ONE Flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix set to start on May 20

Bengaluru, April 18: ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has revealed a stunning addition to the organization's Grand Prix series with the announcement of ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix.

He announced via Facebook that the Flyweight Muay Thai World GP quarterfinals will commence on May 20, and division World Champion Rodtang "The Iron Man" Jitmuangnon is one of the eight competitors.

"Without a doubt, this tournament will break all viewership records ever seen for Muay Thai on the world's largest stage of martial arts and ignite the sport to new heights around the world," Sityodtong said in his post.

"Muay Thai has been my greatest love for more than 35+ years as a student, a competitor, a teacher, a coach, a promoter, and now a CEO.

"It is truly the honor of my life to lead the sport of Muay Thai around the world and help to grow it for our beloved community everywhere."

The upcoming competition will feature a slight twist, unlike the recently concluded ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix that Chingiz Allazov won.

If Rodtang wins the tournament, he'll add the silver belt to his trophy case. But if someone else wins, that fighter will get a World Title opportunity against the flyweight king.

In the first round of this thrilling tournament, Rodtang will face Jacob Smith, who trains with British fighter Liam "Hitman" Harrison.

The titleholder hopes to keep his immaculate 10-0 record in ONE Super Series and bounce back from his mixed rules super-fight defeat to Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson.

Meanwhile, #1-ranked contender Jonathan "The General" Haggerty will have his hands full against #3-ranked Walter Goncalves.

Haggerty has a 4-2 record in ONE, and his most significant victory to date was against Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to earn the division's World Title in 2019.

On the other hand, Goncalves gave the current World Champion a run for his money during their World Title fight but lost via split decision.

However, he would like to keep his winning ways going after knocking out Momotaro at ONE: COLLISION COURSE in December 2020.

In the third semifinal showdown, #3-ranked contender Superlek Kiatmoo9 will put his 4-1 ONE record on the line versus #4-ranked Taiki Naito.

The Japanese competitor has a 5-1 record in The Home of Martial Arts and is coming off a victory over former ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Petchdam Petchyindee. But for Naito to win, he must guard against the bone-crushing kicks of his Thai foe.

Finally, the fourth quarterfinal clash will feature Cyprus' Savvas Michael and Iranian-Malaysian combatant Amir Naseri.

Michael has a 41-4 career record and has earned Muay Thai World Titles from WBC and the WMC. A victory over Naseri will help him recover from the setback against Naito in his last appearance inside the Circle.

Meanwhile, Naseri is a battle-tested fighter that took Saenchai the distance and won the 140-pound Omnoi Stadium Muay Thai Title on another occasion. That rare distinction will make him a thorn against Michael's grander plans.

Here's another look at the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix quarterfinal matchups:

• Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Jacob Smith

• Jonathan Haggerty vs. Walter Goncalves

• Superlek Kiatmoo9 vs. Taiki Naito

• Savvas Michael vs. Amir Naseri

Before this tournament, ONE Championship returns to action this Friday (April 22) with ONE: Eersel vs. Sadikovic.

On the main card, top-ranked strawweight MMA contender Bokang "Little Giant" Masunyane will face #2-ranked Jarred "The Monkey God" Brooks. The winner of this clash will have a shot at the division's World Champion, Joshua "The Passion" Pacio.

Jackie Buntan and Smilla "The Hurricane" Sundell will also compete for the inaugural ONE Women's Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship.

And, as the event's name reveals, Regian "The Immortal" Eersel will defend the ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Championship against Arian "Game Over" Sadikovic.

Source: Media Release