Chihiro Sawada isn’t planning to leave anything to chance when she steps back into the Circle on Friday, July 11.
The Japanese grappling specialist will face Argentina’s Macarena Aragon at ONE Fight Night 33: Rodrigues vs. Persson, live from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium and she’s already made her intentions clear. “I’m aiming for a submission victory.”
That’s not just talk. Chihiro Sawada is coming into this bout with laser focus, intent on getting her momentum back after dropping a decision loss to Meng Bo in January. That setback snapped her rise and cast a shadow on her title aspirations, but now she’s ready to reset the tone—and she’s bringing everything she’s got.
Macarena Aragon won’t make it easy. The 23-year-old brings a judo-heavy style and aggressive forward pressure that has overwhelmed opponents before. She’s fresh off a unanimous decision win over Jihin Radzuan, and she’s clearly evolved during her ONE tenure.
Sawada’s studied the tape. She knows the physical threat Aragon brings, and she’s expecting to deal with heavy punches and strong hips in the clinch. Still, she’s prepared for the challenge.
“She’s fought twice in ONE, and watching her fights, she’s an aggressive type who comes forward. She has a judo base, seems physically strong, and has strong hips,” Sawada said.
“[She has] hip strength and overall strength, so I think my first takedown attempt might get stuffed. Also, her punches might not be so much about technique but heavy, so I want to be careful not to get hit by those. I need to take the initiative and not let her set the pace. I can’t let her control the pace.”
Her analysis shows how locked-in Sawada is. She’s been under the ONE spotlight before, and she understands the stakes. At 27, she knows the window to reach the top of the division isn’t unlimited. Every fight matters. Every moment counts. And this one, especially, could flip the script.
A finish over Aragon could launch her straight back into the title conversation. The fifth-ranked atomweight is already thinking beyond July 11, and she has a name in mind for what comes next.
“I want to fight top-ranked opponents, but there’s an aspect of ‘speak up and you might get it,’ so I think if I win this fight, I could say I want to fight Zamboanga,” she said.
