Chatri Sityodtong Previews The Top Bouts Of ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST
When ONE Championship returns to the Baoshan Arena in Shanghai, China this Saturday, 15 June, superstars both young and old will take center stage.
In the main event of ONE: LEGENDARY QUEST, two-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex puts her ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Title on the line against 18-year-old Australian sensation Alma Juniku.
It is a match-up that has ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong particularly excited, as two of the promotion’s brightest female stars will go head-to-head for the gold.
“In Stamp, you have one of the greatest Muay Thai athletes coming out of Thailand in history, in terms of female athletes. She’s a highly decorated World Champion and a phenom,” he says. “In Alma, you have the hottest prospect, full-stop, in Muay Thai, globally.”
The organization’s global audience is familiar with Stamp’s work, having watched the 21-year-old capture ONE Atomweight World Titles under both kickboxing and Muay Thai rules to become the first-ever two-sport ONE World Champion.
Though Juniku’s arrival in the main event in Shanghai marks her first promotional appearance, Sityodtong is excited to see the young Australian show the world her elite skill set.
“She’s only 18 years old, but she’s been doing Muay Thai for a long time, and if I look at her technique, she’s flawless,” he explains.
“She’s amazing, technically, has great footwork [and] a great eye. She’s very explosive and athletic, and has KO power, and she knows how to mix up her combinations very, very intelligently. So, she is not an up-and-comer by any means. She’s actually a veteran in my eyes.
“It kind of reminds me of [ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion] Jon Haggerty. Everyone thought Jon Haggerty was going to get steamrolled by Sam-A [Gaiyanghadao], but he’s a master technician well, well above his years or his match record of Muay Thai. He’s a phenom, and so is Alma.”
While two of the promotion’s most exciting young female stars prepare to face off in the headline attraction, the co-main event features the return of one of Asian mixed martial arts’ most beloved icons.
Yoshihiro “Sexy Yama” Akiyama took a three and a half year break from the sport, but signed with ONE in November with plans of making a grand return.
Now, the 43-year-old makes his ONE debut against Malaysian welterweight contender Agilan “Alligator” Thani in a highly anticipated showdown packed with several outstanding storylines.
“Akiyama, he’s a legend in the sport of mixed martial arts. He hails from Korea and from Japan, [he is] an incredible striker, a judo black belt, and a highly decorated martial artist,” Sityodtong says.
“Agilan is one of Malaysia’s best mixed martial artists. He’s an incredible grappler and well-rounded, and so it is a young lion versus old lion story. But it’s also a rising star versus a legend story.”
