ONE Championship has cut ties with five fighters across its MMA and Muay Thai rosters, headlined by the departure of grappling icon Garry Tonon.
The release group also includes undefeated Russian MMA prospect Magomed Akaev, Romanian-Irish striker Stefan Korodi, British Muay Thai fighter Amber Kitchen, and Turkish kickboxing veteran Zafer Sayik.
Garry Tonon’s ONE run ends after eight years
Tonon’s exit closes the most decorated chapter on the cut list. The New Jersey native joined ONE in late 2017 and made his MMA debut for the promotion in early 2018, opening his career with five straight finishes before improving to 6-0 in 2020.
“The Lion Killer” challenged Thanh Le for the ONE Featherweight World Title in March 2022 but was stopped in 56 seconds, suffering the first loss of his MMA career. He rebounded with three consecutive submission wins and a decision over Martin Nguyen at ONE 165, earning his way back into title contention.
His final ONE appearance came at ONE Fight Night 34 on August 1, 2025, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Shamil Gasanov in a rematch of his 2023 kneebar victory. The multiple-time ADCC and IBJJF medalist remains one of the most accomplished grapplers ever to compete in the promotion.
Akaev released after brief ONE tenure
Akaev’s release comes as a surprise given the buildup behind his arrival. The Dagestani featherweight signed with ONE in 2025 carrying an unblemished 10-0 professional record and was promoted heavily as a future title threat ahead of his June 6, 2025 debut at ONE Fight Night 32.
Korodi joined ONE in January 2024 after a Muay Thai career built in Ireland and went 1-3 inside the circle, with his most recent appearance ending in a unanimous decision loss to Vladimir Kuzmin at ONE Fight Night 33 in July 2025.
Kitchen, the daughter of British Muay Thai legend Julie Kitchen, signed with the promotion in 2019 and competed primarily in the strawweight Muay Thai division. Sayik, a 13-time Turkish kickboxing champion, last fought at ONE Fight Night 34, dropping a unanimous decision to Suakim Sor Jor Tongprajin.
Latest in a series of ONE roster cuts
The releases continue a pattern of roster trimming at ONE Championship. The promotion parted ways with four fighters in March 2026, including former MMA world champions Adriano Moraes and Zebaztian Kadestam, and released six others in September 2025 with former strawweight Muay Thai champion Smilla Sundell among them.