"The greatest 8-man global tournament ever assembled" - ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong announces first Muay Thai World Grand Prix in ONE history

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced that the first-ever ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix will kick off on May 20, 2022.

Sityodtong broke the news on Saturday, April 4, saying it is the greatest eight-man tournament in the sport's history. He wrote on his Instagram:

“BREAKING NEWS: On May 20, ONE will kick off its first-ever world championship grand prix in Muay Thai with the greatest 8-man global tournament ever assembled in the history of the sport. Without a doubt, this tournament will break all viewership records ever seen for Muay Thai on the world's largest stage of martial arts, and ignite the sport to new heights around the world.”

Sityodtong, a lifelong martial artist, takes pride in pushing Muay Thai to new heights. He continued his post by saying:

“Muay Thai has been my greatest love for more than 35+ years as a student, a competitor, a teacher, a coach, a promoter, and now a CEO. It is truly the honor of my life to lead the sport of Muay Thai around the world and help to grow it for our beloved community everywhere. LET'S GOOOOO!!! #WeAreONE”

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Who all are participating in ONE Championship’s ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix?

The eight participating fighters in the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai Grand Prix are truly the elite of the elite. Chatri Sityodtong’s announcement also included the matchups for the tournament.

At the very top, ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon will take on Britain’s Jacob Smith. Rodtang is undefeated in the circle and will look to keep it that way against the 29-year-old Brit. However, Smith will not be a walk in the park. He is one of the top-ranked fighters in the UK and is eager to make his ONE Championship debut soon.

Next, No.1-ranked flyweight Muay Thai contender Jonathan Haggerty will battle Walter Goncalves. Haggerty will have his hands full against the hard-hitting Brazilian. Goncalves famously pushed Rodtang to the limit before losing via split-decision in his world title challenge.

Another huge matchup features Superlek Kiatmoo9 taking on Taiki Naito. Superlek is 4-1 in the circle, with his only loss being a world title challenge for Ilias Ennahachi’s ONE flyweight kickboxing championship. For his part, Naito has a combined striking record of 6-1 in the promotion.

Finally, multiple-time world champions Savvas Michael and Amir Naseri are set to complete the cast of the Grand Prix participants. Michael is looking to get back in the win column, while Naseri will make his promotional debut in ONE Championship.