Highlights From The ONE Samurai Press Conference
ONE Championship Announces New Monthly Event Series in Japan
Takeru Segawa, Nadaka Yoshinari, Yuya Wakamatsu, and Yuki Yoza Praise ONE Samurai, Ready to Lead the Japanese Combat Sports Scene
ONE Championship™ (ONE), the world’s largest martial arts organization, held a press conference at Kanda Myojin Hall in Tokyo on Wednesday, February 18, to officially announce the launch of its new monthly event series, ONE Samurai.
[ONE Samurai Press Conference Photos]
ONE Samurai will heavily feature Japan’s most popular martial arts stars and next-generation athletes across MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling. The series will also have appearances from some of the biggest international superstars, and there will be multiple World Title fights on each event.
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, said: “In the past, Japanese martial arts organizations like K-1 and PRIDE were at their peak and were number one in the world. However, as they declined, the Japanese martial arts scene has been declining as well. ONE will create a new future for martial arts for Japanese fighters and fans. We will create Japanese martial arts heroes.”
Shuntaro Tanaka, CEO of Japan and Group Chief Commercial Officer, said: “It’s not all about stories and heroes – that’s Chatri’s philosophy of creating value. I listened to Chatri’s words about creating world-class heroes, about revitalizing martial arts and creating future plans, about wanting to work together to inspire and move people from the IP side. I also accepted his offer because personally, I have always loved martial arts.”
U-NEXT, Japan’s leading streaming service with 12 million subscribers, will exclusively broadcast all ONE Samurai events, with ONE Championship committing to produce 60 events over five years. Global broadcast details will be announced at a later date.
The inaugural event, ONE Samurai 1, will be held at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo on Wednesday, April 29. Tickets are on sale now via ePlus and Zaiko.
Yuya Wakamatsu, ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion, said: “I can embody the dream of becoming ‘the modern samurai.’ I think this is the best stage to continue defending and proving that Japanese [athletes] are strong. I want fans to enjoy the battles and feel the courage at ONE Samurai.”
Nadaka Yoshinari, ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion, said: “Last year, I appeared twice at events held in Japan, and I saw the excitement for martial arts’ return. I’m looking forward to seeing how much more excitement Japanese events will generate with ONE Samurai. In Muay Thai, I believe I’m world-class, so no matter which opponents challenge me, I will show complete fights and firmly defend this belt.”
Takeru Segawa, former three-division K-1 Champion, said: “Now that ONE’s major Japanese events will be held here, the world’s strongest fighters will gather. I think ONE Samurai will be a major event that proves Japanese strength and puts martial arts at the center in Japan. I’m only one fight in, but I want to elevate ONE Samurai and connect it to the next generation. Even though my next fight is my retirement fight, I will prove my world-class strength and cap off ONE Samurai’s first major event in the best form.”
Yuki Yoza, former K-1 Champion, said: “I want to elevate ONE Samurai not just by challenging foreign fighters, but by surpassing my seniors. Since Takeru is retiring, I want to become the ace of ONE Samurai.”
