ONE Championship's Yosuke Saruta scrapped from Bad Blood due to COVID-19 protocols, Ken Hasegawa also out due to injury

Yosuke Saruta dropped from Bad Blood due to COVID-19 protocols, Ken Hasegawa also out due to injury. [Photos: Yosuke Saruta, Ken Hasegawa on Instagram]
Yosuke Saruta dropped from Bad Blood due to COVID-19 protocols, Ken Hasegawa also out due to injury. [Photos: Yosuke Saruta, Ken Hasegawa on Instagram]

ONE Championship's Yosuke Saruta was placed under COVID-19 health and safety protocols on Thursday, February 10, a day before his planned ONE: Bad Blood match against Gustavo Balart.

The Japanese veteran now joins John Lineker on the shelf after the Brazilian tested positive for the virus just a few hours earlier. Meanwhile, Ken Hasegawa has also been dropped from the card, but in his case, it's an injury.

Like ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes, Balart and Hasegawa's foe Murad Ramazanov are now left without opponents for Friday night. The Bad Blood card is down to 10 bouts, led by the ONE interim heavyweight title match between undefeated brawlers Anatoly Malykhin and Kirill Grishenko.

Despite now having three fights scrapped, the ONE Championship card is still packed with intriguing matches, like Jonathan Haggerty's highly anticipated flyweight Muay Thai fight against Mongkolpetch Petchyindee.

Barring any more last-minute changes, here is what the full card for Friday night looks like.


John Lineker, Yosuke Saruta look forward to a quick ONE Championship return, Ken Hasegawa apologizes for missing Bad Blood bout

John Lineker, Yosuke Saruta and Ken Hasegawa are understandably upset following their untimely exits from the One Championship: Bad Blood card.

'Hands of Stone' Lineker was at least asymptomatic from COVID-19 and is now recovering. He had this to say on Instagram:

"Hi guys, I came to Singapore for the ONE title match. But my COVID test was positive. I am [doing] very well and I don't have any symptoms. But the fight, my fight with Bibiano Fernandes for the title had to be postponed for his safety and mine. But we already have a new date, and soon I will get this title! Thank you all."

Saruta is likewise doing well and is already looking for immediate rescheduling of his bout in ONE Championship. He wrote on his Instagram:

"I have been preparing for the match until the last minute. Unfortunately, I just got a call and the match has been canceled. My body is in perfect condition and I would like to fight Balart in the next tournament if I can. Please look forward to the next round!"

Lastly, Hasegawa apologized to everyone affected by this setback:

Tune in to ONE: Bad Blood to still see 20 world-class fighters duke it out for martial arts supremacy.

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