5 MMA fighters who could have breakout performances at ONE X
![Stamp Fairtex (left) and Rodtang Jitmuangnon (right) could have breakout performances in ONE X. [Photos ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/ed0d5-16480586642032-1920.jpg?w=500)
Sports is sometimes seen as the great equalizer. This could be especially apparent at ONE X on March 26. A single well-placed strike or a quick submission could spell the difference in any given fight.
Come ONE Championship’s 10-year anniversary show, stunners could come aplenty as titles are put on the line and hungry challengers are ready to do what it takes to get those golden belts.
Established names are also representing their respective sports, and a simmering feud could reach its boiling point.
With the landmark ONE X event just days away, we look at the five MMA fighters who could have a breakout performance on March 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
#5 Denice Zamboanga seeks definitive win in ONE X
The victory was marred in controversy when Ham Seo Hee edged out Denice Zamboanga via split decision at ONE: Empower in September 2021.
Zamboanga, who was the no.1 contender to ONE atomweight world champion Angela Lee, lost her opportunity for an outright title shot when she succumbed to Ham in the ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix.
While Zamboanga (8-1) blitzed through the ranks in ONE Championship, winning three straight in the promotion, including a shocker over veteran Mei Yamaguchi, her experience pales in comparison to Ham’s (24-8) who has been fighting professionally since 2007.
Ham also won titles in Rizin, Road FC, Jewels, and DEEP Jewels, in a career that also saw her compete in the UFC from 2014 to 2016.
A win for Zamboanga at ONE X could erase the bitter memory of her only loss and position herself ever closer to the atomweight title.
#4 Tang Kai's emotions to flow come ONE X
Tang Kai has never faced Kim Jae Woong in a fight. In fact, the two strikers have never even been booked on the same card before. But the Chinese knockout artist already expressed his absolute hatred towards the no.1 featherweight contender.
Kim (12-5) was absolutely dismissive of Tang, and if there’s someone with more to gain at ONE X, it’s the no. 4 featherweight in the promotion.
Tang (13-2) is on an eight-fight winning streak, the last five under ONE Championship, but Kim, who’s won six of his last seven bouts, was anything but impressed.
While Tang’s streak is impressive, Kim is coming off a devastating KO win over former two-weight champion Martin Nguyen at ONE: Revolution in September 2021.
The two fighters have 19 KO/TKOs between them and their striking is the perfect avenue to unleash their pent-up hatred for one another as they come to blows in ONE X.
With Tang eager to see his stock rise at ONE X, a win over Kim any which way would be a huge leap for him.
#3 Yuya Wakamatsu to beat the man who beat the man
Getting the no.2 contender spot in any weight class is already an impressive achievement by itself, but defeating ONE flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes, the man who knocked out the arguable GOAT in the sport, is as sweet as any icing on any proverbial cake.
Yuya Wakamatsu could do just that in ONE X, as he’s not only fighting for a title but also for one of the greatest distinctions in MMA.
Moraes is the first and only man to knock out Demetrious Johnson, and Wakamatsu has the opportunity to turn things up a notch at ONE X if he can beat the dominant Brazilian.
Wakamatsu (15-4) is riding a five-fight winning streak and he started that run with a knockout win over former champion Geje Eustaquio.
Moraes (19-3), meanwhile, is on his third reign with the title but Wakamatsu is out to prove that the new generation of fighters are ready to take on the mantle.
His wins over Eustaquio and former contender Reece McLaren quickly put Wakamatsu on the radar, but a victory over Moraes would send him to superstar status.
#2 Rodtang Jitmuangnon takes on the MMA GOAT
Yes, Rodtang Jitmuangon is already a superstar in Muay Thai and kickboxing, but his fight at ONE X will be under special rules arrangement against Demetrious Johnson, the man widely considered to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time.
The first and third rounds will be under Rodtang’s wheelhouse of Muay Thai but the second and fourth will be fought under MMA rules, an all too different landscape for the ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion.
Rodtang, being a natural Muay Thai fighter, is sure to have the advantage in the striking department, but Johnson is always ready to throw hands and his last stoppage win was against Henry Cejudo in April 2016—just one of his 11 defenses as a former UFC champion.
Johnson is sure to pull Rodtang into deep water in the MMA rounds, but if the Thai superstar manages to survive that or even put up a good grappling fight then that would be an achievement in itself considering he’s never fought outside of Muay Thai and kickboxing.
#1 Stamp Fairtex headlines blockbuster ONE X card
Like Rodtang, Stamp Fairtex is already a superstar in both Muay Thai and kickboxing but fighting one of the most dominant champions in ONE Championship history is surely a test like no other.
Stamp, a former ONE atomweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion, already holds an 8-1 MMA record and is the winner of the ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix when she beat Indian wrestler Ritu Phogat via submission last September.
But Ritu Phogat is no Angela Lee and the reigning atomweight queen is sure to defend her title at ONE X with all the might she’s pent up since 2019.
Lee (10-2) hasn’t fought since she submitted ONE strawweight world champion Xiong Jing Nan in October 2019, but her grappling is still years ahead of Stamp as she owns seven submissions to her name.
Stamp is expected to use her striking in the main event of ONE X and if she can survive, or better match Lee’s grappling, then she’d be able to make the necessary adjustments.
A win for Stamp would make her the first three-sport world champion in ONE Championship and defeating Lee is sure to cement her place as one of the greatest fighters in the promotion’s history.