ONE Championship

A five-fight knockout spree came to an abrupt halt earlier this year, and the Japanese star wants that chapter closed for good.

Hyu faces ONE Championship newcomer Hyuma Hitachi in a flyweight kickboxing matchup at ONE SAMURAI 3, touching down at Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday, September 12. The 23-year-old opened his ONE Championship run with five straight wins, four by knockout over Leandro Miranda, Zakaria El Jamari, Jordan Estupinan, and Suablack Tor Pran49, before countryman Taiki Naito handed him his first professional loss in a three-round battle at ONE SAMURAI 1.

Hitachi enters his own promotional debut with a reputation built on relentless boxing combinations, a discipline he added specifically to sharpen his kickboxing background. A knockout of Yuki Kasahara stands as the clearest example of what that combination produces against live competition.

Hyu faces contrasting styles puzzle

Hyu's improvisational, angle-based approach sets up a genuine clash of philosophies against a fighter who prefers closing distance immediately and imposing his hands from the opening exchange.

The Yokohama Buntai crowd will get a direct answer to how Hyu responds to adversity for the first time in his career, with his previously unblemished ONE record now carrying an asterisk he is eager to erase.

The bout joins a stacked ONE SAMURAI 3 card that also features reigning ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka making his kickboxing debut, along with a flyweight Muay Thai showdown between Shimon Yoshinari and Suablack Tor Pran49, giving Yokohama a full night of high-level Japanese and international talent.

Neither man has faced the other before, leaving both camps to prepare largely off reputation and available footage rather than any shared history to lean on heading into their September 12 meeting.

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UFC women's strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern weighed in on the controversy involving Din Thomas and Gillian Robertson after UFC 330.

Mackenzie Dern defended the UFC strawweight title dominantly against Gillian Robertson last Saturday at UFC 330. After winning the then-vacant belt last year, Dern stopped Robertson's meteoric rise to make a statement as she prepares to welcome Zhang Weili back to the division for her next fight.

Robertson's team was under intense scrutiny following analyst/longtime cornerman Din Thomas' bizarre remarks during the UFC 330 post-fight show. Thomas announced his ‘retirement' from cornering fighters, hinting that Robertson's performance at UFC 330 showed the limit of how far she can go in her career.

Thomas has since apologized for his comments, although he doubled down on his ‘retirement' from cornering after UFC 330. Amidst heavy backlash for his remarks, Dern weighed in on Thomas' controversy.

Mackenzie Dern slams Din Thomas for ‘poor etiquette' after UFC 330 corner split

In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dern was pressed on her reaction to Thomas stealing Robertson's spotlight after UFC 330.

“I think it's tough to say that. I don't know why that had to be something public; you could have just told your athlete whatever you wanted to say, not even announced,†Dern said of Thomas.

“They could've had their own [split] for personal reasons, but there are some things that don't need to be shared with the public. The fact that it was something that was put out there; it just wasn't good etiquette. He came back and said sorry, but it doesn't seem like he really changed what he thinks or what he thought.

“It's definitely more about him than her,†Dern continued. “She came to fight for a title, broke records, and doesn't come from any type of background as I do…she's gone far, and she's only 31.â€

Thomas had been in Robertson's corner throughout her UFC career, including in recent wins over Amanda Lemos, Marina Rodriguez, and Michelle Waterson-Gomez.

What are your thoughts on the recent Din Thomas controversy? Weigh in below in the comments

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Zuffa LLC

Islam Makhachev thinks that Michael Morales is skilled, but he isn't impressed with the activity level.

Makhachev is coming off a historic win over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 this past Saturday in Philadelphia. He broke the record previously held by Anderson Silva for the most consecutive wins in UFC history (17). While Makhachev didn't exactly cruise his way to victory, he was in control more often than not on his way to a unanimous decision.

Now that UFC 330 has wrapped up, the question becomes who is next for the No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter? Makhachev was asked who he thinks is most deserving of the opportunity during the Paramount+ post-fight show. The elite titleholder believes that while Morales could be an intriguing challenger, he feels the rising Ecuadorian star needs to be more active before getting a shot.

“Honestly, if you ask me today, Shavkat [Rakhmonov] is not fighting,†Makhachev said. “[Carlos] Prates still fighting, still active. Maybe Prates because Morales also is good, but Morales fight I don't know last time. I don't remember when he fight, you know? If you ask who's the most deserving guy, I think Carlos Prates.â€

Morales and Prates were both in attendance for UFC 330 inside Xfinity Mobile Arena. Morales even had a backstage run-in with Ian Machado Garry, although things were cordial despite some back-and-forth words. If Prates ends up getting the next welterweight title shot, it could leave the door open for Morales to fight someone like Garry or another top contender.

In his last outing back in Nov. 2025, Morales scored a first-round TKO finish over Sean Brady. At the time, Brady was widely considered a credible threat at 170 pounds. Whether or not that win will be enough to carry Morales to a showdown with Makhachev remains to be seen.

Do you agree with Islam Makhachev's stance on Michael Morales' contender status, or do you feel Morales has done enough to get the title shot? Sound off in the comments below.

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