‘My Skills Are Better’ — Chihiro Sawada Targets World Title Path Against Natalie Salcedo At ONE Fight Night 39
Japanese mixed martial arts star Chihiro Sawada enters ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev on Prime Video with clear intentions.
The former Shooto Champion is locked in on her upcoming women’s atomweight MMA clash with undefeated American opponent Natalie Salcedo, but her vision stretches far beyond a single opponent.
An impressive victory on Friday, January 23, live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, could push Sawada directly into World Title contention.
Sawada understands the challenge in front of her. Salcedo arrives unbeaten and dangerous, but the Japanese standout believes her experience inside the world’s largest martial arts organization gives her an edge.
She said:
“I know she’s an undefeated fighter, though I think my skills are better than hers. But I don’t think so much of these things — that she is undefeated — I’m just confident in my skills.”
After announcing her arrival on the global stage with an Americana shoulder lock submission of Sanaz Fayazmanesh in 2023, Sawada continued her domination with unanimous decision victories over Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan and Noelle “Lil’ Monkey” Grandjean. Those wins extended her streak to eight straight, as she closed out 2024 in style.
She began 2025 with a stinging defeat to Chinese fighter Meng Bo. It was the first loss of her professional career, but she rebounded immediately with two electric performances.
First, the Team Akatsuki and IDEA Asakusa representative secured a slick first-round armbar against Macarena Aragon at ONE Fight Night 33 last July.
Most recently, she outworked fellow Japanese standout Itsuki “Android 18” Hirata over three rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri last November, pushing her career record to 10-1 overall.
Reflecting on her journey in ONE Championship so far, the 28-year-old said:
“The reason I joined ONE Championship is because I believe ONE Championship’s women’s atomweight division is the best in the world. And I’m confident with my skills, so I joined ONE Championship.”
With an elite wrestling pedigree and slick submission skills, Sawada has never viewed her time in ONE as merely something she tried to survive. Instead, she wants to conquer.
More importantly, she did not enter the atomweight ranks seeking safe fights against beatable opponents. She came to build her legacy, and to achieve that, Sawada aims to test herself against the best the division has to offer.
She said:
“I would like to fight Stamp Fairtex and Denice Zamboanga. That’s why I joined ONE Championship’s atomweight division. I’m overwhelmed by all the talented fighters, but I’m confident with my skills.”
Sawada Open To Miura Test As Division Continues To Shift
While Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga remains the reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion, the Filipina’s absence due to health issues has placed the division’s World Title picture on pause.
Meanwhile, former atomweight queen Stamp Fairtex has returned to competition but is still working her way back to elite form following a recent setback.
That shifting landscape has opened the door for new contenders. But one name continues to loom large in Japan.
Former ONE Women’s Strawweight MMA World Title challenger Ayaka “Zombie” Miura has quietly built momentum since dropping to atomweight, setting the stage for a potential all-Japan showdown with Sawada that could determine the next true challenger to the throne.
Sawada is not backing away from this potential rivalry, and she understands that Miura could give her a path to the gold:
“I am confident I can overwhelm Ayaka Miura, surely, as an MMA fighter. I watched her fights before, and I think she’s a complete MMA fighter. After she moved down to atomweight, she had good results as well.
“For me, I am open to fighting against Ayaka Miura for a shot at the title. Of course, I’m confident in my skills as an MMA fighter, so I have no problem fighting her in the future.”
Since moving to atomweight, Miura has been on an absolute tear.
The results have been emphatic, as “Zombie” has won all four of her bouts since, including three by first-round submission.
Rather than viewing Miura as an obstacle, Sawada sees her as a necessary step in her evolution — if the path demands it. For now, however, Sawada’s focus remains firmly on the task at hand.
On Friday, January 23, Natalie Salcedo stands directly in her path, and nothing beyond ONE Fight Night 39 matters until that hurdle is cleared.
Sawada added:
“If possible, I want a title shot as soon as possible, but this isn’t my decision. That’s why I have to focus on my next fight. Once I finish or win against Natalie Salcedo, of course I want to get the title shot.
“If ONE Championship requests another fight against someone else, I’ll be happy to fight them. But I would rather get the title shot as soon as possible.”
