It sounds like ONE Championship flyweight Rayane Bastos has big plans for 2023. She reminded her Instagram followers that the new year would bring 365 opportunities.
The 23 year old has plenty of reasons to be optimistic. She made a successful comeback last month, scoring a stoppage win on a small local event in her hometown.
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Weight issue
There is a shortage of contenders in ONE Championship’s strawweight division but it is not clear whether or not Bastos could make the weight. She debuted as a flyweight and her second fight for the promotion took place at a catchweight.
The promotion regularly puts on women’s fights in the atomweight and strawweight division. But flyweight fights are few and far between leaving any female fighters that are too heavy for the strawweight division with an uncertain future.
Bastos was last seen at ONE: ‘Dangal’ where she was submitted by Ayaka Miura with one of her trademark scarf hold Americanas. The Japanese fighter was rewarded for that win with a shot at long term strawweight champion Xiong Jing Nan.
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Once beaten
Her record currently stands at 5-1-1. The loss to Miura was the first of Bastos’ career but she bounced back with the win on a show promoted by the Pitbull brothers last month.
Bastos appeared to have opponent Eliane Souza trapped in a triangle choke at the end of the second round. When the referee stepped in to separate the fighters her supporters began to celebrate, believing she had won by submission.
But it appears that Souza was saved by the bell as Bastos gets up and walks back to her corner. Her opponent apparently decided she was unable to continue, deciding to retire from the fight rather than come out for the third round.
It isn’t clear what weight the fight took place at although Bastos looked bigger than she has for her two ONE Championship bouts. If she can’t make strawweight the Brazilian has an uncertain future but she clearly believes there will be big opportunities in the new year.
