Trio of Muay Thai stars ink ONE contract
Three new stars have officially been added to ONE Championship’s burgeoning Muay Thai roster.
Australia’s Celest Hansen and Thai duo Dedduanglek TDed99 and Yodphupa Wimanair were each presented at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok last week, with a 3.5-million-baht contract with the promotion.
Hansen, Dedduanglek and Yodphupa secured the contracts by winning their way through their respective Road to ONE: Thailand tournaments hosted by Fairtex Fights.
Hansen saw off some highly fancied Thai competition on her way to the ONE deal and made good on her promotional debut in February, when she stunningly knocked out Kalaked Por Muangpetch at ONE Friday Fights 6.
Dedduanglek has also wasted no time in making a splash on the global stage.
The 20-year-old flyweight prodigy defeated Russia’s Temirlan Bekmurzaev in February, before repeating the feat against dangerous Uzbek Shakhriyor Jurayev last month to advance his record to 52-10.
Teenage bantamweight phenom Yodphupa is already 3-0 under the ONE banner, having recorded a decision victory over Ilyas Musaev in his promotional bow back in March before reeling off a pair of crushing knockouts in April and this month.
The Payakphudin Gym representative now holds an impressive professional record of 63-9-1.
The second season of Road to ONE will kick off in July, as ONE will scour the Thai circuit in search of the best upand-coming Muay Thai talent.
In conjunction with the Sports Authority of Thailand, ONE will provide unprecedented opportunities for athletes from across the country to compete for a contract with the martial arts giant.
The project, entitled Grassroots Muay Thai to International Level, is a part of the commitment made by the promotion led by ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong to continue to elevate the sport to the global stage.