ONE releases Zakirov, Miado, four others

ONE Championship has released six fighters from its roster. Uzbek MMA prospect Sanzhar Zakirov and Filipino veteran Jeremy Miado are among the latest departures, along with Chinese fighter Banma Duoji, British Muay Thai striker Jacob Smith, Sweden’s Johanna Persson and Filipino-American Sean Climaco.

Banma’s departure was by mutual agreement, the Bangkok Post understands. All five of the other athletes are coming off defeats, with Miado, Smith, Persson and Climaco on losing runs.

The released athletes were all informed of their departures on Monday morning, sources said. Their profiles on the promotion's official website have been updated to reflect their status.

Sanzhar Zakirov's Rise and Fall

Zakirov’s release is perhaps the most eye-catching given his rapid rise through ONE’s MMA ranks before suffering the first defeat of his career last month. The 23-year-old had won seven consecutive fights under the ONE banner and was listed by the promotion with a 16-0 professional record heading into his flyweight bout against fellow unbeaten prospect Ruslan Satiev at ONE Fight Night 45. Zakirov had beaten experienced contenders including Tatsumitsu Wada, Eko Roni Saputra, Bokang Masunyane and Hu Yong during his rise through the strawweight and flyweight divisions. But Satiev shut down the Uzbek’s wrestling and controlled much of their July 18 contest at Lumpinee before earning a unanimous decision.

Jeremy Miado's Decade Ends

Miado, meanwhile, departs after almost a decade with ONE. The 33-year-old made his promotional debut in 2017 and became a fixture of the strawweight MMA division, earning notable knockout victories over former champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, Miao Li Tao, Lito Adiwang and Danial Williams. His fortunes changed after beating Williams in October 2022, however. Miado has lost five of his last six fights, with his only victory during that stretch coming by unanimous decision against Gilbert Nakatani after moving up to flyweight in February 2025. He then suffered consecutive TKO defeats against Avazbek Kholmirzaev in December and Willie van Rooyen in March.

Other Departures

Jacob Smith also exits following three consecutive defeats and four losses from five ONE appearances. The 33-year-old Englishman made his promotional debut against Rodtang Jitmuangnon in May 2022 before rebounding with a first-round knockout of Walter Goncalves at ONE Fight Night 17 in December 2023. That proved to be Smith’s only victory in ONE. He subsequently lost decisions to Denis Puric and Rodtang - the latter in a flyweight Muay Thai title fight at ONE 169 - before returning from a 19-month absence in June and dropping another unanimous decision against Nakrob Fairtex.

Banma Duoji leaves ONE with one victory, two defeats and one No Contest from four appearances. The 27-year-old joined the promotion in 2021 and earned his lone official victory by decision against Walter Goncalves in July 2023 before losing to Danial Williams the following year. Banma initially stopped Joshua Perreira in the first round at ONE Fight Night 29 in March 2025, but the result was later overturned to a No Contest after he tested positive for the banned substance furosemide and received a six-month suspension.

Persson leaves after losing both of her ONE appearances. The Swedish Muay Thai fighter arrived as the reigning WBC world champion and was given an immediate shot at Allycia Hellen Rodrigues’ atomweight Muay Thai title on her promotional debut in July 2025. Rodrigues knocked Persson out in the third round before the 31-year-old returned at ONE Fight Night 43 in May, where she suffered a unanimous decision defeat against Poland’s Martyna Dominczak.

Sean Climaco departs after consecutive losses. He earned his roster spot by winning the Road to ONE: America tournament. His run included a first-round knockout debut win over Josue Cruz in May 2024. His final fight was a decision loss to Black Panther at ONE Fight Night 45 in July. For a full overview of the promotion's current lineup, check the squad page, and for detailed performance metrics, the stats section is regularly updated.

The following table summarizes the recent records of the released fighters, based on information from the source.

These roster moves come as the promotion continues to shape its fixtures and standings across multiple disciplines.