ONE In The Media

For mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Angela Lee, the pain of losing her younger sister Victoria remains raw. Aged 18, Victoria took her own life on Dec 26, 2022.

Mental health is a subject close to Lee’s heart. Last week, the 27-year-old revealed that her car crash in Hawaii in 2017 was a suicide attempt and not an accident.

In the rough and tumble world of mixed martial arts (MMA), fighters often seem unbreakable and invincible – mean machines who push their bodies to the limits in the pursuit of victory.

But beneath the chiselled abs and muscles are people who are very much like the rest of us – individuals who deal with stress and mental health issues – insists ONE Championship superstar Angela Lee. And she wants to let her fellow fighters, and athletes, know that it is okay to show weakness and ask for help.

Silver Fox black belt Danielle Kelly has made a major splash on ONE Championship’s nascent submission grappling promotion, where she’s currently riding three victories on one of the biggest combat sports stages in the world. On Friday, September 29, she’ll make history alongside old rival, AOJ black belt, and current IBJJF world champion Jessa Khan, who will battle Kelly for ONE’s first ever women’s world title in submission grappling.

On the outside, it would be easy to believe Angela Lee, 27, is one of the toughest women in the world. At just 19 years old, she secured the inaugural ONE Championship (ONE) women’s atomweight title, becoming the world’s youngest mixed martial arts (MMA) champion. She credits her fierce and competitive spirit to the family of fighters she was born into.

The Superfight between Rodtang Jitumangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 was one of the biggest events in Muay Thai history. Both fighters were evenly matched and put on a historical performance. However, the fight ended with Superlek gaining the victory over “The Iron Man.” The fight impressed many MMA enthusiasts, including Joe Rogan, who was blown away by the fighter’s performances.

The gym at Art of Jiu Jitsu Academy in Costa Mesa is packed on this Thursday morning, with dozens of athletes on the mat. Music from Green Day plays over the sound system, but belts of just about every color can be seen.

The song gets to the chorus, and lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong wails that “everybody is a star.” On this morning that seems to be true. One of the studio’s brightest stars, world champion Jessa Khan, seems to fit right in, though maybe her black belt gives her away.

ONE Championship founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong had conversations about acquiring Bellator MMA, although the discussions didn’t go as far as the Professional Fighters League’s pursuit of the Paramount-owned organization.

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong has confirmed the return of numbered events, starting with ONE 165 in Qatar. Chatri revealed the news in a simple statement posted to Facebook, though no date was given for the event, which is expected to be held in the capital Doha in either November or December.

ONE Championship Vice President Rich “Ace” Franklin joins the show to talk about the evolution of MMA, his own 185-pound career, and much more!

Demetrious Johnson continues to set a new standard of excellence. Last week, Johnson won gold at the IBJJF World Master Championship in Las Vegas. He competed in the Master 2 featherweight brown belt division, emerging victorious in all six bouts in the famed Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament. The accomplishment was especially impressive considering this marked Johnson’s first time competing in BJJ.

ONE Championship has made an incredible impact on the Muay Thai and kickboxing world. The stars of the sport that feature in the promotion are becoming increasingly popular, and the evidence of that can be seen across athletes’ social media profiles.