Training out of Evolve MMA in Singapore, Ryuto “Dragon Boy” Sawada, 23, of Japan was one of the winners at “ONE: Dreams of Gold.” It was the Japanese mixed martial artist’s first bout and first victory in ONE Championship.
Featuring MMA, kickboxing and Muay Thai, “ONE: Dreams of Gold” took place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on August 16, 2019. In the third bout of the evening, Sawada fought Aziz “The Krauser” Calim, 21, of Indonesia and the Philippines in an MMA match in the strawweight division with Yoshinori Umeki as the referee.
Sawada continued to impress on the ONE Championship stage. He overcame a size and reach advantage as he muscled Calim to the ground in the opening round.
A ONE Warrior Series contract winner, Sawada put on a grappling masterclass. He swiftly got to mount and transitioned to Calim’s back. Umeki put a stop to the strawweight contest after 1 minute and 9 seconds in the first round when the Japanese contender submitted his Filipino-Indonesian opponent via rear-naked choke.
Winning at “ONE: Dreams of Gold” improved the professional MMA record of Sawada to 12 wins and 4 losses. On the other hand, Calim now has 5 wins and 4 losses.
Including Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines, 19 countries were represented at “ONE: Dreams of Gold.” The others were Brazil, Cambodia, China, Cuba, Cyprus, France, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Sawada was one of the three fighters who represented Japan. Calim was one of the three fighters who represented Indonesia and at the same time solely represented the Philippines.
Before “ONE: Dreams of Gold,” Sawada won two ONE Warrior Series bouts. In 2018, he submitted Mohd “The Underdog” Fouzein of Malaysia via brabo choke and submitted Ismael Bandiwan, 24, of the Philippines via armbar.
More photos of the bout between Sawada and Calim are on Top Sports Asia. Watch the “ONE: Dreams of Gold” recap here:
CONAN Daily 