Two fighters shake up ONE Championship rankings

After a couple of breakout performances in ONE Championship’s last two premium live events, two divisions have experienced some major movement.

In the latest update, Petchtanong Petchfergus and Bampara Kouyate made a splash in their respective weight classes.

Petchtanong, a former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion, returned to the bracket’s top five following his sensational TKO victory over fellow ex-divisional king Alaverdi Ramazanov. 

Their bout took place at ONE Friday Fights 68 this past June. There, the Thai superstar was on cruise control for the majority of the matchup, leading him to the emphatic stoppage in the second round.

It’s worth noting that this was Petchtanong’s first assignment since November 2022 when he dethroned Hiroki Akimoto for the ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title.

The 38-year-old had a lengthy stay on the sidelines due to a failed out-of-competition drug test in June 2023. As a consequence, the promotion stripped him of the belt.

Petchtanong could not have scripted a better comeback as it allowed him to claim the #3 seat in the rankings. 

As a result, Ramazanov and Nong-O found themselves displaced to the #4 and #5 positions, respectively. The reshuffling didn’t stop there as Felipe Lobo was forced out to make way for Petchtanong’s re-entry.

This is what the bantamweight kickboxing rankings look like now:

• Champion: Jonathan Haggerty
• #1: Wei Rui
• #2: Hiroki Akimoto
• #3: Petchtanong Petchfergus (NR)
• #4: Alaverdi Ramazanov (-1)
• #5: Nong-O Hama (-1)

Bampara Kouyate enters ONE Championship featherweight Muay Thai top five 

Meanwhile, Bampara Kouyate made his way into featherweight Muay Thai rankings with his third-round TKO win over Luke Lessei at ONE Fight Night 23 on Prime Video earlier this month.

Kouyate now occupies the #4 spot in the division’s top five.

Aside from the French striker, “Smokin’” Jo Nattawit also moved up the ladder, pushing down Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong to take the #2 position.

This is what the featherweight Muay Thai rankings look like now:

• Champion: Tawanchai PK Saenchai
• #1: Superbon
• #2: Jo Nattawut (+1)
• #3: Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong (-1)
• #4: Bampara Kouyate (NR)
• #5: Luke Lessei

An independent panel of sports media members and industry experts determine the ONE Athlete Rankings. Following each live event, they rank the fighters based on their most recent performances and the quality of competition.