ONE Championship Releases Six Fighters Across MMA, Muay Thai, And Kickboxing

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ONE Championship recently parted ways with six athletes who competed across multiple disciplines. As first reported by the Bangkok Post, the promotion has released striking veteran Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong, Smilla Sundell, Kwon Won Il, Shamil Adukhov, Celest Hansen, and Alex Roberts.

ONE has confirmed the release of these stars by updating these profiles with a "released" tag. Sitthichai, a renowned figure in the striking world, entered the promotion with a lot of hype, and many fans and pundits expected him to capture a World Title.

However, he couldn't live up to that hype, managing just six wins in 12 outings. What's more striking is that he has dropped four of his last five bouts against Mohammad Siasarani, Marat Grigorian, Shadow Singha Mawynn, and Nico Carrillo.

His release may come as a surprise to some hardcore fans, but Sitthichai's performances have been underwhelming. Another notable departure is Smilla Sundell, who was unable to compete in ONE's heaviest women's weight class. As a result, the 20-year-old striker has been released from the promotion.

Another name on the list is South Korea's Kwon Won Il. Back in January, "Pretty Boy" challenged reigning king Fabricio Andrade for the ONE Bantamweight MMA World Title. However, that bout lasted just 42 seconds, as Andrade folded him a brutal body shot.

Russian striker Shamil Adukhov is the other name on this list. The 23-year-old striker competed twice in ONE Championship and lost both bouts by stoppage. Rounding out the list are two athletes from Australia.

Women's striker Celest Hansen started strong in ONE Friday Fights, picking up two victories. However, her winning run came to a halt as the 31-year-old striker lost four of her next five bouts.

The final name is WBC Heavyweight Muay Thai World Champion Alex Roberts. "The Viking" challenged ONE Light Heavyweight Kickboxing World Champion Roman Kryklia for the inaugural ONE Heavyweight Muay Thai World Title but was knocked out in the second round. He then suffered another defeat, falling to Beybulat Isaev in the first round of his next bout.