{"id":427631,"date":"2026-01-23T08:09:07","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T08:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/427631\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T08:09:07","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T08:09:07","slug":"very-confident-in-my-ability-to-finish-the-fight-natalie-salcedos-bold-prediction-at-one-fight-night-39","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/427631\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Very Confident In My Ability To Finish The Fight\u2019 \u2013 Natalie Salcedo\u2019s Bold Prediction At ONE Fight Night 39"},"content":{"rendered":"

Natalie Salcedo<\/a>\u2019s unbeaten run meets its sternest test yet when she squares off against Chihiro Sawada<\/a> at ONE Fight Night 39: Rambolek vs. Dayakaev on Prime Video<\/a>, which broadcasts live in U.S. primetime this Friday, January 23.<\/p>\n

The American phenom enters the women\u2019s atomweight MMA clash at Bangkok\u2019s Lumpinee Stadium with momentum and growing belief in her ceiling inside the world\u2019s largest martial arts organization.<\/p>\n

But standing across the ring will be a grappler who has overwhelmed nearly everyone placed in front of her.<\/p>\n

Sawada is a decorated wrestler who has built her reputation on suffocating pressure, clinch dominance, and relentless takedowns that steadily erase opponents\u2019 options.<\/p>\n

The Japanese athlete\u2019s fighting style and grappling prowess have proven difficult to overcome. But from Salcedo\u2019s perspective, it\u2019s a puzzle that she believes is solvable.<\/p>\n

She said:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn a lot of ways, I think Chihiro isn\u2019t a hard person to figure out. I think everybody knows that her wrestling is probably one of her strongest strengths and something that she plans to use, and that\u2019s fine.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re prepared for the fight wherever it goes. I think that she\u2019s gonna be a really good opponent. She has a really great record. I\u2019m coming in as the underdog, and I think that we\u2019re really prepared for that. It\u2019s gonna be a good fight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salcedo arrives at ONE Fight Night 39 with a flawless record, and she is fresh off a first-round submission victory over Macarena Aragon<\/a> in her promotional debut last September. That performance showcased her ability to capitalize decisively once the action hits the ground.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the 28-year-old Japanese grappler enters the matchup with a fearsome resume of her own. She has compiled double-digit victories built largely on pressure, positional dominance, and a grinding pace that leaves opponents little room to breathe.<\/p>\n

While Sawada\u2019s success has been rooted in control, Salcedo believes the difference lies in depth.<\/p>\n

The 33-year-old Colorado Springs resident said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really confident. I\u2019m really able to fight in any position, whether it\u2019s on the feet, on the ground, or in the wrestling exchanges. So, I think in a lot of ways what I\u2019ll be bringing to the fight is just a little bit more depth, being able to fight Chihiro anywhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like the way that I fight is also really exciting, whether it\u2019s in a lot of scrambles, training positions, or in a lot of striking exchanges.\u201d<\/p>\n

That versatility is not theoretical. It has been forged through years of constant competition and repetition, particularly in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai, where Salcedo has logged an extraordinary volume of matches across multiple levels. <\/p>\n

Those experiences have shaped her composure in chaotic exchanges, and her skills have translated well into the all-encompassing sport, where she has built a pristine 4-0 professional record.<\/p>\n

That extensive background fuels her belief that she can accomplish something no opponent has managed to do thus far, which is stop the former Shooto Champion inside the distance.<\/p>\n

The BJJ black belt said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that we\u2019re very well prepared for the things that she does, and I\u2019m very confident in my ability to finish the fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI definitely think it\u2019s possible for me to get a TKO, for sure. But I think it\u2019s probably more likely going to be from a submission.\u201d<\/p>\n

Salcedo Targets Division\u2019s Biggest Names<\/p>\n

For Natalie Salcedo, a victory over Chihiro Sawada at ONE Fight Night 39 would do more than preserve her undefeated record. It would undoubtedly move her to the upper echelon of a women\u2019s atomweight MMA division that is stacked with elite talent.<\/p>\n

With contenders jostling for position and the World Title picture continuing to evolve, Salcedo knows a decisive performance against one of the most imposing figures in the weight class could accelerate her rise faster than any resume line ever could.<\/p>\n

She said:<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I beat Chihiro, especially if I beat her dominantly, I think that sends a really strong message to ONE Championship about where I should rank among the current atomweights.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if between now and the next few months they wanna offer me another contender bout or another fight to see who\u2019s gonna be the number one contender, I think that makes sense. That\u2019s definitely something that I would be really excited to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

ONE Championship\u2019s women\u2019s atomweight MMA division is widely regarded as one of the deepest and most technically diverse in the sport today, featuring a blend of established World Champions, global stars, and emerging contenders.<\/p>\n

Salcedo has already identified the names that motivate her most, led by reigning ONE Women\u2019s Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice \u201cThe Menace\u201d Zamboanga<\/a> and former three-sport queen Stamp Fairtex<\/a>.<\/p>\n

She said:<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that for anybody in the division, fighting Stamp is always something that we look forward to, something that we\u2019re hoping for. She\u2019s such a big name with such a great reputation and accolades. Her name carries a lot of weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think definitely Denice is a great fighter as well. Those are the two names that I\u2019ve been having my eye on this last couple of months.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Natalie Salcedo\u2019s unbeaten run meets its sternest test yet when she squares off against Chihiro Sawada at ONE…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":427632,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,638,82],"class_list":["post-427631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=427631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/427631\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/427632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=427631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=427631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=427631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}