ONE Championship Signs Trio Of World-Class MMA Talents, Adding To A Wave Of New Arrivals
ONE Championship constantly hunts for the best MMA fighters on the planet, and three more just made the cut.
The world’s largest martial arts organization has signed three highly touted MMA standouts in Davi “Ajuricaba” Brandão, Yu Takeuchi, and Hector “La Araña” Almonacid.
Each has earned their place on the global stage after proving themselves on their respective regional scenes with impressive pedigrees and championship-level accolades.
At flyweight, Brandão enters the mix as an undefeated 6-0 talent forged in Manaus, Brazil, which has become a hotbed for world-class martial arts talent.
Well-rounded and relentless, the 20-year-old phenom owns a perfect finishing rate split evenly between knockouts and submissions.
Sharing the division is Takeuchi, who arrives with a 4-0 record out of Tokyo’s Toikatsu Dojo. The rising star becomes the latest name in a strong contingent of Japanese fighters who have left an indelible mark on the promotion in recent years.
Rounding out the trio is Almonacid, a former FFC Featherweight Champion who owns an 11-1 mark and a resume to match. The Argentine brings a wealth of experience and a dangerous ground game to the world’s largest martial arts organization, with seven victories coming by way of submission.
Also joining the roster on a previously announced deal is Magdalena “The Powerpuff Girl” Czaban. The undefeated Polish standout’s amateur pedigree includes multiple IMMAF World and European Titles across two weight classes.
The 26-year-old carries a flawless 4-0 record and a 100 percent finishing rate into her atomweight MMA debut against Natalie Salcedo at ONE Fight Night 46, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium on August 14.
The Next Generation Of MMA Fighters Is Already Cashing In
Some of ONE Championship’s youngest talents have already seized the biggest opportunity of their careers, punching their way to life-changing US$100,000 contracts through the weekly ONE Friday Fights event series.
Leading the charge is Viet Anh Do, who rides a spotless 6-0 slate built entirely on stoppage victories, five of them by way of highlight-reel knockouts in ONE. The Auckland MMA product tore through the flyweight ranks, punctuating his run with a second-round TKO of “Money” Kyungjung Kim to secure his global roster spot.
Another star was born in that same weekly crucible 14 days later, as India’s Nazareth “The Northstar” Lalthazuala turned heads in the strawweight MMA division. Unbeaten through his first eight bouts, the 25-year-old racked up three straight wins in ONE, capped by a first-round TKO of Jhon “The Protagonist” Brutas, which sealed his six-figure contract.
Equally destructive was Taiga “Black Samurai” Orii, who stacked back-to-back, bone-rattling TKO finishes to claim his own six-figure reward. Despite discovering MMA late at age 22, the surging talent stopped both Zar Mawia and Julian Mayorga to earn his spot on the global roster.
Elsewhere, two warriors made an immediate mark by beating established names in the promotion. Flyweight contender Ruslan Satiev stayed perfect at 7-0, handing Sanzhar “Tornado” Zakirov his first career defeat with a clean unanimous decision at ONE Fight Night 45 earlier this month.
On that same card, Antonio “The Flash” Cesar outpointed Filipino veteran Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang for the biggest win of his career, announcing himself with a promotional debut victory that pushed his record to 14-2.
With this caliber of young talent already making huge statements on the global stage, the present and future of ONE Championship’s MMA ranks have never looked stronger.
Stay tuned to onefc.com for more announcements.
