Undefeated American MMA fighter Natalie Salcedo (3-0) will make her ONE Championship debut against Macarena Aragon at ONE Fight Night 35: Buntan vs. Hemetsberger on Friday, September 5, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 33-year-old atomweight enters ONE with a perfect professional record that includes two finishes, most recently a second-round armbar submission in May 2024.
Salcedo compiled a 5-0 amateur record before turning professional and believes her well-rounded skill set will prove decisive against the Argentine veteran.
"She's a great opponent, she's a really good judo practitioner, she has decent striking, and [she is] a good jiu-jitsu practitioner as well," Salcedo said.
"I know that this is gonna be my first fight. I know that it's gonna be a good fight, and so I'm really excited for it. But I also don't really think that she's gonna be able to push me or challenge me as easy as she thinks."
Aragon (3-3) entered ONE Championship with an undefeated record but has struggled since joining the promotion. The Argentine dropped her debut to future title challenger Ayaka Miura, rebounded with a decision win over Jihin Radzuan, then lost to Chihiro Sawada in her most recent outing.
Salcedo has studied Aragon's ONE performances and identified areas to exploit.
"Her striking is very sloppy, like it's just big punches, lazy kicks. There's a lot that I can capitalize on, whether it's out-striking her and being in better positions, or using that against her to be able to get to grappling," Salcedo said. "At best, she gets a fluke submission or knockout or something, but I really don't see that happening."
The Denver native is confident her versatility will create problems regardless of where the fight takes place. In fact, she outlined her path to victory against the seasoned fighter in Aragon — and it can happen anywhere.
"I think that anywhere the fight goes, I'm able to be a threat, whether we're striking, whether we're wrestling. [If] she throws me and I end up on bottom, cool. I can still stop you from the bottom," Salcedo said. "I'm not honestly worried about where the fight goes because I know that anywhere in the fight, I can be dangerous, and I don't think the same goes for her."
Salcedo also plans to implement an aggressive pace that forces her opponent into uncomfortable situations throughout the contest.
"I'm somebody that's gonna push the pace. I want to make people uncomfortable. Either they keep up with me or they break. Either way, it's going to be entertaining for the fans," Salcedo said.
If the American wins, she has already identified potential future opponents in the stacked atomweight division, including Japanese contenders Miura and Sawada.
"There's a couple different Japanese girls, Ayaka Miura and Chihiro Sawada, that I think have been doing really well. They've been able to showcase some really good wrestling," Salcedo said. "That's been really cool to watch and I would love to match up with one of them in the near future."
