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In a thrilling turn of events, the ONE Championship rankings have seen significant changes thanks to breakout performances by Petchtanong Petchfergus and Bampara Kouyate in the last two premium live events. Their impressive victories have caused major movements within their respective divisions.
Petchtanong, the former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion, returned to the top five after a sensational TKO victory over fellow ex-divisional king Alaverdi Ramazanov. This showdown took place at ONE Friday Fights 68 this past June, where the Thai superstar dominated the matchup, leading to a second-round stoppage.
This was Petchtanong's first fight since dethroning Hiroki Akimoto for the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title in November 2022. His lengthy absence was due to a failed out-of-competition drug test in June 2023, resulting in the loss of his title. However, his comeback was nothing short of spectacular, earning him the 3 spot in the rankings.
As a result of Petchtanong’s resurgence, Ramazanov and Nong-O were pushed to the 4 and 5 positions, respectively. Additionally, Felipe Lobo was forced out to accommodate Petchtanong's return. Here’s the updated bantamweight kickboxing rankings:
Champion: Jonathan Haggerty
1: Wei Rui
2: Hiroki Akimoto
3: Petchtanong Petchfergus (NR)
4: Alaverdi Ramazanov (-1)
5: Nong-O Hama (-1)
Meanwhile, in the featherweight Muay Thai division, Bampara Kouyate made his mark with a third-round TKO win over Luke Lessei at ONE Fight Night 23 on Prime Video. This victory propelled Kouyate to the 4 spot in the rankings. His entry also caused movement within the division, with “Smokin’” Jo Nattawut climbing to the 2 position, pushing Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong down to 3. The current featherweight Muay Thai rankings are as follows:
Champion: Tawanchai PK Saenchai
1: Superbon
2: Jo Nattawut (+1)
3: Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong (-1)
4: Bampara Kouyate (NR)
5: Luke Lessei
These changes are determined by an independent panel of sports media members and industry experts, who rank the fighters based on their recent performances and the quality of their competition after each live event.
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