Undefeated, zero decisions, seven finishes. ONE Championship’s next big thing from New Zealand has never heard the final bell in his professional career because he knows how to end a fight in spectacular fashion.
Viet Anh Do (7-0-0 1NC) boasts a 6-0 record in ONE and has risen through the ranks of their bantamweight MMA division by delivering consecutive highlight-reel knockouts.
He last fought on August 15, securing a brutal round three TKO win over Davi Brandāo at ONE Fight Night 46: Hemetsberger vs. Diachkova. The victory kept his 100 per cent stoppage record intact.
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In an exclusive interview with Fight News Australia, Viet Anh Do revealed a surprising truth. Despite leaving the cage with another win, he felt disappointed with the result due to failing ONE’s hydration test.
“That was the first time I’ve ever missed anything. Hydration, weight, whatever it is that I need to be at a certain level of weight,” he said.
ONE Championship is the only major MMA organisation known for its unique pre-fight weight and hydration tests. Under any other combat sports banner, such as the UFC or PFL, Viet Anh Do would be classified as a flyweight instead of bantamweight.
ONE’s effort to minimise the health risks associated with traditional weight cutting means fighters are required to have a certain amount of water in their bodies when making weight. This process proves they have not overly drained themselves – a noble initiative not without its consequences.
“I was just in my head constantly, not being able to win the 50k bonus (a penalty for failing hydration). For a lot of us, including myself, that would have been life-changing and I knew that I blew it,” he said.
“So on top of that, I kind of have to put in extra effort into my performance just to make up for that unprofessionalism. That’s how I felt.”
Ever the humble man, Viet Anh Do recognised his mistake and made no excuse. The fight went ahead and he wasted no time ripping vicious shots into his opponent. After a bloody back-and-forth brawl, the referee was forced to intervene before the fight could go to the judges’ scorecards.
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“The positive I can take from this is I learned so much from this fight and this fight week alone,” he said.
“I think the experience, the XP, will be the biggest thing I could take away from this fight.
“A lot of first times from this fight. First time missing hydration. First time fighting in the morning. Who fights in the morning? At 9:00am or something like that in the morning? And I’m not a morning person. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a night owl. So that’s new.”
The landscape of MMA in New Zealand and Australia has evolved exponentially over the last two decades, with fighters having gone on to reach the pinnacle of combat sports. From UFC’s Israel Adesanya to PFL’s Rob Wilkinson, the Southern Hemisphere has produced world-class talent and ONE Championship has been a part of the journey.
Local talent currently rising through ONE’s ranks are Isi Fitikefu, Kim Tran and Tyson Harrison. Some notable names of ex-title contenders and former world champions include Danial Williams, Reece McLaren and Martin Nguyen. The next star to break through could very well be the 29-year-old Kiwi sensation.
Born in Hải Phòng, Vietnam and raised in South Auckland, New Zealand. Viet Anh Do trains out of Auckland MMA, a powerhouse gym for combat sports – but he didn’t always envision a life in the cage.
“I’ve always liked martial arts but I never thought this would be my choice of career. I always thought rugby union or rugby league would be my choice because that’s our culture here in New Zealand. Everyone plays rugby,” he told Fight News Australia.
“When I first started training MMA, I didn’t know there were weight classes because I was a rugby player and there are no weight classes in rugby. It’s open weight. So I thought I was just going to verse anyone, any size.
“I was prepared for that until my mate told me that there are actually divisions and weight classes; you verse people that are your size and weight … that’s just not fair, bro … I’m just going to take over if that’s the case.”
Five Friday Fights and one Fight Night under his belt, Viet Anh Do is on the cusp of claiming a spot on ONE’s numbered cards. With his fan-friendly fight style and willingness to trade in the pocket, he would make a welcome addition to any major card. Whether it be against someone in the top 10 or top 5 of the division remains in the hands of the matchmakers. However, Viet Anh Do has thrown his name into the mix and deserves a chance to embrace the spotlight.
Entering his prime years as a fighter, the 29-year-old has made clear his desire to be ONE’s Bantamweight World Champion – and not just ONE – he spoke about wanting to face every major MMA organisation’s world champion, from Rizin to PFL and the UFC.
“Whichever major organisation you’re in and you’re the flyweight champion there, I want to fight you,” he said.
While that dream may be out of reach due to a lack of cross-promotion between the top combat sports organisations, it shows a great hunger to become a true undisputed MMA world champion.
As he wants to remain loyal to ONE Championship, a move to the UFC or PFL does not seem to be on the cards. However, he truly holds hope that there will one day be a unified world champion for each weight class and he plans to be the first.
Similar to the way boxing crowns its unified champions across the WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF, IBO and Ring Magazine, so too could the UFC, PFL and ONE. In theory. When and if that day comes remains to be seen, but until then fans can watch the rise of Viet Anh Do as he chases his first world title. With a perfect record and a kill-or-be-killed mentality, his rise could be meteoric.
“From the very start, I’ve always thought I was the best flyweight in the world,” he said.
“I’d like to fight very, very soon. I don’t think I can afford to waste any time. I’m not old, I’m not young but I’m just at that stage where I need to go.
“If you’ve never seen me fight before and you’re going to watch me fight for the first time, you can definitely expect to see immigrant mentality violence.”
Watch ONE Championship live in Australia on Disney + and Kayo. Viewers in New Zealand can tune in live on Disney + and Sky NZ.
