The 25-year-old Scot secured a US$100,000 (B3.2 million) contract with ONE after a spectacular first-round head-kick knockout of Rambong in their 130lbs Muay Thai main event at Lumpinee Stadium, reports the Bangkok Post.
It was Irvine’s fifth straight win under the ONE banner – and his fourth finish overall – extending his record to seven victories from eight fights since debuting in June 2023.
Under the tutelage of coach JP Gallacher, alongside ONE featherweight contender Nico Carrillo, Irvine had been chasing a full-time contract for more than two years. When commentator Mitch Chilson told him in the ring that chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong had finally granted it, the wave of emotion was clear.
Before that, Chilson had handed Irvine a B350,000 performance bonus – but the real prize came moments later.
“Thank you so much, Chatri,” he said. “I get carried away when I’m here and forget to show how grateful I am. Not just for these bonuses and opportunities, but for keeping my dream alive. For years I was thinking, ‘What am I doing?’ I wasn’t going to make a lot of money doing Muay Thai – but ONE Championship made that possible.”
Gallacher and Carillo jumped over the ropes to celebrate with their man after Rambong was dropped cold 14 seconds before the end of the first round.
“It’s something I’ve done all my career,” Irvine said of the technique. “Now that I’m in the small gloves, I’d kind of forgotten about it – but I went back to my roots. We were working on it all camp, and of course Nico Carrillo called the killer shot as he always does.”
The knockout marks the latest milestone for the Scottish trio, who have continued to make waves in ONE’s Muay Thai ranks. Carrillo fell short of winning the interim bantamweight belt earlier this year but has moved up a division and now looks set to chase gold again in 2026.
Gallacher – a childhood friend of Carrillo’s and Irvine’s – said afterwards he “can’t put my happiness into words”.
“It’s a massive weight off my shoulders,” he added. “It’s just been me, Nico and Stevie for a long time now since we were young kids.
“Seeing it all pay off after all those years pushing them both to quit their jobs and pursue this full time on the promise we would make this work and we would get to the big league … To sit back and see it become reality that both of them are now signed to ONE, I really can’t describe the feeling of relief.”
Irvine, meanwhile, already has his sights set on following in his teammate’s footsteps.
“I’m coming for it all – the strawweight division, not the flyweight,” he said.
Back home in Scotland, a five-month-old daughter will be watching her father’s dream unfold.