Shir Cohen and Amy Pirnie’s bout at ONE Fight Night 25 is back on, after ONE Championship relaxed new weigh-in rules that saw three fights cancelled for this weekend’s card in Bangkok.
Israel’s Cohen failed to pass a hydration test at Thursday’s ONE Fight Night 25 official weigh-ins, which saw the bout scrapped.
Under the new protocol, introduced this week, fighters had to give a hydrated sample within the official three-hour testing window. Previously, fighters could return after the window to pass hydration and then negotiate a catchweight with their opponent.
The new rules also seemingly put paid to two other bouts scheduled for the Lumpinee Stadium event – an atomweight MMA clash between Jihin Radzuan and Ayaka Miura, and a flyweight Muay Thai fight between Kongthoranee Sor Sommai and Tagir Khalilov.
Radzuan and Khalilov also both failed to give a hydrated sample.
The Bangkok Post understands the Asia-based martial arts promotion attempted to add the other two fights back to the card on Friday morning, as well.
ONE officials told the Bangkok Post after Friday afternoon’s ceremonial weigh-ins and face-offs that Kongthoranee versus Khalilov could still go ahead at bantamweight.
Japan’s Miura is understood to have turned down the chance to fight Radzuan at a catchweight, however, after the Malaysian’s second weight miss in as many fights.
ONE officials said in a statement the athletes who passed their hydration tests were given the option to allow their opponents to retest on Friday morning, in an effort to save their matchups.
If the opponents passed, a new bout could be negotiated either at a catchweight or a new weight class.
As a result, Scotland’s Pirnie will now face Cohen in a 119.25lbs catchweight Muay Thai fight on Saturday morning.
“Honestly I’m so happy,” Pirnie told the Bangkok Post at the Akara Sky Hanuman Rooftop bar, which hosted Friday’s face-offs.
“We put so much effort into our camp, and obviously came in on weight and hydrated. Everything went perfect.
“We went to bed thinking we’re not fighting and then we heard the amazing news this morning. It was hard when we were thinking it’s not going ahead, but I came here to do a job.
“They asked if I was comfortable to fight at a catchweight if Shir was hydrated. So I said, ‘Yeah, absolutely, definitely’.
“I had no doubts. I’m here to fight, I’ll fight whenever. I was just absolutely buzzing we could come to an agreement to get this on.”
Cohen, who will now pay a percentage of her fight purse to Pirnie, was also happy the matchup could still go ahead, and apologised to her opponent after the drama.
“I thought I did everything the same with the hydration as last time, when everything was OK,” she told the Bangkok Post. “I felt I drank enough but apparently it wasn’t. I didn’t have much time to change it so I couldn’t make it in time.
“But I’m happy they still allowed me to take another test today and I passed hydration, so thank you ONE Championship and thank you to my opponent for this fight.
“I thought if there’s any chance to fight then of course, I’m not going to miss it.”
Cohen said the fighters were informed about the new rules in advance at their rules meetings this week, and put her miss down to a “lack of experience” with hydration testing.
“I’m always on weight. My weight is never high. Daily, it is low. So it’s not a problem for me the weight, it’s just the water, and how to make it together. I think it’s just a beginner’s mistake.
“I will learn from this and next time be more experienced about it.”
Israel’s Cohen failed to pass a hydration test at Thursday’s ONE Fight Night 25 official weigh-ins, which saw the bout scrapped.
Under the new protocol, introduced this week, fighters had to give a hydrated sample within the official three-hour testing window. Previously, fighters could return after the window to pass hydration and then negotiate a catchweight with their opponent.
The new rules also seemingly put paid to two other bouts scheduled for the Lumpinee Stadium event – an atomweight MMA clash between Jihin Radzuan and Ayaka Miura, and a flyweight Muay Thai fight between Kongthoranee Sor Sommai and Tagir Khalilov.
Radzuan and Khalilov also both failed to give a hydrated sample.
The Bangkok Post understands the Asia-based martial arts promotion attempted to add the other two fights back to the card on Friday morning, as well.
ONE officials told the Bangkok Post after Friday afternoon’s ceremonial weigh-ins and face-offs that Kongthoranee versus Khalilov could still go ahead at bantamweight.
Japan’s Miura is understood to have turned down the chance to fight Radzuan at a catchweight, however, after the Malaysian’s second weight miss in as many fights.
ONE officials said in a statement the athletes who passed their hydration tests were given the option to allow their opponents to retest on Friday morning, in an effort to save their matchups.
If the opponents passed, a new bout could be negotiated either at a catchweight or a new weight class.
As a result, Scotland’s Pirnie will now face Cohen in a 119.25lbs catchweight Muay Thai fight on Saturday morning.
“Honestly I’m so happy,” Pirnie told the Bangkok Post at the Akara Sky Hanuman Rooftop bar, which hosted Friday’s face-offs.
“We put so much effort into our camp, and obviously came in on weight and hydrated. Everything went perfect.
“We went to bed thinking we’re not fighting and then we heard the amazing news this morning. It was hard when we were thinking it’s not going ahead, but I came here to do a job.
“They asked if I was comfortable to fight at a catchweight if Shir was hydrated. So I said, ‘Yeah, absolutely, definitely’.
“I had no doubts. I’m here to fight, I’ll fight whenever. I was just absolutely buzzing we could come to an agreement to get this on.”
Cohen, who will now pay a percentage of her fight purse to Pirnie, was also happy the matchup could still go ahead, and apologised to her opponent after the drama.
“I thought I did everything the same with the hydration as last time, when everything was OK,” she told the Bangkok Post. “I felt I drank enough but apparently it wasn’t. I didn’t have much time to change it so I couldn’t make it in time.
“But I’m happy they still allowed me to take another test today and I passed hydration, so thank you ONE Championship and thank you to my opponent for this fight.
“I thought if there’s any chance to fight then of course, I’m not going to miss it.”
Cohen said the fighters were informed about the new rules in advance at their rules meetings this week, and put her miss down to a “lack of experience” with hydration testing.
“I’m always on weight. My weight is never high. Daily, it is low. So it’s not a problem for me the weight, it’s just the water, and how to make it together. I think it’s just a beginner’s mistake.
“I will learn from this and next time be more experienced about it.”
