ONE SAMURAI 1 inside Tokyo’s state-of-the-art Ariake Arena delivered everything its inaugural billing demanded this past Wednesday, April 29.
A legend rode off into the sunset with 26 pounds of gold around his waist. A wrecking ball announced his nation to the world. A grudge match was settled with a piston-like overhand right.
From top to bottom, the fight card that featured 15 battles across MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing delivered the kind of performances that announced a new era.
With the dust finally settled in Japan, here are the five biggest takeaways from a night that will set the standard for everything that follows in ONE Championship’s new Japanese blockbuster series.
#1 Takeru Writes A Storybook Ending
Legends bow out in style, and former three-division K-1 Champion Takeru “Natural Born Krusher” Segawa did exactly that in the headline attraction of ONE SAMURAI 1.
The 34-year-old drew the curtain on a legendary career by exacting revenge against Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon with a knockout for the ages, riding into the sunset with the 46th triumph on his resume and the ONE Interim Flyweight Kickboxing World Title wrapped around his waist.
He dropped the Thai star in the second round twice with a pair of stinging left hooks. He even took a page from Rodtang’s swagger under pressure, offering a shimmy and smile while the former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion sent missiles his way.
In the fifth round, a stiff right hand sent Rodtang down for a third knockdown. “Natural Born Krusher” kept punching, and when the ropes could no longer hold the Thai upright, the referee waved off the fight at the 2:22 mark of the final stanza, marking Rodtang’s first promotional knockout loss.
He retired in front of a home crowd that will carry the memory of that final round for the rest of their lives. But the legacy Takeru leaves behind extends far beyond what happened on April 29. The charity work that has touched the hearts of children in need. The mental health advocacy that took a different kind of courage.
It was a storybook ending for a legend who walked away on his own terms and a hero, both inside and outside the ring, whose impact will outlast every result.
#2 Kholmirzaev Makes History For Uzbekistan
Every warrior has a story but few have one quite like newly crowned ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Avazbek “Ninzya” Kholmirzaev.
The 25-year-old’s road to gold was paved with sacrifice and patience. From the proving ground of ONE Friday Fights to back-to-back finishes on the main roster, the Uzbek dynamo took the long way to the top.
At ONE SAMURAI 1, every kilometer of that road delivered him to exactly where he was always meant to be. Kholmirzaev connected with a picturesque spinning back elbow that put Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu to sleep in the second frame, and he walked away as the first Uzbekistan MMA World Champion in history.
The numbers tell the story of how dangerous “Ninzya” has been every step of the way to gold — a 16-2 career record, a staggering 93 percent finishing rate, and fifteen victories inside the distance with nine of them coming in ONE.
His upset of a man at the peak of his powers was not a fluke. It was the culmination of a journey years in the making. What makes it even more terrifying for the rest of the division is that this is just the beginning.
The Raqobat Gym affiliate is still only 25 years old. He is built for this level and ushered in a new era at flyweight and a new chapter in Uzbekistan’s combat sports history. He is, without a doubt, a new ONE World Champion whose ceiling has yet to be defined.
#3 Haggerty And Nadaka Reaffirm Their Reigns
If there was any doubt about Jonathan “The General” Haggerty’s kickboxing skills, he put it all to bed at ONE SAMURAI 1.
The reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion successfully defeated Yuki Yoza, bringing an end to the Japanese star’s unbeaten 3-0 promotional run and 13-fight winning streak. The Muay Thai technician outclassed the former K-1 Champion across five fast-paced rounds.
His first title defense against “Demon Blade” Wei Rui offered glimpses of what he can do in this discipline. This time, he operated on a whole new level, and “The General” has never looked closer to untouchable.
On the same night, ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka delivered the same message in his respective battle. The 25-year-old extended his winning streak to 41 fights with a unanimous decision over longtime rival Songchainoi Kiatsongrit.
Throughout five rounds, the Eiwa Sports Gym product gave the Thai zero room to breathe. Every advance was countered with intent. Every clinch attempt was neutralized. When Songchainoi pressed forward, Nadaka doubled up on his kicks to push him back. By the time the final bell rang, the only question left was the margin.
Like Haggerty, Nadaka made one thing absolutely clear in Tokyo – for as long as he is in the division, the atomweight Muay Thai crown is going nowhere.
#4 Grigorian And Sawada Earn Well-Deserved World Title Shots
A pair of emphatic finishes from game contenders who confirmed, beyond any doubt, that the next World Title shot in their respective divisions belongs to them.
Three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion Marat Grigorian needed just 1:51 to settle the most heated rivalry in featherweight kickboxing. After a year of war of words following the drama from when they were initially scheduled to fight at ONE 172, the Armenian knockout machine flattened Kaito Ono with a single overhand right.
With his fastest highlight-reel triumph in the promotion, Grigorian earned another crack at the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Championship. He’s looked far sharper, stronger, and vicious in recent outings, and all signs point towards him claiming the sport’s most coveted strap.
Chihiro Sawada did her own work in equally convincing fashion. The Team Akatsuki and IDEA Asakusa affiliate stuffed Ayaka “Zombie” Miura‘s early takedown attempt, methodically worked her way into a dominant position, and rolled into a beautifully timed armbar that drew the tap at the 4:33 mark of round one.
Submitting one of the most decorated grapplers in the division was exactly what her case for a shot at ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga needed.
Two performances that left zero room for debate, and two World Title shots that were impossible to deny.
#5 Japan’s Next Generation Impresses On Home Soil
The mission of ONE SAMURAI was always about more than World Title fights. It was about building the next generation of Japanese combat sports stars on a stage worthy of their ambitions.
With that said, 21-year-old WBC Muay Thai World Champion Shimon led the way. The young gun returned from an eight-count to drop American-Malaysian knockout maestro Johan “Jojo” Ghazali twice en route to a hard-fought unanimous decision in their flyweight Muay Thai tiff.
His fifth victory in ONE against a household name on the biggest stage of his young career earned him a US$100,000 main roster contract and, with each passing fight, it is becoming clearer that the rest of the division has a serious problem on its hands.
He wasn’t the only 21-year-old making headway at ONE SAMURAI 1. Shooto Bantamweight Champion Kanata Nagai overcame fellow debutant Atsubo Kambe with a solid three-round showing in the curtain-raiser, improving his slate to a perfect 10-0.
Meanwhile, former two-division RISE Champion Toki “Jet Boy” Tamaru, age 24, displayed his chops despite a slow start, outpointing Toma Kuroda by unanimous decision in his strawweight kickboxing matchup.
A new generation of warriors from Japan has officially arrived, and ONE Championship has built them the perfect stage to make their mark. Next up, ONE SAMURAI 2 descends on Tokyo on Saturday, August 8, with another chapter of Japan’s combat sports story waiting to be written.
AloJapan.com