One of Australia’s top MMA prospects is headed to ONE Championship.
Flyweight Coopar Royal will make his promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 40 on November 10, when he faces off against Filipino fighter Ely Fernandez at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Rush” established himself as one of the best amateurs in the region during an 8-2 run in the unpaid ranks, including a campaign at the IMMAF world championships in 2022.
The 24-year-old turned professional shortly after and is unbeaten in three starts, the latest of which was a unanimous decision over Daniel Mitchell at Eternal MMA 78 in September.
Royal has also tried his hand at kickboxing in a bid to rack up fighting experience. He defeated Eren Selvi under K-1 rules at 44 Magnum Promotions back in May.
The Family Fight Team representative’s willingness to compete in various sports make him a natural fit for the multi-discipline offering at ONE but to make a splash with the martial arts giant, he’ll have to get past Fernandez.
“The Dragon” holds a 6-1 professional record and has finished five of his six wins on the ground, although he successfully tried his hand at kickboxing earlier this year. Most of the 28-year-old’s fights have taken place in the Philippines.
ONE’s Friday Fights platform serves as a feeder to the main roster, with US$100,000 contracts on offer for those who impress in the weekly events. Typically, several wins are required for a fighter to be considered.
The full card for ONE Friday Fights 40 is still to be announced.
Viewers in Australia can catch all the action live and free on the 7plus app from 11:30pm AEDT/8:30pm AWST
