ICYMI: Everything That Went Down In ONE Championship In October 2026
ONE Championship turned October into a nonstop thrill ride. Week after week, the world’s largest martial arts organization delivered combat sports excellence across MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling.
From the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok to Tokyo’s electric Ariake Arena, the month’s biggest moments lit up two of Asia’s most storied stages.
Behind the scenes, ONE kept building, sealed key partnerships, and laid the groundwork for an even bigger future.
This past month was only a preview of the blockbuster November ahead. Here’s a look back at everything that went down in a jam-packed October.
Bangkok Delivers: Unforgettable Upsets, Wild Finishes, And Unbeaten Dominance
ONE’s weekly subscriber-exclusive series, The Inner Circle, kept the spectacle coming all month long, streaming live on live.onefc.com.
Two-sport ONE World Champion Regian “The Immortal” Eersel set the tone at The Inner Circle 33 on October 2. Defending his ONE Lightweight Muay Thai World Title, he hit the canvas early against George “G-Unit” Jarvis. The Surinamese star responded with two knockdowns of his own, completing an epic comeback with a fourth-round finish.
On the same card, Dzhamil “Curly Ninja” Osmanov needed just 84 seconds to fold Ben “The Problem” Woolliss with a body shot. The win moved the 21-year-old Russian to 8-0 and earned him a US$100,000 contract. He now joins his brother, Elbrus “The Samurai” Osmanov, on the main roster.
Then, ONE Fight Night 48 lit up U.S. primetime from the same venue just hours later. In the main event, Shamil Erdogan demolished Paul “King of the North” Elliott, moving closer to the vacant ONE Heavyweight MMA World Title. The unbeaten Turkish fighter improved to 14-0 with a second-round rear-naked choke.
A week later, Rustam “Tomahawk” Yunusov earned the biggest win of his career at The Inner Circle 34. The Russian teenager outpointed Suriyanlek Por Yenying to stay perfect at 18-0, moving closer to that coveted six-figure contract.
The biggest shock of the month, however, came at The Inner Circle 35 on October 16. Back after a six-year absence, “The Warrior” Wang Junguang edged ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Prajanchai PK by split decision in kickboxing. The massive upset vaulted him up the line as a potential challenger for ONE Strawweight Kickboxing king Jonathan Di Bella.
In the co-main event, Johan “Jojo” Ghazali avenged an earlier decision loss to Diego Paez with a statement decision win. “Jojo” wasn’t the only one settling scores, as 16-year-old Olivia “Diamond” Bahsous ended her rivalry with Malia Weaver. A second-round teep sealed her third straight stoppage, and the pair squashed their beef afterward.
ONE’s Rankings Return With An AI-Powered Upgrade
Away from the action, ONE raised the bar on how it measures its athletes.
The promotion reintroduced its official athlete rankings, rebuilt from the ground up with cutting-edge artificial intelligence. By weighing performance data, fight results, and career history, the system produces clear, objective standings.
The rollout starts with four Muay Thai divisions: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and women’s atomweight. Rankings for MMA, kickboxing, and submission grappling divisions will join the mix soon.
The rankings will now guide matchmaking and the path to World Title contention. Fans can check out the latest standings at onefc.com/athlete-rankings.
Tokyo Triumphs: A Blockbuster Night Of Knockouts And History At ONE SAMURAI 4
True to its billing, ONE SAMURAI 4 stood among the year’s biggest martial arts events. Highlight-reel finishes lit up the Japanese capital, and performance bonuses flowed all night long.
Jonathan “The General” Haggerty delivered the night’s defining performance, dismantling former champion Hiroki Akimoto with a destructive knee. The third-round finish secured his third ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title defense and a whopping US$100,000 bonus.
ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari matched that payday in the co-main event. A pinpoint head kick stopped challenger Rifdean “Magic Boy” Masdor in round two, extending his astonishing win streak to 43.
Meanwhile, the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament reached its final stage. Former interim featherweight kickboxing king Masaaki Noiri outlasted Mohammad Siasarani by split decision to set up a showdown with Marat Grigorian in the final. The eventual winner earns a shot at ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon.
Elsewhere, former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nabil Anane used his towering reach to outpoint Yuki Yoza in kickboxing. His Venum Training Camp teammate, Sinsamut “Aquaman” Klinmee, added to the bonus haul with a second-round head-kick knockout of Shintaro Matsukura.
For Kota “Star” Abe, the night marked a career-defining breakthrough. The 28-year-old stopped countryman Shozo “Great Teacher” Isojima inside the first round to secure a US$100,000 contract.
The historic night closed on an emotional note. Former ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa received a 10-gong salute as he entered the ONE Hall of Fame. The retired Japanese icon now stands alongside fellow legends Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes, and Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang.
Equipping The Best: ONE Inks Landmark Partnership With Venum
October also brought the launch of ONE’s global partnership with Venum, a leading name in combat sports gear.
Since October 1, Venum outfits athletes at ONE’s numbered events and monthly ONE Fight Night cards. In Japan, it also supplies both apparel and gloves for the ONE SAMURAI series.
The collection debuted at ONE Fight Night 48, and custom gloves followed at ONE SAMURAI 4. Cornermen now walk out in co-branded shirts, and fans can buy the gear in arenas, online, and through global retailers.
The partnership unites two brands built on combat sports, with a shared drive to raise the standard in performance and design.
ONE Expands The Ranks With New Wave Of Talent
ONE also opened its doors to a fresh batch of talent in October, welcoming proven champions and promising newcomers across multiple disciplines.
Leading the class is 2026 ADCC +99kg World Champion and four-time IBJJF World Champion Victor “Big Man Flow” Hugo. The Brazilian grappler debuts against Devhonte “Bones” Johnson at ONE Fight Night 49 on November 6.
Undefeated Bahraini Magomed “Muhammad” Magomedov will also make his debut that night against Lucas Gabriel. The Dagestan-born lightweight brings a 15-0 record into the bout, stepping in on short notice for the injured Alibeg Rasulov.
Over in Tokyo, Japanese-Peruvian heavyweight Brandon Hashimoto makes his debut at ONE SAMURAI 5 on November 18. The 8-2 knockout artist meets countryman Ryugo Takeuchi.
The Japanese contingent doesn’t stop there. Shuto Inui adds his name to the country’s growing list of strikers on the global stage, meeting surging bantamweight kickboxer GUMP.
Rounding out the class are Kazakhstan’s Adlan Umarov, an unbeaten 4-0 finisher, and former junior world kickboxing champion Charlotte Padie of France.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for news on their respective debuts.
