Muay Thai

Trương Cao Minh Phát of Việt Nam (left) is one of 16 fighters selected to compete at the Muay Thai Rampage x Road To ONE on May 19 in HCM CIty. — Photo of Muay Thai Rampage

HCM CITY — The Muay Thai Rampage series will return to the country in a combination with the Road To ONE seeking Việt Nam's strongest Muay Thai fighters to compete at the world’s largest martial arts organisation – ONE Championship.

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 of 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 Đỗ, CEO of Shadow Entertainment, the promoter of the tournament.

"In Việt Nam, 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 at 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 Trương Cao Minh Phát, Huỳnh Hoàng Phi, Bùi Trần Tấn Tài and Phan Trọng Quý.

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

A poster of the MTR x RTO which will feature the 16 strongest Muay Thai competitors on May 19 in HCM City. — Photo of Shadow Entertainment

Việt Nam'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 Phát, 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 Việt Nam 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. — VNS