ONE Championship

A fighter still searching for his first ONE Championship win gets a rematch that could define his entire tenure with the promotion.

A guaranteed shot at reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon awaits whoever wins the eight-man ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament. Mohammad Siasarani and Kaito Ono open that bracket against each other in a quarterfinal rematch at ONE SAMURAI 2, streaming live from Tokyo’s EBARA WAVE Arena Ota on Saturday, August 8.

Siasarani beat Kaito by unanimous decision in May 2025, spoiling the Japanese star’s promotional debut. Moreover, Kaito has lost twice since arriving in ONE. Also, he fell to Marat Grigorian at ONE SAMURAI 1 this past April. Now enters his home country still searching for his first win in the organization.

“To become a big name and prove that you are a good fighter, you have to defeat big names. I have already done that many times, and I’m going to do it again,” he said.

“I think I have had 11 fights in ONE, and in maybe seven or eight of them, I was considered the underdog. I love being in that position. I feel much better when people see me as the underdog because it gives me even more motivation to train and win. I like when people think about me that way.”

Mohammad Siasarani chases path to Superbon

A win over Kaito pushes Siasarani into the tournament semifinals and one step closer to a dream matchup with Superbon. It’s a training partner and idol he has faced off against only in the gym.

For Kaito, the equation is more urgent. Two consecutive losses on ONE’s global stage have left him needing a statement result in front of his home fans just to reset the conversation around his career in the promotion.

“Superbon is a friend of mine. I have watched him since I was young, learned from him, and trained with him. I respect him a lot. But in this sport, once we fight, friendship and respect cannot affect the competition. All of us are coming for that title,” he said.

“I would love to fight him. It is a dream matchup for me, but I believe I am already at that level. Many fighters who were once my idols are people I have already defeated. Hopefully, Superbon will be next.”

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM