Muay Thai fighters seek ONE Championship chances at MTR x RTO in Vietnam

The Muay Thai Rampage x Road To ONE's (MTR x RTO) elimination will be held on May 19 at the Saigon Sports Club.

It will be the first time Road To ONE is organised in Việt Nam with winners walking away with a slot for fighting at the ONE Championship, which hosts fights across many styles including mixed martial arts, Muay Thai and kickboxing.

The MTR x RTO has three stages equivalent to three consecutive tournaments. After the qualifying round on May 19, the semi-finals will be on July 21 and the finals on September 15.

A total of 16 boxers will compete in two weight classes flyweight (61kg) and strawweight (57kg), in knock-out format. The winner in each class will win a ONE Championship contract worth US$100,000, opening the doors to the world's most prestigious fighting stage.

“ONE Championship is the dream arena for fighters around the world. To compete here, fighters must constantly practise and compete to improve their professional achievements and deliver impressive performances," said Jenny Do, CEO of Shadow Entertainment, the promoter of the tournament.

"In Vietnam, we could count the number of fighters participating in ONE on the fingers of one hand and opportunities to access and compete there are limited. Therefore, through MTR x RTO, we hope to help Vietnamese martial artists get closer to their dreams, with the bigger goal of having more and more Vietnamese in prestigious arenas.

"We have selected 16 martial artists who have strong experience and highest achievement from many local and international applications. Among them are notable Vietnamese fighters such as Truong Cao Minh Phat, Huynh Hoang Phi, Bui Tran Tan Tai and Phan Trong Quy.

"To arrange the matches objectively and fairly, a public draw will be conducted," she said.

Vietnam's first fighter winning the WBC Muay Thai World title Phát said: “Competing at the MTR x RTO, I will have an opportunity to qualify for the ONE.

"Having to face extremely strong fighters is not easy, but this is an opportunity that cannot be missed, so I will fight hard to become the winner," said Phaat, who will take part in the flyweight.

Muay Thai lovers and supporters can look for more information and watch the matches live at facebook.com/muaythairampage.

Shadow Entertainment is a leading company in Vietnam in organising martial arts and entertainment events. After signing a cooperation agreement with ONE last September, the company began planning for Road to ONE in the country.

Road To ONE is a global recruitment league that hosts martial arts events all over the world. These events feature each region’s most promising homegrown talent and often include single-elimination tournaments where martial artists compete to win a six-figure contract with ONE Championship. 

Viet Nam News

Asia News Network