ONE Issues Final Preparations Statement Before ONE Samurai 1 Debut
ONE Championship debuts its new Samurai series in Tokyo on April 29, featuring top Japanese fighters across MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing and grappling competing for world titles at the Ariake Arena.
ONE Samurai 1 is preparing for a grand debut, bringing together sports fans from over 195 countries at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Wednesday, April 29, with fights commencing at 12:30 p.m. Thailand time. The ONE Samurai series is designed as a monthly competition featuring top-tier and emerging Japanese fighters competing intensely across all formats—MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and grappling.
On April 24, ONE held a pre-event press conference led by founder, president, and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, alongside Chuntaro Tanaka, ONE's Japan CEO and commercial officer, with featured athletes answering media questions and demonstrating their readiness at New Pier Hall in Tokyo.
Chatri spoke about ONE Samurai 1's significance: "ONE Samurai marks the beginning of the greatest era in martial arts history—not just for Japan, but for the world. I promise that ONE will deliver the highest-quality, world-standard competition to restore Japan as a premier martial arts destination."
Tanaka highlighted the broadcast partnership with U-NEXT and Fuji Television, saying: "I believe combat sports have the power to move people. We want to use television as a starting point to grow the fanbase and expand reach. We're committed to this project with the understanding that if it doesn't succeed now, there may not be another chance. Despite obstacles, our unified team's collaboration has made free TV broadcast on Fuji Television a reality."
Featured athletes included flyweight (125-135 lbs) former ONE Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Japanese favorite Takeru, who participated in open workouts. Takeru expressed his commitment: "I will give everything I've accumulated and all remaining strength to win the ONE world championship belt. I must win to perfectly conclude my fighting career."
Rodtang responded: "Every fight matters to me, but facing Takeru this time is especially meaningful as it's his final bout. I've prepared to meet him again and am confident I'll win and bring this belt back to Thailand."
Kickboxing world champion Jonathan Haggerty (135-145 lbs) is preparing to defend his title against Japanese favorite Yuki Yoza. Haggerty stated: "I'm fully prepared to defend my belt at the highest level and excited to fight in front of Japanese fans."
Yoza confidently declared: "I believe I'm the strongest at bantamweight now and have trained hard to prove it. Now that Takeru is retiring, we Japanese fighters must step up and carry the responsibility.
