Sawada meets Natalie Salcedo in a women’s atomweight MMA match A Fighting Night 39 on Friday, January 23, 2026 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. The event opens ONE Championship’s US primetime calendar and features two fighters desperate to win the championship title.
The 28-year-old former Shooto champion brings serious momentum to this fight. Sawada arrived in ONE Championship in February 2023 and hasn’t looked back.
Her debut immediately set the tone. She forced Sanaz Fayazmanesh to tap via an Americana shoulder lock and announced herself as a legitimate threat.
The Tokyo native picked up wins over Jihin Radzuan and Noelle Grandjean to build an eight-fight streak before hitting a speed bump. That loss didn’t hold her back for long.
Sawada returned last July with entries for Macarena Aragon and last month Itsuki Hirata. Her 10-1 record tells the story of a fighter who refuses to stay down.
Natalie Salcedo brings undefeated record into ONE Championship match
Natalie Salcedo stands between Sawada and another step toward Denice Zamboanga’s ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Championship. The 33-year-old Colorado product has never tasted defeat in professional MMA.
Salcedo went from amateur dominance to a perfect 4-0 professional record. Her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt credentials and Muay Thai skills cause trouble for everyone she encounters.
The American made waves in her promotional debut at ONE Fight Night 35 last September. She forced Aragon into a first-round submission, immediately making her a serious threat to the division.
A victory over Sawada would cement her status as a top candidate. Both fighters understand the fight could determine their championship trajectories.
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