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| (Image Source: Nation Thailand/ONE Championship) |
ONE Championship, the world’s largest martial arts organization, in partnership with U-NEXT, one of Japan’s leading OTT streaming platforms, officially announced ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang, which will emanate from Saitama Super Arena in Tokyo, Japan on March 23, 2025. In the main event, #2-ranked flyweight kickboxing contender Takeru Segawa of Japan will square off against top-ranked contender and former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon of Thailand in a five-round flyweight kickboxing super-fight. Plus, in a rematch for the vacant ONE Flyweight MMA World Championship, #1-ranked flyweight MMA contender and former longtime divisional king Adriano Moraes of Brazil will face #2-ranked Yuya Wakamatsu of Japan.
More blockbuster matchups for ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets for the event can now be purchased exclusively in Japan via ePlus and will be available for international purchase starting January 11, 2025. Fans can sign up for the latest event updates at visit.onefc.com/one172. ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong stated, “ONE Championship will head to Japan for the fourth time, and I am excited to bring one of the biggest kickboxing fights in history to Saitama Super Arena. Takeru is a kickboxing icon, revered for his supreme skill and fighting spirit. Rodtang is the world’s most popular striking superstar and one of the greatest Muay Thai fighters of all time. I can’t wait to finally witness this spectacular fight in ONE Championship. Plus, former flyweight MMA king Adriano Moraes and Japan’s own Yuya Wakamatsu will face off for the vacant ONE Flyweight MMA World Title. I’m excited to see who will succeed Demetrious Johnson as the undisputed king of the division. It’s going to be another historic night in Japan, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to U-NEXT for all of their support.”
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| (Image Source: I Love Qatar/ONE Championship) |
Meanwhile, ONE Championship has also announced the addition of three marquee bouts to ONE 171: Qatar, presented by Visit Qatar, scheduled to take place at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha on February 20, 2025. First, Croatian sensation Roberto Soldic will make his highly anticipated return to the Circle to face Turkish knockout artist Dagi Arslanaliev, a former lightweight contender making his welterweight MMA debut. In addition, former ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champions Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon will renew their epic feud in an unprecedented fifth MMA match. This will also be the last fight of Fernandes’ storied career. Plus, #3-ranked featherweight MMA contender Shamil Gasanov will square off against the #4-ranked featherweight MMA contender and former two-division titleholder Martin Nguyen. As previously announced, ONE 171: Qatar will be headlined by two massive World Title bouts as ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Jonathan Haggerty will defend his gold against #1-ranked bantamweight kickboxing contender Wei Rui, while ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio returns to face interim titleholder Jarred Brooks in a World Championship unification bout.
Sityodtong stated, “We are headed back to Qatar for what will be one of the biggest fight cards of 2025. Three more incredible MMA matchups have been added, highlighted by the return of Roberto Soldic. He will take on a tough opponent in Dagi Arslanaliev in a pivotal welterweight clash. Fans will also get to witness the fifth showdown between Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon in what is one of the greatest rivalries in ONE Championship history, along with surging featherweight contender Shamil Gasanov versus former two-division World Champion Martin Nguyen. You don’t want to miss ONE 171: Qatar at Lusail Sports Arena on February 20!” Visit Qatar Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Engr. Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi stated, “We are happy to welcome ONE Championship back to Qatar for ONE 171. With Visit Qatar as the official presenting partner, this collaboration reinforces Qatar’s strategic role as a hub for world-class sports and entertainment, highlighting our prominent position on the global stage.” Media City Qatar CEO Engr. Jassim Mohamed Al Khori, Chief Executive Officer of Media City Qatar, stated: “We’re thrilled to partner again with ONE Championship for the highly anticipated ONE 171: Qatar on February 20, 2025, featuring two world title bouts. Our 2024 partnership drew nearly 20 million viewers across linear and digital broadcasts, showcasing the global appeal of such events and their potential to position Qatar as a hub for world-class content creation. We look forward to an even greater success this time.”
More blockbuster matchups for ONE 171: Qatar will be announced in the coming weeks. ONE Championship would like to thank official ONE 171 presenting partner Visit Qatar and official media partner Media City Qatar, as well as global energy drink partner Monster Energy and global blockchain partner Sui. Fans interested in purchasing tickets may visit events.q-tickets.com.
