ONE Championship’s blockbuster return to Japan has seen another late shake-up – with Indian star Ritu Phogat forced to withdraw from ONE 173 through injury.
Phogat was set to face Itsuki Hirata in an atomweight MMA bout at Ariake Arena on November 16, but will now be replaced by Chihiro Sawada in an all-Japanese showdown.
The 27-year-old Sawada (9-1-1) has emerged as one of Japan’s brightest female prospects, winning four of her five fights under the ONE banner since debuting in 2023 – including two submissions.
She told the Bangkok Post after tapping out Macarena Aragon in July that she was eager to slide onto the Tokyo card, and her wish has now been granted.
‘I’ll be taking part! I want to put on an incredibly exciting fight and help fire up the Japan event,’ Sawada posted on social media on Saturday.
There had been speculation that Sawada could face Ayaka Miura in a possible interim title fight after reigning atomweight world champion Denice Zamboanga withdrew from their scheduled title defence in Tokyo.
Instead, she’ll square off against Hirata – a popular figure in Japan who recently returned to form with a decision win over Arti Khatri in August after a three-fight skid.
Phogat, who came back from a two-and-a-half year layoff in February in Qatar where she lost to Miura, confirmed her injury to the Bangkok Post.
‘Unfortunately, I injured my knee during camp, and the doctor advised 4-6 weeks of rehab,’ she said. ‘It’s really tough for me because I was so ready for November 16, but I want to recover properly and come back stronger.’
The reshuffle marks the second major change to ONE 173 in recent days, following Jonathan Haggerty’s withdrawal from his bantamweight Muay Thai world title fight against Nabil Anane.
Anane will now move up to featherweight kickboxing to face Hiromi Wajima, while six world title fights remain confirmed for the Tokyo event.
ONE 173 will begin at midday local time and run through until 10pm, with a two-hour intermission scheduled around 4-6pm. Doors open at 11am.
Despite the changes, the card still promises to be one of the most stacked in ONE history – featuring Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs Nong-O Gaiyanghadao, and Superbon vs Masaaki Noiri among others.