockout. Guevara, 158 lbs of West Virginia is 3-5-1.

With just two days to go until pound-for-pound star Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada meet in their highly-anticipated rematch at The Forum and live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK, the media gathered in downtown Los Angeles for the final press conference.

Rungvisai (47-4-1, 41KOs) will defend his WBC and Ring Magazine Super Flyweight World titles against Estrada (38-3, 26 KOs) in the main event of the evening. In the co-main event of the night, Daniel Roman (26-2-1, 10KOs) and TJ Doheny (21-0, 15KOs) will meet to unify the WBA and IBF Super Bantamweight World titles.

Kicking off the main card at 9:30 p.m. ET on DAZN, former two-division World Champion Jessie Vargas (28-2-2, 10KOs) will move up to 154 pounds to conquer a new weight class when he faces off against veteran Humberto Soto (69-9-2, 37KOs).

The televised undercard of the evening will commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on DAZN with three fights before the main card begins at 9:30 p.m. ET.

SRISAKET SOR RUNGVISAI

“I feel great. I feel confident. This is my fourth time fighting in the United States and I hope you all come to watch the show.”

JUAN FRANCISCO ESTRADA

“I am so happy to be here fighting in Los Angeles again. I am actually able to be 100% for this fight. Last time I was dealing with injuries but now I am healthy. My trainers did a great job getting me ready for the rematch and I feel ready to win this time. Only two more days, I am anxious. I can’t wait to step on the scale and get that challenge out of the way before Friday night.”

DANIEL ROMAN

“I am excited. It’s finally here. Thank you to TJ for accepting this challenge. Every champion wants to unify and we both have a chance to do it. So let’s steal the show, TJ. Let’s do it because this is what we all do it for.”

TJ DOHENY

“I am looking forward to Friday night. It is great to be back in Los Angeles and under great circumstances. I have fought in New York, Tokyo, Boston and now I am coming to Los Angeles to unify titles and I am thrilled. I think Danny and I have the same mindset, we want to prove who is the best in the division. Danny likes to come forward, I like to be a craftsman but make no mistake, I can bang too. We will see what happens on Friday night on DAZN and I hope everyone tunes in to watch two of the best face off.”

JESSIE VARGAS

“I am happy to be back in the ring. Soto is a two-division World Champion, too. He is a veteran. We are two Mexican warriors and we are going to go to war on Friday night on DAZN. Shout out to Soto for springing the upset against Brandon Rios to make this fight happen and I can’t wait. Matchroom and DAZN are changing boxing and I am excited to be a part of this. Eddie had promised me things and he continues to come through with each and every thing that he has said.

“I need to take care of business against Soto. I have trained properly but nothing is certain. I want to get a title in my third weight division. I left Vegas for camp for the first time in my career to train in Los Angeles. I had a great training camp with my amazing trainer Freddie Roach and I am ready for Friday night.”

HUMBERTO SOTO

“I am very grateful to Matchroom and DAZN for giving me another chance to accomplish my dreams in the ring. I think this Friday the fans will be the winners, not me or Jessie Vargas. We are going to put on a show. I will leave it all in the ring on Friday night.”

JOSEPH MARKOWSKI (EVP, DAZN NORTH AMERICA)

“We are delighted to be here in Los Angeles. A lot is being made of next week in Las Vegas between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs, which I think will end up being named Fight of the Year. And a lot is being made of Anthony Joshua’s United States debut and Golovkin’s deal with DAZN and his return this June. But the amazing stretch starts in earnest this Friday at The Forum when we get a repeat of the best fight of 2018.

“We are delivering the best value for our subscribers and this stretch shows you how much you get for one-low price. For just $99.99 a year and $19.99 a month, DAZN subscribers will get the chance to watch Rungvisai, Canelo, Jacobs, Usyk, Joshua, Golovkin and more. On DAZN you get more than 100 fight nights a year from boxing to Bellator. We also offer daily baseball content with our new show ChangeUp, which is particularly valuable here in Los Angeles. Eddie did a great job outlining the tremendous stretch that is upcoming and we are excited to kick off this Friday.”

EDDIE HEARN (MATCHROOM BOXING USA)

“It is an honor to be here in Los Angeles. I flew 11 hours to get here from London but honestly would have flown 1,100 hours to be here for this. Top to bottom, I think that this is the best card of the year.

“When you look at the next seven weeks in boxing, DAZN has the best schedule without question. It might be one of the best stretches in boxing history in a long, long while.

“When have you ever seen this before in terms of value for subscribers? Never. DAZN gives you all of this for less than a hundred bucks a year. Rungvisai vs. Estrada, Roman vs. Doheny this Friday. We have a stacked card at The Forum to kick things off properly. Then next weekend you have what might go down as one of the best middleweight fights in history between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs.

“There’s literally more great fight nights than I can think of. We have Usyk making his heavyweight debut in Maryland on Memorial Day, Anthony Joshua making his United States debut at the nation’s most legendary arena, Madison Square Garden, and then the return of Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. It is an incredible stretch and we are all excited to get going.”

ROBERT GASPARRI (COO, GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS)

“We are excited for this weekend’s fights as we get prepared for next weekend’s mega fight between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs at T-Mobile Arena on May 4, and only on DAZN.

DAZN have been great partners as we enter this new era of boxing. It is the Netflix of sports. Where else can you get Canelo Alvarez twice a year? Then you get Gennady Golovkin, Anthony Joshua and dozens of other amazing champions fighting more often.

“PPV is dead. If you are boxing fan, this is the future and DAZN is where you need to watch. You get great fights from Golden Boy, great fights from Matchroom Boxing, and it’s all available on DAZN.”

About DAZN:
DAZN is the largest global sports streaming platform in the world. Since launching in 2016, DAZN had expanded across four continents with the service available in the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Japan, and soon to debut in Brazil. DAZN guarantees no long-term contract, no bundles, just affordable access to all the service’s sports on connected devices including smart TVs, smartphones, tablets, games consoles and PCs. In the U.S., DAZN has made its mark as an attractive alternative to pay-per-view within the combat sports industry. The platform features more than 100 fight nights per year from Matchroom Boxing, Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions, Bellator MMA, the World Boxing Super Series and Combate Americas. DAZN also features live MLB action each day of the season with its new daily show, ChangeUp.

For more information, fans can follow DAZN’s U.S. social channels: @DAZNUSA on Facebook, @DAZN_USA for Twitter, and DAZN_USA for Instagram.

Tickets are on sale now prices from just $31 – to charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.

Juan Francisco Estrada says he will be 100 per cent fit for his rematch with Sor Srisaket Rungvisai – and that will make the fight twice as good as the first clash and see him become World champion at The Forum in Inglewood, LA on Friday April 26, live on DAZN in the US and on Sky Sports in the UK.

**TICKETS START FROM JUST $25 AND ARE ON SALE NOW FROM TICKETMASTER**

Estrada and Rungvisai served up a fight of the year contender at the famous LA venue last February, with the Thai star edging out ‘Gallo’ to retain his WBC Super Flyweight title and land the Ring Magazine crown.

Former WBA and WBO king Estrada was hampered in the build up by a knee issue for the first clash, yet the Mexican ace delivered a fantastic performance. The 28 year old has recorded a pair of wins since the majority decision loss to Rungvisai, and crucially, has enjoyed a great camp in Los Mochis, Mexico to enter the showdown in great shape.

“I’ve always said there’s always a second chance and we need to take advantage of it,” said Estrada. “I was 50 per cent prepared last time, not because I didn’t want to train but because I had some injuries that affected my preparation and we had no choice but to keep facing the fight as it was a very important fight. This rematch is an opportunity and we will make the most out of it because we are well trained and the goal is to be a World Champion, doesn’t matter if it’s against Rungvisai or anyone else.

“After his hand was raised, I knew there will be a rematch because it was an interesting fight for the fans and for us, it had to be a rematch. I had to win my way back with two or three flights because I was ranked on the top 10 but needed to come up to the second rank to be able to get this fight and my team and I made it happen.

“I had a knee injury first time around and my reactions were not the same. I could not run the same, I was tired but I showed heart. The final round was one of the best rounds of the year, and if I was 100 per cent prepared with no injuries the whole fight would have been like that and maybe he wouldn’t handle that round.

“When a right-handed fighter faces a lefty, it could be a boring fight because of the stances, but when Rungvisai and I fight, our style of boxing is a great match and I think it wasn’t a dirty fight, I think it was a good fight for the fans and that they enjoyed it.

“If he is 100 per cent prepared like he was or more, I think it will be a more aggressive fight for both of us, a tougher fight but I will throw a lot more punches and that will make the difference. He is a fighter that doesn’t throw a lot of combinations, he is a fighter that is has trusts his punch, he has very strong punches and I progressively throw more combinations. I will look for the knockout thawing more punches and showing more intensity.

“Really being champion is the most important, doesn’t matter who is it against, and fighting Rungvisai, in my opinion he is the best of this division. If god gives me the chance to win the fight, I would like to fight against other World champions and defend my title with a few fights and then get to the next division.

“It will be like the first fight but now throwing a lot more punches, and like I said our styles are a great match. Our physical preparation will be crucial last time I was 50 per cent and now the key will be to get their 100 per cent.”

Estrada’s rematch with Rungvisai tops a huge card in Los Angeles with WBA World Super-Bantamweight champion Daniel Roman and IBF ruler TJ Doheny clashing in a unification battle.

Jessie Vargas (28-2-2 10 KOs) is on the hunt to become a three-weight World champion and he faces fellow two-weight World king Humberto Soto (69-9-2 37 KOs) in a crunch clash for their elite level aspirations. The Soto clash will be Vargas’ first fight with new trainer Freddie Roach, and it’s a busy evening for the Hall of Fame coach as Scott Quigg (35-2-2 26KOs) also looks to move to world honors in a new weight, targeting a Featherweight World title shot in the second half of the year.

Unbeaten Super-Middleweight talent Anthony Sims Jr is set for a breakout year and will fight for his first title on the bill. Sims (17-0 16 KOs), who is in action in Peterborough, England on Saturday night live on DAZN and Sky Sports, clocked three stoppage wins in the second half of 2018, and will look to convert that momentum in style in first the UK and then in LA.

Shakhram Giyasov (7-0 6KOs) and Diego Pacheco (2-0 1KO) landed wins in Tijuana, Mexico this weekend and will fight on the bill, while Eddie Hearn’s latest addition to his blossoming stable of young USA talents, Houston’s Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, will make his pro debut on the card.

Tickets are on sale now prices from just $25 – to charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Francisco Estrada rematch and Daniel Roman and TJ Doheny clash in a unification bout at The Forum in Los Angeles on Friday April 26 live on DAZN in the UK and on Sky Sports in the US – and tickets for the blockbuster fight night are on sale now!

**TICKETS START FROM JUST $25 AND ARE ON SALE NOW FROM TICKETMASTER**

Rungvisai (47-4-1 41KOs) and Estrada (38-3 26KOs) served up a fight of the year candidate in February in the same LA venue – with Rungsivai edging it over Estrada by majority decision.

The Thai star will defend his WBC and Ring Magazine titles against the Mexican ace, with both men pocketing a pair of wins apiece since their epic tussle in California. Rungvisai was unable to make this week’s launch press conference in LA, but the challenger and former Flyweight World ruler believes that he will settle the score in another epic showdown.

“I’m extremely excited for this rematch,” said Estrada. “I know a lot of fans were asking for it. I’m getting ready to bring the title back to Mexico.

“I’m confident that I’m going to win the fight, but I’m also very excited to watch some of the undercard fights. I think it’s a stacked card, I like a lot of these fighters, so it will be a good card for everybody.”

Roman’s clash with Doheny promises fireworks, and it’s rich reward for two men who enjoyed great years in 2018.

WBA champion Roman (26-2-1 10KOs) made the first defense of his WBA crown in Japan over Ryo Matsumoto in February and followed that with another authoritative points triumph over Moises Flores in Frisco, Dallas in June, and then put the cherry on top of a fine year by stopping Brit challenger Gavin McDonnell in the tenth round of their clash on the first American boxing bill live on DAZN in October.

Like Roman, Doheny (21-0 15KOs) also went to the Far East for a massive fight, ripping the IBF crown from Ryosuke Iwasa in August in Tokyo. The Irishman’s first defense saw another Japanese look to take the title back to Japan, but Ryohei Takahashi was stopped by the 32 year old champion at Madison Square Garden in January.

“I’m excited to be back home,” said Roman. “This is a fight you want to see. The best against the best, champion against champion. I’ve been asking for this fight since I won the World title, and finally it’s here. It’s going to be a great card, but I feel we’re going to steal the show that night.”

“This is the kind of fight I want to be involved in,” said Doheny. “It’s a dream of mine – as soon as I got my World title that’s all I’ve been pushing for is a unification. I want to thank Daniel Roman for taking the fight and wanting to unify the division. In my opinion this is probably the best two 122 fighters in the world going off right now.

“There’s a lot of respect between myself and Danny, a fight of this magnitude does not need that kind of stuff. Come April 26 when that first bell goes, the respect will be gone out the window, and the fans can expect fireworks.”

A stacked undercard in support of the two World title battles is led by former two-weight World champion Jessie Vargas (28-2-2 10KOs) taking his first steps at 154lbs in his attempts to become a three-weight World ruler.

That will be Vargas’ first fight under new trainer Freddie Roach, and it’s a busy night for the Hall of Fame coach as Scott Quigg (35-2-2 26KOs) continues his charge to becoming a two-weight World champ.

Unbeaten Super-Middleweight talent Anthony Sims Jr is set for a breakout year and will fight for his first title on the bill. Sims (17-0 16 KOs), who is in action in Peterborough, England on Saturday night live on DAZN and Sky Sports, clocked three stoppage wins in the second half of 2018, and will look to convert that momentum in style in first the UK and then in LA.

Shakhram Giyasov (7-0 6KOs) and Diego Pacheco (2-0 1KO) landed wins in Tijuana, Mexico this weekend and will fight on the bill, while Eddie Hearn’s latest addition to his blossoming stable of young USA talents, Houston’s Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, will make his pro debut on the card.

Tickets are on sale now prices from just $25 – to charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets are also available for purchase at www.fabulousforum.com or www.ticketmaster.com, and also at the Forum Box Office.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and Juan Francisco Estrada will meet in a rematch for the WBC and Ring magazine Super-Flyweight titles and WBA and IBF Super-Bantamweight World Champions Daniel Roman and TJ Doheny clash in a unification battle on a blockbuster night of action at The Forum, Los Angeles on Friday April 26, live on DAZN in the US and Sky Sports in the UK.

Rungvisai (47-4-1 41KOs) and Estrada (38-3 26KOs) clashed at the LA venue in February 2018 and delivered a memorable all-action affair that saw Rungvisai defeat Estrada by Majority Decision to retain his WBC Super-Flyweight title.

Pound for pound Thai star Rungvisai, who recently penned a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA, successfully defended his title for the third time in October on home turf against Iran Diaz, while Mexican ace Estrada enters the bout on the back of wins over Felipe Orucata at The Forum in September and Victor Mendez in Carson, California in December.

“I am extremely excited and honored to be back fighting in the US again,” said Rungvisai. “Estrada is a great fighter, and we had an amazing fight last year. Our round 12 was awarded Round of the Year by WBC. That is an evidence of how entertaining the previous fight was.

“I believe that this fight on April 26 will be even more entertaining. I am training extremely hard in Thailand. And I am confident I will be the winner on April 26th.

“Thank you to Matchroom Boxing and DAZN for this amazing opportunity, it’s such a great honor to be fighting for them. I also would like to thank WBC, NKL Team, and 360 Promotions for making this possible. I can’t wait to give a great fight to all the fans on April 26th!”

Roman (26-2-1 10KOs) and Doheny (21-0 15KOs) clash in a unification bout that is certain to entertain. Roman was one of the standout fighters of 2018, winning a wide points decision in the first defense of his WBA crown in Japan over Ryo Matsumoto in February and followed that with another authoritative points triumph over Moises Flores in Frisco, Dallas in June.

The LA man then punctuated his year’s work by stopping Brit challenger Gavin McDonnell in the tenth round of their clash on the first American boxing bill live on DAZN in October, and now looks to make a flying start to 2019 against IBF king Doheny.

Doheny’s path has echoes of his opponents as like Roman, the Australian-based Irishman travelled to Japan to land his first World title when he took the strap from Ryosuke Iwasa in Tokyo in August.

The unbeaten 32 year old signed a promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA in January and swiftly made his first defense in New York against Ryohei Takahashi, stopping the Japanese in the 11th round at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, with Roman watching in the crowd.

“This is the biggest and most important fight of my career,” Roman said. “I haven’t been shy about wanting to unifying the division. This is the fight that I’ve been asking for since I became a World Champion. I need to deliver on my goal of becoming the best and a win against another World Champion puts me in that conversation.

“It will be a new experience for me because I’m not fighting a challenger, I’m fighting another belt holder. It’s exciting in a lot of ways. I’ll be at my best because I’m planning to add another title on April 26.

“It feels pretty damn good to fight in front of my hometown fans. My last five fights have been away from home, but I don’t feel any added pressure in this homecoming of sorts. I know I have a job to do. Nothing is easy at this point. It’s going to be a heck of a fight. Two World Champions fighting for control of the division. What more could you want?”

“Danny is one of those rare boxers that is motivated and committed to fighting the very best,” said Ken Thompson, President, Thompson Boxing Promotions. “He understands the risks that he is taking, but that’s what drives him. Against Doheny, he gets to show the world what he’s made of. It will be a tough fight, but one that Danny is more than capable of winning. We expect him to fight his fight and come out with another win and another World title.”

“This was my ideal scenario,” said Doheny. “Get the voluntary defence out of the way, then go straight into the unification, so great work from my team, and Eddie Hearn with Matchroom Boxing USA for getting this fight on. It’s unbelievable, it would mean the World to me. It’s just another boxed ticked, after I won the World title, the next goal was to become a unified Champion. I’m looking forward to achieving that.

“We met in the ring after the fight in New York, and there was a lot of respect for each other. That’s the way it should be. We’re two World class fighters, two World Champions in the division. A fight like this doesn’t need any false hype, I think that when you’ve got two World class fighters like this that’s enough of a selling point for a high-calibre fight like this

“Danny’s a great fighter, he adds a lot of pressure, he’s a great puncher, great punch selection, he’s got it all really. It’s going to be a great fight between us, and I won’t be surprised if the fans get to see a bit of a war. Fighting Danny in his home city, that doesn’t bother me. I’ve been fighting on the road my whole career, so it will be no different to me. It’s me and him in the ring, and it’s going to be all action.”

A stacked card in support of the huge World title double-header is led by Jessie Vargas’ move to 154lbs. The Las Vegas-based LA man (28-2-2 10KOs) headlined the aforementioned Chicago show in an entertaining clash with Thomas Dulorme, a draw the outcome after 12 pulsating rounds for the WBC Silver Welterweight title, where a last round knockdown cost Vargas the win.

The 29 year old will start the journey on becoming a three-weight World Champion on April 26 and will have a new but familiar face in his corner with the bout marking his first fight under hall of fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Roach will be a busy man on the night, with former Super-Bantamweight World Champion Scott Quigg returning to action. The English star (35-2-2 26KOs) returned to winning ways in Boston in October with a spiteful second round stoppage of Mario Briones, and will be on familiar ground in LA where he trains with Roach and shared a bruising fast-paced battle with WBO Featherweight ruler Oscar Valdez last March.

Unbeaten Super-Middleweight talent Anthony Sims Jr is set for a breakout year and will fight for his first title on the bill. Sims (17-0 16 KOs), who is in action in Peterborough, England on Saturday night live on DAZN and Sky Sports, clocked three stoppage wins in the second half of 2018, and will look to convert that momentum in style in first the UK and then in LA.

Shakhram Giyasov (7-0 6KOs) and Diego Pacheco (2-0 1KO) landed wins in Tijuana, Mexico this weekend and will fight on the bill, while Eddie Hearn’s latest addition to his blossoming stable of young USA talents, Houston’s Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams, will make his pro debut on the card.

“I’m proud to announce this huge card for our first show in LA,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “Rungvisai vs. Estrada was one of the fights of the year in 2018 and fans can expect another war on April 26 for the WBC and Ring Magazine World titles.

“LA’s Danny Roman attempts to unify the division against IBF champ TJ Doheny and two division World Champion Jessie Vargas returns under his new trainer Freddie Roach as he begins his quest to win World titles in three different weight classes.

“Former World champ Scott Quigg returns to LA after his war with Oscar Valdez and unbeaten Super Middleweight star Anthony Sims Jr challenges for his first title. This is one of the cards of 2019 to date and fight fans can expect a wonderful show at the Forum and live on DAZN and Sky Sports.”

An announcement on ticket details will be made at the launch press conference in LA next Tuesday.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai has signed a multi-fight promotional deal with Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN.

The reigning two-time WBC Super-Flyweight champion, Ring Magazine champion and pound-for-pound star has been a huge hit in America following a pair of wins over Roman Gonzalez in 2017 and then victory against Juan Francisco Estrada last February.

Rungvisai moved to 47-4-1 on home turf in Thailand with a wide points win over Iran Diaz, three months after notching an incredible 41st KO triumph by blasting away Young Gil Bae in the opening round, again on home territory.

The Thai king will return to the ring to defend his strap for the fourth time in his current reign in a fight to be announced soon, and the 32 year old is delighted to have penned a deal with Hearn and the streaming giants.

“It’s my great honor to be working with Matchroom Boxing USA and DAZN,” said Rungvisai. “I thank my team and everyone who made this opportunity possible. I am extremely excited for my future fights in the USA with Matchroom Boxing and DAZN, and I promise to bring excitements to all my fans always.

“I’m delighted to welcome Srisaket Sor Rungvisai to the Matchroom Boxing USA team,” said Hearn. “Srisaket is one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in boxing today and has been a revelation in recent years with great fights and wins over Roman Gonzalez and Estrada and has some huge fights to be made in the division. His next fight will be announced soon, and fans can expect another firecracker live on DAZN and Sky Sports!”

12 October 2018 – Singapore: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), delivered a thrilling night of action last Saturday, 6 October at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES played host to a series of compelling martial arts contests, headlined by a world-class boxing showdown between The Ring Magazine and two-time WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and the challenger Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz from Mexico.

According to data from Nielsen, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES posted excellent viewership numbers, drawing over 25 million viewers, while setting a record-breaking peak TV ratings share of 58.5% in Thailand, and registering similarly strong numbers across the region in Asia.

ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES featured some of the best martial arts world champions across 14 action-packed bouts featuring a wide spectrum of offerings which included Muay Thai, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and world championship boxing.

To date, ONE Championship has garnered a staggering 30 billion impressions on social media as of September 2018. Video views reached 4.2 billion on an annualized basis, and are expected to continue to accelerate.

ONE Championship returns on Friday, 26 October, when martial arts superstar “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang returns home to Yangon, Myanmar to headline ONE: PURSUIT OF GREATNESS set for the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium. Aung La N Sang will put his ONE Middleweight World Championship on the line against Mohammad Karaki of Lebanon.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.
About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

IBF 115-lb world champion Jerwin Ancajas is looking for a unification bout with WBC champ Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, accroding to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I came to Thailand Saturday night to watch with my own eyes the champion from Thailand fight,” Ancajas said. “I liked what I saw. He is my style. I would be the matador versus the bull. He comes right at you and wants to trade big punches. I do not like fighters that move a lot so Sor Rungvisai is the perfect fight for me.

“I have been waiting a long time for a fight like this. I spoke to my promoters Joven Sports, Manny Pacquiao and Mr. Bob Arum of Top Rank Boxing and told them please get me this fight next.”

Sean Gibbons, Ancajas’ agent, said the whole Ancajas team is game for the unification bout.

“Jerwin is looking to fight the best,” Gibbons said. “He wants a signature fight. He watched the champ from ringside Saturday night and loves the fight. I love the battle of champion versus champion. Boxing is about styles and this fight is perfect for Jerwin. Someone is getting knocked out.”

“I think it would be a great fight,” he said. “As of right now we do not know the future on what would be the next fight for Srisaket. (Ancajas) would be a great fight for sure. We would like to have lots of great fights to create history for Thailand but it would be very interesting. I’d like to thank them for flying all the way from the Philippines. Mr. Sean Gibbons flew from the U.S. to be here with us. It’s a great honor for us to see them and to have them with us at the event.”

6 October 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), hosted the biggest martial arts spectacle in the history of Thailand as the best and the brightest from boxing, mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and kickboxing gathered under one banner to celebrate Asia’s greatest cultural treasure. ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES left an indelible legacy with 14 heart-pumping martial arts contests, punctuated by ONE Championship’s first-ever world-class boxing match that pitted two of the best super flyweight boxers in the world today. In the main event, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand dominated Mexico’s Iran Diaz over the course of 12 rounds to retain the WBC Super Flyweight World Championship. Meanwhile, hometown favorite Stamp Fairtex defeated Kai Ting Chuang of Chinese Taipei to capture the ONE Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship in front of her hometown crowd.

Visit the official ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES photo gallery by clicking: https://bit.ly/onephotos

In the main event of ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, Thai boxing superstar Srisaket Sor Rungvisai sent the crowd into a rapturous chorus of cheers by clinching a unanimous decision win over Mexican challenger Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz to retain the WBC Super Flyweight World Championship. Banking on his heavy hands and southpaw stance, Srisaket persistently hammered the taller Diaz with hard body shots from the opening bell. The consistent attack to the midsection paid dividends for Srisaket in the later rounds as Diaz dropped his defensive guard, prompting the Thai boxer to increase his offense that had his opponent reeling inside the ring. In the championship rounds, Srisaket unleashed a series of power shots, but Diaz amazingly withstood the blitz of punches from the hometown hero. In the end, the three judges unanimously awarded the victory in favor of Srisaket with the scores of 119-109, 120-108 and 119-109.

In the co-main event of the evening, Thailand’s own Stamp Fairtex turned in a debut to remember as she dethroned “Killer Bee” Kai Ting Chuang via unanimous decision to become the new ONE Kickboxing Atomweight World Champion. Beaming with confidence, Stamp used her range and movement to outstrike her counterpart throughout the fast-paced five-round contest. A flurry of strikes in the fifth round sealed the victory for Stamp, who takes home the prestigious title belt in only her first appearance on the ONE Super Series stage.

Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki made his case for a shot at the coveted ONE Lightweight World Championship with resounding clarity, submitting New Zealand-based Malaysian sensation Ev “E.T.” Ting in a title eliminator. From the get-go, Aoki immediately looked for a takedown and managed to effortlessly execute one against Ting’s will. On the canvas, Aoki smoothly passed Ting’s guard and locked in a deep arm triangle to put the Malaysian to sleep, clinching the victory in just 57 seconds.

Muay Thai legend Nong-O Gaiyanghadao put on a striking clinic in front of his home crowd as he punished ISKA and WBC World Champion Mehdi Zatout of France to earn a unanimous decision victory over three rounds in their ONE Super Series Muay Thai showdown. Nong-O weathered a spirited opening round from Zatout to impose his will and dominate the Frenchman with powerful kicks and precise elbows. After three rounds of action, Nong-O was declared the winner before the jubilant Thai fans inside the Impact Arena.

Nigeria’s Anthony “The Assassin” Njokuani scored the biggest win of his kickboxing career, defeating Dutch kickboxing legend Andy “The Destroyer” Souwer via split decision in a ONE Super Series Kickboxing contest. Njokuani and Souwer figured in a thrilling three-round affair as the two highly-experienced strikers went toe-to-toe, exchanging impactful blows and blistering combinations. After nine minutes of action, it was Njokuani who won on two of the three judges’ scorecards, emerging victorious in his ONE Super Series debut.

Tajikistan martial arts phenom Muin Gafurov made an astounding return to the most prestigious stage of global martial arts competition with a statement victory, knocking out top contender Leandro “Brodinho” Issa of Brazil in the first round. Gafurov turned the lights out on Issa with a thunderous right hand to keep his remarkable 100-percent finishing rate intact. His impressive performance earned him the GoDaddy Knockout of the Night.

In a ONE Super Series Kickboxing bout, Hong Kong-based Alain “The Panther” Ngalani of Cameroon and Andre “The Giant” Meunier of Australia battled to a No-Contest (NC) ruling after an inadvertent low blow rendered Ngalani unable to continue. Merely seconds into round two, Meunier threw a knee that accidentally landed low on Ngalani, forcing a pause in the action. Moments later, it was revealed that Ngalani could no longer continue, bringing the contest to an abrupt and unfortunate end.

Three-time IFMA Champion Alaverdi Ramazanov of Russia stunned the partisan Thai crowd after edging out hometown favorite Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai via unanimous decision in their ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest. From the opening bell, Ramazanov applied relentless pressure on Petchmorrakot as he outstruck and outworked the former Lumpinee Stadium World Champion with fiery combinations. Petchmorrakot effectively utilized his patented elbow strikes to fend off his opponent’s advances, but it was not enough to sway the attention of the three judges at ringside as Ramazanov emerged triumphant on their scorecards after three rounds of back-and-forth action.

Japanese grappling wizard Hayato Suzuki established his first winning streak in ONE Championship, pulling off a second-round submission victory over Robin Catalan of the Philippines. Right off the bat, Suzuki took matters to the mat and grinded out his Filipino opponent with his elite wrestling. Suzuki eventually sealed the deal in the second round as he fastened a wrenching rear naked choke to force the tap.

In a ONE Super Series Kickboxing contest, Muay Thai legend Singtongnoi Por Telakun of the Evolve Fight Team turned in a tremendous striking performance to defeat promotional newcomer Masahide Kudo of Japan. Behind pinpoint combinations and powerful kicks, Singtongnoi was confident of victory in the face of an aggressive opponent. A gruelling three round affair would end with all three judges scoring in favor of the 38-year-old former Lumpinee Stadium and WMC Muay Thai World Champion Singtongnoi.

Hometown favorite Rika “Tiny Doll” Ishige of Thailand is back in the winner’s circle, following an impressive technical knockout victory over Bozhena “Toto” Antoniyar of Myanmar in the first round. Ishige had to overcome a fierce offensive from Antoniyar to start off, but once she was able to take the action to the ground, Ishige quickly took the back. From back mount position, Ishige began to unload elbows and punches until the referee called a halt to the contest.

In a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest, Muay Thai superstar Petchdam Kaiyanghadao of Thailand made quick work of Kenny “The Pitbull” Tse of China, putting together a devastating showcase of his piston-like left roundhouse kick for fans in attendance. After a brief feeling out period, Petchdam began to unload his strongest weapon at will, and turned the lights out on Tse after he connected on one just over a minute into the bout.

China’s Fu Chang Xin turned in an impressive grappling performance, defeating Cambodia’s Rin Saroth in just two rounds. The Kun Khmer stylist Saroth tried to make it a standup contest early, but Fu used his grappling skills and took the action to the mat where he sunk in a deep rear naked choke to finish Saroth in the second round.

Setting the tone for an action-packed evening was a flyweight encounter between Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales of the Philippines and Dodi “Maung” Mardian of Indonesia. Driven to claim his second-straight victory on the ONE Championship stage, Gonzales put Mardian to sleep with a rear naked choke in the first round.

Official results for ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES

WBC Super Flyweight World Championship Bout bout: Srisaket Sor Rungvisai defeats Iran Diaz by Unanimous Decision (119-109, 120-108, 119-109) after 12 rounds

ONE Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship bout: Stamp Fairtex defeats Kai Ting Chuang by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds

Lightweight bout: Shinya Aoki defeats Ev Ting by Submission (Arm Triangle) at 0:57 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Lightweight bout: Anthony Njokuani defeats Andy Souwer by Split Decision (SD) after 3 rounds

Catch Weight bout (67.4kgs): Muin Gafurov defeats Leandro Issa by Knockout (KO) at 2:24 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Heavyweight bout: Alain Ngalani vs. Andre Meunier ends in a No Contest (NC)

ONE Super Series Muay Thai Bantamweight bout: Alaverdi Ramazanov defeats Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai by Unanimous Decision (UD)

Strawweight bout: Hayato Suzuki defeats Robin Catalan by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:42 minutes of round 2

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Flyweight bout: Singtongnoi Por Telakun defeats Masahide Kudo by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Women’s Atomweight bout: Rika Ishige defeats Bozhena Antoniyar by Technical Knockout (TKO) at 2:48 minutes of round 1

ONE Super Series Muay Thai Flyweight bout: Petchdam Kaiyanghadao defeats Kenny Tse by Knockout (KO) at 1:26 minutes of round 1

Bantamweight bout: Fu Chang Xin defeats Rin Saroth by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:04 minutes of round 2

Flyweight bout: Ramon Gonzales defeats Dodi Mardian by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:33 minutes of round 1

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

4 September 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the complete card for ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, which is set to ignite the Impact Arena in Bangkok on Saturday, 6 October. Once again, the biggest and brightest stars in martial arts are ready to grace the ONE Championship ring. In the main event, reigning The Ring and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand will defend his title against Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz of Mexico.

Ticket information for ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES is available at www.onefc.com.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is one of the most celebrated pugilists in Thailand’s history, winning the prestigious WBC Super Flyweight World Title on two occasions. Holding a professional record of 46-4-1 with 41 knockouts, Sor Rungvisai is ranked No. 5 on the pound-for-pound best boxers list of Boxrec.com and No. 7 on The Ring Magazine’s rankings. After regaining the WBC Super Flyweight World Title in March 2017 and then successfully defending it two times, Sor Rungvisai will now defend his WBC World Title in ONE Championship’s historical event in Thailand against challenger Iran Diaz.

Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz of Sonora, Mexico is one of the fastest rising talents in Mexican boxing. Born and raised in a country known for its passionate love for pugilism, Diaz holds a professional record of 14-2-3, with 6 knockouts to his name. His most notable victories have come over dangerous former World Champions Hernan “Tyson” Marquez and Luis Concepcion. Recently, Diaz is a winner of three of his last five contests, and is riding a wave of momentum heading into his next bout. The hard-hitting Diaz will face Srisaket Sor Rungvisai for the WBC Super Flyweight World Title.

23-year-old “Killer Bee” Kai Ting Chuang of Chinese Taipei is the reigning ONE Super Series Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion. She began boxing as a young teenager and later earned a college scholarship to the National Taiwan University of Sport, where she began training in kickboxing and Muay Thai. She also made frequent trips to Japan to compete in Shootboxing and kickboxing matches. Earlier this year, Chuang brought her talents to ONE Super Series, where she shocked the world with a dominant performance over Yodcherry Sityodtong to win the atomweight World Title. With a professional kickboxing record of 17-5, Chuang represents Iron Boxing, and is a three-time WAKO National Kickboxing Champion. She is set to defend her title now against Stamp Fairtex.

20-year-old Stamp Fairtex of Pattaya, Thailand, is one of the most recent additions to the ONE Super Series female roster. She is a North Eastern Muay Thai Champion and one of the fastest rising talents in the striking arts. With a professional record of 60-15-5, Stamp represents the world-renowned Fairtex gym in Thailand. Known for her powerful kicks and fast combinations, Stamp will be making her ONE Super Series debut when she challenges Kai Ting Chuang for the ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship.

Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki is the most successful submission specialist in Asian martial arts. An iconic figure, he is known for his overpowering ground game, which had already won him titles with WAMMA, DREAM, and Shooto before he began his dominant run as a ONE lightweight. Aoki is for many the face of Asia in the cage, holding an incredible slew of submission wins and almost 75 percent of his overall victories coming inside the distance. Throughout his fabled career, the Japanese veteran has beaten some of the biggest names in the world, including Tatsuya Kawajiri, Caol Uno, and Eddie Alvarez. A winner of his last two bouts in impressive fashion, Aoki is now set to face Ev Ting in his next match.

Ev “E.T.” Ting is a 29-year-old martial arts standout and former ONE World Title challenger from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Living and training out of Auckland, New Zealand, Ting owns a stellar 16-4 professional record, which includes four wins by submission and five by knockout. A winner of seven of his last eight bouts, Ting is one of the most talented competitors to come out of Malaysia. In his most recent bout, Ting defeated highly-regarded Japanese veteran Koji Ando by unanimous decision. “E.T.” is now set to face another top lightweight in former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki.

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is considered by Thai boxing purists as one of the top pound-for-pound Muay Thai practitioners in the world. He is a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion, Rajadamnern Muay Thai world champion, two-time Thailand national champion, and two-time Fighter of the Year. He is also a five-division world champion in the sport. Nong-O is known for the incredible speed, power and precision behind all his strikes. After a successful ONE Super Series debut earlier this year, Nong-O is set to make his return to the ONE Championship ring opposite Mehdi Zatout.

ISKA and WBC World Champion Mehdi Zatout’s passion for Muay Thai was first ignited when he was 10 years old. Over the course of a highly-successful career spanning more than 20 years, the French striker would go on to travel to Thailand more than 50 times to train and compete, amassing over 100 competitive bouts under kickboxing and Muay Thai rules. After winning two national titles in France, a European championship, and two World Titles, the man they call “Diamond Heart” now finds himself among the world’s best strikers in ONE Super Series. Zatout is set to face Nong-O Gaiyanghadao in a Muay Thai bout.

Alain “The Panther” Ngalani, a Cameroon-born martial artist who trains out of Impakt MMA in his home of Hong Kong, has a terrifying combination of power and speed, and is always looking to end matches early. Owning a kickboxing record of 25-8-1 (2 NC), which includes 23 knockouts, Ngalani is a four-time Muay Thai and kickboxing heavyweight world champion. After regularly competing in mixed martial arts, the 43-year-old made his ONE Super Series kickboxing in his last bout against Tarik Khbabez. Ngalani seeks victory once again, this time against Andre Meunier.

Four-time Kickboxing World Champion Andre “The Giant” Meunier grew up in a rough neighborhood in Melbourne, Australia, and originally trained in martial arts to learn self-discipline. A proven knockout artist, Meunier trains out of the Ultimate Kickboxing gym under James Roesler, and also regularly travels to Thailand to sharpen his skills with former WMTA Light Heavyweight Champion Nick Kara. Having competed all over Australia and Asia, Meunier has faced some of the striking arena’s biggest names, and has never backed down from a challenge. That warrior spirit will serve him well in ONE Super Series, as he goes up against Alain Ngalani in his next contest.

Leandro “Brodinho” Issa is a 35-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion black belt from Sao Paulo, Brazil, who trains and competes out of the world-renowned Evolve Fight Team in Singapore. With a professional mixed martial arts 16-6-0, including 10 wins by submission and two by knockout, Issa has proven to be an exciting competitor with a penchant for spectacular victories. A pioneer of ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, Issa will take on top Tajikistani talent Muin Gafurov in his next assignment.

22-year-old bantamweight competitor Muin “Tajik” Gafurov features a relentless and aggressive style with solid all-around mixed martial arts skills. He owns a stellar 14-2-0 professional mixed martial arts clip and is known as one of the top talents to come out of Tajikistan. Gafurov utilizes a frenetic fighting pace that opponents find difficult to match, featuring high-level grappling techniques and powerful striking. A force to be reckoned with in his weight class, Gafurov is riding a four-bout win streak, and will make his highly-anticipated return to ONE Championship by taking on top contender Leandro Issa.

35-year-old Andy “The Destroyer” Souwer is a Dutch kickboxer from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. He is the former K1 World Max Champion and is a well-respected kickboxer in the world of striking martial arts. With a professional kickboxing record of 160-20-1, Souwer is known as an accomplished veteran of the sport. Now ready to take his talents to the bright lights of ONE Championship, Souwer is set to make his ONE Super Series debut against Anthony Njokuani.

38-year-old Anthony “The Assassin” Njokuani is a Nigerian kickboxer and Muay Thai practitioner who hails from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Representing One Kick’s Gym, Njokuani is a former State Muay Thai Champion, and one of the most well-regarded veterans in the sport of kickboxing. With a professional kickboxing record of 25-1-0, Njokuani is scheduled to make his ONE Super Series debut against Andy Souwer in a much-awaited three-round kickboxing bout.

One of the most highly-regarded Muay Thai practitioners actively competing in the sport, Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai of Bangkok, Thailand is a two-division Lumpinee Stadium Champion and WMC Champion. With a Muay Thai record of 156-33-2, the 24-year-old has already garnered many accolades despite his relatively young age. Featuring wins over some of the biggest names in the discipline, including the legendary Saenchai PKSaenchaimuaythaigym, Petchmorrakot will return to action against Alaverdi Ramazanov.

23-year-old Alaverdi “Dagger” Ramazanov is a Russian martial artist and Muay Thai practitioner who lives and trains out of Pattaya, Thailand. Representing the prestigious Venum Training Camp, he is a three-time IFMA Champion with a stellar professional record of 57-3-0. At a young age, Ramazanov has already accomplished much early in his career and is now ready to showcase his skills on the biggest global stage of competition in ONE Championship. Ramazanov makes his debut against Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

32-year-old Hayato Suzuki of Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan, is a veteran mixed martial artist with an impressive professional record of 18-1-2. Spending the majority of his career competing in his native Japan, Suzuki is known as a highly-skilled competitor with the ability to finish his foes with heavy knockout power and technical grappling skills. Out of 18 wins, Suzuki has finished 13 of his opponents impressively, including eight by submission and five by knockout. A former Grachan Flyweight Champion, Suzuki will now face the surging Rene Catalan in his next contest.

Multiple-time Wushu World Champion Rene Catalan of the Philippines is one of the most decorated wushu artists ever to make the transition to mixed martial arts. Having won both the Wushu World Championship and Wushu World Cup two times each, Catalan is undoubtedly one of the very best in the world to have taken up the discipline. He has also won gold medals for wushu at the Asian Games, SEA Games, and Asian Championships. Catalan inevitably joined ONE Championship in 2013, gaining valuable experience by taking on some top strawweight talents. The veteran is currently riding an impressive five-bout win streak, two of which have ended in exciting finishes. Catalan continues his rise through the ranks by taking on the dangerous Hayato Suzuki next.

31-year-old Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai is a Muay Thai specialist and a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion who has won every major title in Muay Thai. Voted by Thai media as one of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners in history, Sagetdao is known for his highly technical knowledge in all of Muay Thai’s varied techniques. Concluding his Muay Thai career with a record of 162-62-1, Sagetdao transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2017, acing his first three bouts with flying colors. In his next outing, Sagetdao will be taking on Fabio Pinca.

34-year-old Fabio Pinca is a highly-decorated French-Italian Muay Thai kickboxer known for his technical and precise offensive style. He is a martial artist who hails from Lyon, France and is a two-time WBC World Muay Thai Champion, French Muay Thai champion, WPKC European Kickboxing Champion, and Rajadamnern Stadium World Champion. With a professional Muay Thai record of 99-24-4, Pinca will now try his hand at mixed martial arts, when he makes his professional debut against Sagetdao Petpayathai.

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 29-year-old female atomweight from Thailand who trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age nine with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist. All of Ishige’s victories have ended via impressive finish, showcasing her high-level grappling skills. Ishige is today considered one of Thailand’s martial arts pioneers. She returns to action against Bozhena Antoniyar.

23-year-old Bozhena Antoniyar of Yangon, Myanmar is a mixed martial arts atomweight prospect and boxer. A two-time Myanmar National Boxing Champion with fast and powerful hands, Antoniyar represents Transcend Gym in Yangon and will look to make waves in ONE Championship when she returns to action on the biggest global stage of martial arts competition. After a successful promotional debut, defeating Shwe Sin via first-round technical knockout in her previous outing, Antoniyar will now face Thai star Rika Ishige in her next contest.

20-year-old Muay Thai prodigy Petchdam Gaiyanghadao is a fast rising Muay Thai star from Bangkok, Thailand. Representing the prestigious Petchyindee Academy, Petchdam is a WBC Muay Thai World Champion with a stellar professional record of 91-13-7. Now ready to make his ONE Super Series debut, Petchdam will climb into the ONE Championship ring to face Kenny Tse.

23-year-old Kenny “The Pitbull” Tse is a Chinese kickboxer and Muay Thai practitioner who trains out of Melbourne, Australia. Known for his aggressive and fluid striking style, Tse owns a professional Muay Thai record of 39-5-0 and represents Team Ultimate Australia. A K1 Commonwealth Champion, Tse will now take his talents to ONE Super Series when he faces Petchdam Gaiyanghadao in a three-round Muay Thai contest.

Rin Saroth is a martial artist from Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He is a KWC 3 Featherweight Tournament Finalist with a Kun Khmer record of 110-22-0. He made his ONE Championship debut in December 2015 at ONE: KINGDOM OF KHMER, winning by first-round armbar submission over Mission Ali. Since then, the 25-year-old has improved his skills and gained valuable experience. Saroth is now set to face off against Fu Chang Xin in his next outing.

Fu Chang Xin began training to compete in mixed martial arts in 2011, and took the plunge by making his professional debut just three years later. He has since experienced great success, winning the majority of his bouts via stoppage, even claiming the CKF Championship along the way. In his most recent bout, Fu made a successful ONE Championship debut when he stopped Rustem Ensebayev via first-round technical knockout. He brings his impressive win streak into his next contest, which will come against Rin Saroth.

16-year-old Riri Nasukawa of Chiba, Japan is a highly-regarded Japanese female kickboxing prospect. After an extensive amateur career which saw her go 30-3-0 before making a successful professional debut in her last bout, Nasukawa now finds herself on the big stage in ONE Championship. A two-division Big Bang Champion, Nasukawa is set to make her ONE Super Series debut opposite Rudzma Abubakr.

18-year-old Rudzma “El Chavacana” Abubakr of Zamboanga City, Philippines is a well-touted Filipino female kickboxer and Muay Thai practitioner. As an amateur in Muay Thai with a record of 15-4-0, Abubakr is an East Asian Muay Thai Gold Medalist. Now ready to make her ONE Super Series debut, Abubakr will take on Riri Nasukawa in a three-round ONE Super Series kickboxing contest.

Indonesia’s Dodi “The Maung” Mardian is a silat practitioner and an Indonesian combat sports veteran. Also skilled in the arts of Muay Thai and sanda, Mardian made his cage debut in 2016 after deciding to showcase his talent on the biggest stage of competition. The 34-year-old is looking to make a name for himself as he seeks to put his skills to the test in the world’s toughest proving ground for martial arts. In his next contest, Mardian will take on Ramon Gonzales

31-year-old Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales is a mixed martial artist from the Philippines, representing Burn Soriano’s Hitman MMA. He has proven his karate mastery in competitions all over the world, and is a two-time Philippine National Kyokushin Karate Champion. Gonzales determined to fully showcase his potential in ONE Championship as he makes his fourth appearance in the promotion against Dodi Mardian.

ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES

Saturday, 6 October

Impact Arena, Bangkok, Thailand

Main Event

WBC Super Flyweight World Championship

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai vs Iran Diaz

Co-Main Event

ONE Super Series Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship

Kai Ting Chuang vs Stamp Fairtex

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 52.2kg

Shinya Aoki vs Ev Ting

Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kg

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao vs Mehdi Zatout

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 65.8kg

Alain Ngalani vs Andre Meunier

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 120.1kg

Leandro Issa vs Muin Gafurov

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg

Andy Souwer vs Anthony Njokuani

ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 77.1kg

Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai vs Alaverdi Ramazanov

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 65.8kg

Hayato Suzuki vs Rene Catalan

Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kg

Sagetdao Petpayathai vs Fabio Pinca

Mixed Martial Arts: 70.3kg

Rika Ishige vs Bozhena Antoniyar

Mixed Martial Arts: 52.2kg

Petchdam Gaiyanghadao vs Kenny Tse

ONE Super Series Muay Thai: 61.2kg

Rin Saroth vs Fu Chang Xin

Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kg

Riri Nasukawa vs Rudzma Abubakr
ONE Super Series Kickboxing: 47.6kg

Dodi Mardian vs Ramon Gonzales

Mixed Martial Arts: 61.2kg

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

28 August 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), recently held the official ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES Open Workout at Nakornloung Promotion Gym in Bangkok, Thailand. Set for the Impact Arena on 6 October, ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES will feature The Ring and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai of Thailand, as he defends his title against challenger Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz of Mexico.

For videos, please visit this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ISTO4hM1-IUvSPvrrmmOxZhItx_mp11F?usp=sharing

For photos, please visit this link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1XRPGUa3-ZaKamgQFCMAP2MFgFZaJp82z

In attendance at the Open Workout were Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Iran Diaz, as well as ONE Championship athletes Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige, Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai and Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is one of the most celebrated pugilists in Thailand’s history, winning the prestigious WBC Super Flyweight World Title on two occasions. Holding a professional record of 46-4-1 with 41 knockouts, Sor Rungvisai is ranked No. 5 on the pound-for-pound best boxers list of Boxrec.com and No. 7 on The Ring Magazine’s rankings. After regaining the WBC Super Flyweight World Title in March 2017 and then successfully defending it two times, Sor Rungvisai will now defend his WBC World Title in ONE Championship’s historical event in Thailand, ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, WBC Super Flyweight World Champion, stated:

“Thank you all for coming out here today. I am truly grateful for all the support you have shown throughout my career. To be able to represent my country in this sport is a privilege and I will do everything in my power to make my people, my fans proud. Iran Diaz is a worthy opponent. He is strong and determined. But I am confident in my skills and I will bring victory back home. Defending my title in front of my home crowd is very important to me, and I thank ONE Championship for giving me the opportunity. I am proud to showcase the Thai warrior spirit and prove to the world that we are among the very best.”

“Performing in Bangkok in front of all the Thai fans, I feel invigorated. This is a huge development in my career and I feel that ONE Championship can help me bring world-class boxing back home to Thailand. I am honored to be in this position and I know millions of fans will be watching, which is why I have to give my best performance. Right now I am in the best condition of my career and I am deep in training so that I can give a good performance on October 6. This is going to be a very exciting fight. See you all at the Impact Arena. I can’t wait to climb into the ring again and showcase my talent in front of the whole world.”

Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz of Sonora, Mexico is one of the fastest rising talents in Mexican boxing. Born and raised in a country known for its passionate love for pugilism, Diaz holds a professional record of 14-2-3, with 6 knockouts to his name. His most notable victories have come over dangerous former World Champions Hernan “Tyson” Marquez and Luis Concepcion. Recently, Diaz is a winner of three of his last five contests, and is riding a wave of momentum heading into his next bout. The hard-hitting Diaz will face Srisaket Sor Rungvisai for the WBC Super Flyweight World Title at ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES.

Iran Diaz, World Title Challenger, stated:

“This opportunity is a big one for me in my career. I am facing one of the toughest boxers in the world now, pound-for-pound. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is aggressive and strong, but so am I. Mexican boxers are the best in the sport. It’s in our blood and I am proud to represent my country here on the global stage. This is without a doubt the biggest fight in my time as a professional. I have a great team behind me helping me prepare for this. I am coming into the ring in the best shape of my life and I can’t wait to score this huge victory.”

“I believe I have enough experience and technical knowledge to deal with his particular style. I have faced very strong opponents in the past and I know how to deal with adversity. I am no stranger being the underdog. But everytime I fight, I win over new fans and I prove that I can hang with the best. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is one of the biggest stars in boxing today, and if I can beat him, it will be great for my career. Right now, I’ll return home to continue sharpening my skills for the big fight. I’m working very hard with my team to score this huge upset. I am ready to shock the world on October 6.”

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 29-year-old female atomweight from Thailand who trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age 9 with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist, and turned professional earlier this year. All of Ishige’s victories have ended via impressive finish, showcasing her high-level grappling skills. She is currently one of the most popular martial artists in Thailand and in Asia.

Rika Ishige, ONE Athlete, stated:

“Thank you everyone for coming here today. It is truly an honor for me. Being able to perform at home here in Bangkok, I have been extremely fortunate. Right now, martial arts is at a peak high in Thailand, and it’s all thanks to the amazing work we have put in over the past few years. ONE Championship has really focused on highlighting the beauty of Thai martial arts. It is my honor to help represent the women in this sport. I know I have a lot to work on with my skills, but I am hitting the gym hard everyday and I feel I have improved greatly as a martial artist. I can’t wait to show everyone what I have been doing.”

Sagetdao “Deadly Star” Petpayathai is 31-year-old a Muay Thai specialist and a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion who has won every major title in Muay Thai. Voted by Thai media as one of the greatest Muay Thai practitioners in history, Sagetdao is known for his highly technical knowledge in all of Muay Thai’s varied techniques. Concluding his Muay Thai career with a record of 162-62-1, Sagetdao transitioned to mixed martial arts in 2017, acing his first three bouts with flying colors.

Sagetdao Petpayathai, ONE Athlete, stated:

“This is a great opportunity for me to redeem myself. My last performance, I wasn’t at my best and I feel I wasn’t able to showcase what I can really do in there. Now, the focus has been on sharpening my talent and making sure I learn from my mistakes in my last bout. ONE Championship is rich with talent and there are a lot of tough opponents to face in my division. I know I have to be in the best shape of my life each time out. To be able to showcase the beauty of my discipline, and combine it with the new skills I have learned in the cage, it’s a rebirth for me as a fighter. In my next bout, I hope to show everyone that I will just keep getting better with experience. My goal here is to become one of the very best. Thank you all for the support.”

Hailing from Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand’s northern Isan region, Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai has already defeated some of the biggest names in Muay Thai, earning multiple accolades in the process. Spurred by his success and proven talent, Petchmorrakot went on to claim the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium World Championship in two divisions, as well as the WMC Muay Thai title, in a career spanning almost 200 professional bouts.

Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai, ONE Athlete, stated:

“For the first time in history, the best of the best from different combat sports will join together on 6 October. I am excited for this, especially for Muay Thai. I am ready to take this next step into my career. This is a chance for me to showcase my skills to the world and to show fans the beauty of Muay Thai. You can say that I’ve done it all in the sport, but it’s not yet over for me. I am still grinding everyday. ONE Super Series is the right path for me and my professional career. The desire to compete, it’s still in me. I am glad that I was able to make a ONE Super Series debut earlier this year because it has already given me the feel of what the future holds. It’s a great opportunity for every practitioner of Muay Thai.”

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 138 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

115-pound beltholder Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will defend his title against unknown Iran Diaz on October 6th in Thailand, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I am excited to showcase my skills at home in Bangkok. As a world champion boxer, this is a rare opportunity for me to be able to compete in front of my people,” Sor Rungvisai said. “I will do my best to retain my title. I am very deep in preparations right now for one of the most significant bouts of my career.”

“World championship boxing has always been on the radar for One Championship,” said One Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong, whose Singapore-based company promotes various combat sports in Asia. “In Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, we have the perfect athlete to introduce the sport of boxing to the largest martial arts organization in the world.

“Sor Rungvisai embodies the fiery willpower of Thai martial arts. This is going to be the biggest event in Thailand’s history, and with thousands of fans expected to come out and cheer for their hero.”

23 July 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that tickets are now available for the upcoming blockbuster event, ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, set for 6 October at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. In the main event, The Ring and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will defend his boxing world title. In addition, Thailand’s biggest and brightest martial arts talents are set to take the stage and showcase their incredible skills.

Ticket information for ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES is available at www.onefc.com

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, The Ring and WBC Super Flyweight World Champion, stated: “I am happy and honored to take part in this historical ONE Championship’s event. I was at ONE Championship’s event in Bangkok earlier this year, and it blew my mind with its world class production, entertainment, and fights. I would also like to thank everyone who made this possible. With ONE Championship opening its doors for athletes like me to showcase our talent on the global stage, it means a lot. This is a new challenge, and I love challenges. I am looking forward to defending my WBC World Title belt in ONE Championship.”

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is one of Thailand’s most celebrated pugilists in history, winning the prestigious WBC Super Flyweight World Championship on two occasions. Holding a professional record of 45-4-1 with 40 knockouts, Sor Rungvisai is ranked No. 6 on the pound-for-pound best boxers list of The Ring Magazine. After regaining the WBC Super Flyweight World Championship in March 2017 and then successfully defending it twice in the USA, Sor Rungvisai will defend his WBC World Title in ONE Championship’s historical event in Thailand.

Apart from Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, other local and international martial arts stars are ready to climb atop the ONE Championship ring to showcase their amazing skills.

Don’t miss an exciting martial arts spectacle as ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES hits Bangkok’s Impact Arena on 6 October! Tickets are now on sale.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™

ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 136 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

9 July 2018 – Bangkok, Thailand: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), held a kick-off press conference on Monday, 9 July at the W Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand to formally announce ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, which is set to take place at the Impact Arena on 6 October.

Photos of the press conference are available here.

In addition to the announcement of the organization’s much-awaited return to Bangkok for another star-studded live event, ONE Championship also took time to announce its partnership with Nakornloung Promotion to co-promote the bout of boxing superstar Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in the main event of ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES.

In attendance was Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, Chatri Sityodtong, WBC and The Ring Super Flyweight World Champion Srisaket Sor Rungvisai sat at the head table alongside promoter of Nakornloung Promotion and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Thainchai Pisitwuttinan and Managing Director of Petchyindee Academy and Promoter of Rajadamnern Stadium, Nuttadaj Vachirarattanawong, as well as ONE Championship’s celebrated Thai martial arts superstars such as Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai, Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex and Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai.

Ticket information for ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES is available at www.onefc.com.

Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “It is my honor and my pleasure to see some of the greatest martial artists on the planet compete in ONE Championship. The thing that makes ONE Championship different from any other organization in the world, is that we want to build and unleash martial arts superheroes to ignite the world with inspiration, hope, dreams, strength, and courage. This coming October, Thailand will host the biggest event in martial arts history as talented athletes from boxing, mixed martial arts and Muay Thai will join together under one roof in celebrating Asia’s greatest cultural treasure. ONE Championship will create an indelible legacy on 6 October.”

Police Gen. Kovid Pakdeepoom, Vice President of WBC, stated: “We are thrilled to work with ONE Championship for the upcoming event in October. Our association with a world-class organization like ONE Championship satisfies our goal in nurturing the legacy of boxing across the globe. ONE Championship has made groundbreaking initiatives in the development of mixed martial arts and other forms of martial arts in Asia and around the globe. Certainly, there’s so much that everyone should be excited about this event in Bangkok.”

Thainchai Pisitwuttinan, Promoter of Nakornloung Promotion and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, stated: “Our work in boxing has always been driven by our passion and love. The best part of it is that we get to give life-turning opportunities to boxers and their families. Each of them has their own stories, but they are all driven by the same dream – to be the world champion. I am glad that our promotion and ONE Championship have coalesced in having a common mission and vision for combat sports athletes around the globe. I just cannot begin to say how massive of an event this will be. History will be made on 6 October.”

Nuttadaj Vachirarattanawong, Managing Director of Petchyindee Academy and Promoter of Rajadamnern Stadium, stated: “I appreciate ONE Championship’s efforts in exposing and elevating Muay Thai on a global scale. It is an honor and a privilege to be in partnership with this great martial arts promotion that has been followed by billions of fans around the world. It is with expectancy that I look forward to the event on October 6th.”

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, WBC and The Ring Super Flyweight World Champion, stated: “I am happy and honored to take part in this historical ONE Championship’s event. I was at ONE Championship’s event in Bangkok earlier this year, and it blew my mind with its world class production, entertainment, and fights. I would also like to thank everyone who made this possible. With ONE Championship opening its doors for athletes like me to showcase our talent on the global stage, it means a lot. This is a new challenge, and I love challenges. I am looking forward to defend my WBC World title belt in ONE Championship.”

Shannon Wiratchai, ONE Athlete, stated: “Competing in front of my hometown fans is always a great pleasure. It is an honor for me to represent my country. I will do my best to make my people proud. Since I joined ONE Championship, I have learned so much that it has helped me throughout my career. I feel that I am ready to take the next step.”

Rika Ishige, ONE Athlete, stated: “Martial arts in Thailand has really taken off, and I am proud to be a part of its growth. I have progressed a lot so far in my young career. The possibilities are endless for me, and I will continue to work hard to make my family and my fans proud. This is an awesome opportunity to showcase my skills at a big event this coming October.”

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, ONE Athlete, stated: “It was such a surreal experience for me the first time I stepped into the ONE Championship ring. This time, I will be given the chance to compete on the world’s most premier martial arts stage in front of my countrymen. Thank you, ONE Championship, for the opportunity to have this grand homecoming in October. I am truly honored and will make everyone proud. I can’t wait for October.”

Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex, ONE Athlete, stated: “I am still grinding everyday. You can say that I’ve done it all in the sport, but it’s not yet over for me. ONE Super Series is the right path for me and my professional career. The desire to compete, it’s still in me. I am glad that I was able to make a ONE Super Series debut earlier this year because it has already given me the feel of what the future holds. It’s a great opportunity for every practitioner of Muay Thai and kickboxing.”

Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai, ONE Athlete, stated: “This is going to be a big event on 6 October. For the first time in history, the best of the best from different combat sports will join together. I am excited for this, especially for Muay Thai. I am ready to take this next step into my career. This is a chance for me to showcase my skills to the world and to show fans the beauty of Muay Thai.”

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is one of Thailand’s most celebrated pugilists in history, winning the prestigious WBC Super Flyweight World Championship on two occasions. Holding a professional record of 45-4-1 with 40 knockouts, Sor Rungvisai is ranked No. 6 on the pound-for-pound best boxers list of The Ring Magazine. After regaining the WBC Super Flyweight World Championship in March 2017 and then successfully defending it twice in the USA, Sor Rungvisai will defend his WBC World title in ONE Championship’s historical event in Thailand.

Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai of Thailand is one of the most thrilling offensive innovators in ONE Championship. The creator of the OneShin Striking System, Wiratchai developed his own style which incorporates various elements from Muay Thai, boxing, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Training out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab, Wiratchai emerges as Thailand’s biggest and most exciting martial arts star.

Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige is a 29-year-old female atomweight from Thailand who trains out of Tiger Muay Thai and Bangkok Fight Lab. She is of mixed Japanese and Thai heritage, beginning her martial arts training at age 9 with aikido and taekwondo. Heavily influenced by her late father who trained in judo, Ishige went on to hone her skills as a martial artist, and turned professional in 2017. All of Ishige’s victories have ended via impressive finish, showcasing her high-level grappling skills.

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao is considered by Thai boxing purists as one of the top pound-for-pound Muay Thai practitioners in the world. He is a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion, a Rajadamnern Stadium champion, two-time Thailand national champion, and two-time Fighter of the Year. He is also a five-division world champion in the sport. Nong-O is known for the incredible speed, power and precision behind all his strikes. He made a successful ONE Super Series debut last April, defeating Fabio Pinca via unanimous decision.

32-year-old Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex is one of the most recognizable names in the world of Muay Thai. Known by the moniker “The Boxing Computer” as a testament to his impeccable in-ring techniques, he has won numerous championships in his stellar kickboxing career, including the WBC Super Welterweight Muay Thai World Championship and the coveted Lumpinee Stadium World Championship.

Hailing from Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand’s northern Isan region, Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai has already defeated some of the biggest names in Muay Thai, earning multiple accolades in the process. Spurred by his success and proven talent, Petchmorrakot went on to claim the prestigious Lumpinee Stadium World Championship in two divisions, as well as the WMC Muay Thai title, in a career spanning almost 200 professional bouts.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™
ONE Championship is the largest global sports media property in Asian history. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Championship is the home of martial arts and is the world’s largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. The world’s most exciting martial arts organization hosts the largest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world’s best martial artists and world champions, all signed to exclusive contracts, on the largest media broadcast in Asia. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 1.7 billion potential viewers across 136 countries around the world with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Bandsports, Startimes, Premier Sports, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, OSN, and more.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai will take on Young Gil Bae in a non-title bout on July 21st in his native Thailand, rather then headline Superfly 3 in September in Los Angeles, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.