5 Biggest Takeaways from ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek Vs. Dayakaev
ONE Championship kicked off its 2026 U.S. primetime calendar in spectacular fashion with ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev on Prime Video on Friday, January 23.
The blockbuster showcase from Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium delivered explosive knockouts, stunning submissions, and career-defining performances from start to finish.
From a main event that ended with a highlight-reel knockout to a teenage star announcing her arrival on submission grappling’s biggest stage, the evening produced no shortage of brilliance.
With that in mind, here are the five biggest takeaways from ONE Fight Night 39.
#1 Rambolek Is Ready For A World Title Shot
Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon delivered the most impressive performance of his young career, dismantling Russian knockout artist Abdulla “Smash Boy” Dayakaev with a savage body-shot knockout that announced him as a genuine World Title contender.
After weathering a storm of heavy power shots in the opening round of their bantamweight Muay Thai main event, Rambolek unleashed the match-winning sequence that sent Dayakaev crashing to the canvas at 2:41 of the second frame.
The Thai’s US$50,000 performance bonus-winning victory improved his career record to 67-14 and extended his winning streak to five straight — his previous two also attained inside the distance.
With ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane awaiting his next challenger, the path to 26 pounds of gold has never been clearer for the young Rambolek. Anane himself has approved of the idea of facing him.
His patient striking, improved defense, and devastating finishing ability make Rambolek a legitimate threat to dethrone the Algerian-Thai titleholder, who has gone unbeaten in his past nine appearances.
The stage is set, the challenge has been accepted, and Rambolek’s KO of a proven knockout merchant at ONE Fight Night 39 proved he’s ready to become the next divisional king.
#2 Asadula Imangazaliev Powering His Path To Gold
Undefeated Russian destroyer Asadula “The Dagestan Ninja” Imangazaliev made an emphatic statement in his U.S. primetime debut, becoming the first fighter to finish Kongthoranee Sor Sommai on the global stage.
The 22-year-old systematically broke down the three-time Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Champion. After controlling the opening round, the Dagestani unleashed a thudding front kick to the solar plexus that buckled Kongthoranee’s legs and forced an eight-count.
He showed zero mercy when action resumed, unloading with brutal body punches that sent the Thai legend crashing to the canvas for a second time to secure the victory at 1:06 of round two.
The stoppage marked arguably the biggest triumph of Imangazaliev’s perfect 11-0 career and earned him a well-deserved US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Imangazaliev’s arrival among the flyweight Muay Thai division’s elite couldn’t have come at a better time. With the divisional throne currently vacant, the Team Mehdi Zatout athlete has positioned himself as an immediate World Title threat with six knockouts in seven outings.
Whether ONE grants him an immediate World Title shot or demands another elite opponent first, one thing is clear: “The Dagestan Ninja” operates at a World Championship level.
#3 Helena Crevar Is Truly Special
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Champion Helena Crevar lived up to every ounce of hype in her promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 39, submitting Teshya Noelani Alo with a slick Estima Lock in just 100 seconds.
Just when Alo attempted to pick apart Crevar’s defense with crafty leg and ankle entanglements, the 18-year-old used her Hawaiian opponent’s pressure to secure the ankle and transition into the fight-ending submission at 1:40 of the opening round.
The win improved Crevar’s record against Alo to 2-0 in their series, and pushed her resume to a remarkable 346-7. More significantly, it confirmed what the grappling world already knew: this teenager is ready to become the face of women’s submission grappling in ONE.
Crevar’s credentials speak for themselves. She’s John Danaher’s first female black belt. Just last month, she claimed gold in her black belt debut at the 2025 IBJJF No-Gi World Championship.
Her rapid rise from purple belt in September 2024 to black belt in June 2025 raised eyebrows across the submission grappling realm, but her competitive results have silenced every skeptic.
As such, fans can expect another masterclass on the canvas from the Las Vegas native, who trains under the legendary Danaher alongside Gordon Ryan and Garry “The Lion Killer” Tonon at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu, when she returns for her sophomore appearance.
#4 Chihiro Sawada Continues Mastery In Atomweight
Japanese standout Chihiro Sawada handed previously undefeated American star Natalie Salcedo her first professional loss, continuing her march toward the World Title at ONE Fight Night 39.
The 28-year-old’s refined stand-up game was on full display, as she peppered Salcedo with hard jabs and straight lefts while seamlessly transitioning to punishing knees in the clinch. Even when the fight hit the ground, Sawada imposed her will with ground-and-pound and suffocating top pressure that neutralized any threat from Salcedo’s dangerous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Sawada’s unanimous decision victory improved her slate to 11-1 and extended her active winning streak to three consecutive victories after she got her hand raised against Macarena Aragon and Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata last year.
It may have also positioned the Tokyo native as a prime candidate to challenge reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga.
With her striking evolution complementing her already elite grappling pedigree, Sawada has proven she possesses the well-rounded arsenal, technical brilliance, and championship-level composure necessary to go toe-to-toe against the divisional queen.
Her complete performance against an undefeated opponent showed she’s ready to challenge for the throne, and the atomweight division has officially been put on notice.
#5 Contenders Secure Crucial Bounce-Back Wins
Two fighters facing critical crossroads in their careers delivered statement victories that breathed new life into their aspirations on the global stage at ONE Fight Night 39.
South Africa’s Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane snapped Ryohei Kurosawa’s six-fight winning streak with a dominant unanimous decision victory.
Entering the bout on a two-fight skid, the 31-year-old veteran’s blend of blinding speed, superb striking, and elite grappling earned him a near-flawless win in Bangkok. Thus, he improved his record to 11-3 and inched closer to a dream battle against reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.
Filipino powerhouse Carlo “The Bull” Bumina-ang also returned to the winner’s column, doing so in highlight-reel fashion. He shattered promotional newcomer “Peruano” Marcos Aurelio‘s undefeated record inside two rounds.
After tapping to Elbek Alyshov in his last outing, the 31-year-old Bumina-ang came out guns blazing and dropped his Brazilian foe twice before finishing him for good with a salvo of punches at the 50-second mark of round two. It earned “The Bull” his seventh finish out of eight wins on the global stage.
With performances like that, Bumina-ang has reignited his path toward a rematch with newly crowned ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion “The Tormentor” Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu. He is now seeking a chance to avenge his first promotional defeat.
