Inspiring rags-to-riches tales
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Inspiring rags-to-riches tales

Thai fighter Stamp Fairtex greets fans before a bout recently.
Thai fighter Stamp Fairtex greets fans before a bout recently.

Since its inception in 2011, ONE Championship has grown into a global force in the world of combat sports.

In fact, the organisation's platform has helped foster the careers of countless athletes from grassroots levels all the way to world title glory.

These athletes have now become household names in more than 190 countries, and their reach on social media is just as impressive.

Stamp Fairtex

One of the biggest rags-to-riches stories to have played out in ONE's history is that of Stamp Fairtex.

The multi-talented Thai has grown into one of the biggest stars in martial arts today due to a charismatic personality that compliments her world-class fighting skills.

The 25-year-old was spotted by ONE's scouts back in 2018 after a successful career on the local Muay Thai circuit and, recognising the potential star power of the youngster, they signed her immediately.

At the time, she had a combined social media following of 2,000.

In the years following, Stamp has amassed 18 fights in ONE and captured the ONE atomweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world titles along the way.

Her dancing antics and endearing smile have also captured the imagination of the world.

She now enjoys a following of 1.4 million across Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok.

Stamp will look to add another world title to her trophy cabinet in a third discipline at ONE Fight Night 14 on Sept 29.

There, she faces Ham Seo-Hee of South Korea in the blockbuster main event for the ONE interim women's atomweight MMA world title.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon

Rodtang Jitmuangnon is the ultimate viral sensation.

"The Iron Man" is world famous for his fan-friendly fighting style and penchant for calling his opponents on as he unflinchingly absorbs their best strikes.

Rodtang was also brought to ONE in 2018 with a respectable 14,000 social media followers, before his heroics in the circle saw that number explode to 3.6 million.

The Thai megastar will defend his ONE flyweight Muay Thai world title once again at ONE Lumpinee 34 on Sept 22 when he faces kickboxing king and fellow Thai compatriot Superlek Kiatmoo9.

Chingiz Allazov

The most followed striker on the ONE roster, however, is ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion Chingiz Allazov, who has a staggering 5.1 million followers.

A decorated kickboxer prior to joining ONE, "Chinga" has amassed a huge fan base during his meteoric rise with the promotion in which he joined in 2021.

The Azerbaijani-Belarusian star shot to fame with a dominant run through the ONE featherweight kickboxing world grand prix.

Then he shocked the world with a second-round knockout of divisional king Superbon Singha Mawynn in January.

Allazov did his follower count no harm and cemented his status at the top of the featherweight kickboxing world with an epic five-round win over old foe Marat Grigorian in his first defence last month.

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