Chatri Sityodtong thinks ONE Championship fighters have already proven that they can compete with the UFC. In a recent interview with MMA Junkie Radio, ONE Championship CEO Sityodtong compared the two rosters, his aspirations of pitting their champions against each other, ratings, cross promotion, and more.
From Busan to Sacramento, ONE Championship featherweight contender Kim Jae Woong is determined to find the best training partners available. In this instance, that means making the 5,630-mile and 13-hour trek to Team Alpha Male in California, home of former WEC champion Urijah Faber and former UFC titleholder Cody Garbrandt.
Arjan Bhullar took out Brandon Vera to be crowned just the second ONE heavyweight champion since the promotion’s 2011 start. The Canadian-Indian arrived in ONE Championship in 2019 having gone 3-1 in the octagon. Currently riding a four-fight winning streak with a world title wrapped around his shoulder, Bhullar’s stock has never been higher.
Rewind the clock back to New Year’s Day 2020, when Seo Hee Ham was fresh off the biggest victory of her MMA career.
Jingnan Xiong can sense danger on the horizon. “The Panda” will put her One Championship women’s strawweight title on the line against eight-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Michelle Nicolini in the “EMPOWER” main event on Sept. 3 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.
There’s no doubt that Seo Hee “Arale Chan” Ham is one of the biggest acquisitions in ONE Championship in recent years, and she’s happy that she’ll get to face the top contender of the division in her debut. Ham makes her much-awaited ONE Championship entrance against Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga in the first round of the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix, which takes place at the historic ONE: EMPOWER on 3 September.
In just three years, ONE Championship fighter Itsuki Hirata has gone from relative mixed martial arts unknown to reality TV star and is now on the precipice of becoming a breakout superstar as one of eight participants in the promotion’s atomweight Grand Prix, that kicks off at ONE Championship: Empower on September 3.
Meng Bo has had to alter her preparations for ONE Championship’s atomweight grand prix not once, not twice but three times. The 25-year-old Chinese fighter’s confidence has remained intact regardless, however, with Meng (17-5) now locked in to face Ritu Phogat once again at ONE: EMPOWER on September 3 in Singapore.
Alyse Anderson sees more weight in being a ONE Championship title holder than an Invicta FC one.
Anderson (5-1), who asked for her release from Invicta FC with one fight left on her contract, has signed with the Asian-based promotion after three fights under the Invicta FC banner.
Former two-sport ONE World Champion Stamp Fairtex of Thailand says she is completely focused on her upcoming bout at ONE: EMPOWER against rival Alyona Rassohyna. However, the 23-year-old from Pattaya can’t help but imagine the possibilities of potentially facing her ‘idol,’ reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee down the line.
Plenty of fans were upset after Bi Nguyen was awarded a split decision over Ritu Phogat at ONE Championship’s Dangal event, handing “The Indian Tigress” her first loss in MMA in the process. But “Killer Bee” (6-6) is having none of the criticism, particularly from her opponent’s fans, some of whom have hit out on social media with claims she “cheated” and Phogat (4-1) was “robbed”.
Asian martial arts promotion ONE Championship is gearing for a “massive” 10th-year anniversary card later in the year to celebrate the milestone. Chatri Sityodtong, the chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, revealed that the Singapore-based organization is already working on what is described as “the biggest event in history.”