ONE Championship: Mohammad Siasarani finally gets coveted contract – now he wants the belt

Mohammad Siasarani was speaking with the calm certainty of a fighter who feels aligned with his moment. Days after knocking out “Smokin’” Jo Nattawut to secure a US$100,000 ONE Championship contract, the 23-year-old Iranian sounded less relieved than resolved.\n“For a long time, my goal was just the contract,” Siasarani told the Post. “Now it is finished. My goal now is the belt.”\nThe finish itself at ONE Friday Fights 137 in Bangkok on December 19 was emphatic: a clean second-round stoppage that ended a bout many expected to become a drawn-out contest. For Siasarani, however, the result felt inevitable.\n“I was seeing that knockout before the fight,” he said. “Ten days before, every day, I was writing it down. I was talking to myself and believing it would happen.”\nThat belief, he explained, was rooted in discipline rather than optimism alone. After a frustrating period of postponed bouts and missed opportunities, Siasarani extended his training camp, stripped away bad habits and became more intentional in his daily routines.\n\n“I trained longer than usual and harder than ever,” he said. “I stopped things that were not good for me and made my good habits stronger. Every day I reminded myself what was going to happen.”\nDespite his recent success, Siasarani believes the contract could have arrived earlier. Still, he views the timing as part of a bigger picture.\n“Of course I feel I deserved it before,” he said. “But maybe God had a plan. I am happy I have it now, and I am still young. I have time.”\nAt 23, Siasarani continues to compete in both Muay Thai and kickboxing, a demanding approach that has become central to his development. Rather than feeling pulled between disciplines, he sees them as complementary.\n“I learn things in kickboxing that help me in Muay Thai, and things in Muay Thai that help me in kickboxing,” he said. “I feel comfortable in both.”\n\n\nAsked which rule set was more likely to deliver his first world title, Siasarani paused before answering.\n“In my heart, I think kickboxing,” he said. “But I also feel I have the same chance in Muay Thai. We will see what God wants.”\nThe featherweight division remained one of ONE Championship’s deepest, a reality Siasarani embraced. He said he did not feel the need to chase specific names or manufacture rivalries, even as his position strengthened.\n“If my team asks me to fight someone, I am ready,” he said. “I believe nobody is harder than the fighters I already faced.”\nSiasarani is on a four-fight winning streak and expects to face Hiromi Wajima next.\nAnother win would be likely to strengthen his case for a title opportunity in an increasingly competitive division.\nOne name that continued to resonate was Shadow Singha Mawynn, who handed Siasarani his first promotional defeat. While the two shared mutual respect, the result remained a source of motivation.\n\n“I do not say revenge,” he said. “I just want to show my improvement. I was not myself in that fight, and I want to show who I am now.”\nBeyond rankings and matchups, Siasarani remained grounded in his support system.\nHe credited his coaches, teammates and family for keeping him focused during periods when recognition did not always match effort.\n“I do not need love from everywhere,” he said. “If I have my team and my family, that is enough. The rest will come with my work.”\nWith his contract secured and confidence at its highest point, Mohammad Siasarani no longer sounds like a fighter waiting for validation. Now, he is chasing the title.\nIn the breakthrough moment, against Nattawut, a seasoned contender known for durability, Siasarani did not rely on attrition. He stayed patient, picked his shots and ended the fight cleanly in the second round.\n“That finish showed me who I am now,” he said. “Before, I was surviving. Now I am finishing.”\n