Martial Arts

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Weight Classes

Weight Category Over LBS To LBS
Heavyweight 225 265
Light Heavyweight 205 225
Middleweight 185 205
Welterweight 170 185
Lightweight 155 170
Featherweight 145 155
Bantamweight 135 145
Flyweight 125 135
Strawweight 115 125
Atomweight 105 115

ONE Championship’s Hydration & Weigh-In System

ONE Championship’s weight classes are unlike any other organization in the world. ONE has been an industry leader by banning weight-cutting via dehydration. Instead, the promotion has implemented a revolutionary system that ensures athletes are hydrated, fit, and healthy ahead of their bouts.

The new program, which is the first of its kind for combat sports, is focused on athlete safety by introducing “walking weight” competition via multiple weigh-ins and hydration tests before and during event week. An athlete’s “walking weight” will be tracked on a regular basis throughout the period that the athlete is contracted to ONE.

The weigh-in program was established after thorough discussions and recommendations by ONE’s Medical and Competition teams, consisting of Vice President of Medical Services Dr. Warren Wang, Chief Medical Advisor Dr. James Okamoto, Senior Vice President of Competition Matt Hume, and Vice President Rich Franklin.

How Does ONE’s Hydration & Weigh-In System Work?

  • An athlete’s daily training weight is referred to as “walking weight.” ONE will assign an athlete his or her weight class based on the athlete’s “walking weight.” Bouts will be offered to an athlete strictly based on his or her “walking weight.”
  • When athletes arrive at ONE’s athlete hotel at the start of event week, their weights will be checked. Every athlete must be within the restrictions of the contracted weight class or catchweight limit.
  • During event week, all athletes will participate in a combined weigh-in and hydration test. Hydration will be checked through a urine specific gravity test in which every athlete will submit a urine sample to a medical technician. Under the guidance of ONE’s doctor, the technician and doctor will test the sample to ensure the athlete is hydrated with a urine specific gravity value of 1.025 or below. If the athlete passes this test, he or she can weigh-in. The athlete’s weight must be within the restrictions of the contracted weight class or catchweight limit.
  • On event day, athletes who made weight and passed the hydration test on the previous day do not have to weigh-in. However, if an athlete has missed weight or failed a hydration test, then he or she must pass the hydration test and make weight on event day.
  • If an athlete fails the hydration test on event day, he or she is not permitted to compete. Should an athlete pass the hydration test but weigh-in above the restrictions of the contracted weight class, then the bout may take place at a catchweight if the athlete is within 5 percent of his or her opponent’s official weight, and if the opponent agrees to competing at this catchweight. Additionally, a percentage of the athlete’s purse will be given to the opponent due to failure to make the contracted weight.
  • Post-bout weight may not exceed 5 percent over the weight class or catchweight limit. If an athlete were to commit this offense, he or she will be held to the rules below:
    • First offense – athlete receives an official warning.
    • Second offense – athlete will be penalized 25 percent of his or her total fight purse.
    • Third offense – athlete will be penalized 50 percent of his or her purse. The athlete will also be permanently disqualified from competing in the weight class and must move up to the next higher weight class.
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Global Mixed Martial Arts Rule Set

Adriano Moraes Demetrious Johnson ONE on TNT I 23.jpg

ONE Championship uses the Global Mixed Martial Arts Rule Set, which blends a combination of best practices from Asian and Non-Asian rules in mixed martial arts. All athletes will wear 4-ounce mixed martial arts gloves in their bouts.

Bout Duration

Each bout will be three rounds of five minutes per round, with a one-minute break between rounds. World Championship bouts will be five rounds of five minutes per round, with a one-minute break between rounds.

Ways To Win

A victory can be attained by:

  • Knockout
  • Technical knockout due to referee/doctor/corner stoppage
  • Submission
  • Technical submission due to referee/doctor/corner stoppage
  • Judges’ decision
  • Technical decision
  • Athlete verbally requests a stoppage
  • Disqualification

Decision Wins

In the event that a bout goes the distance, it will go to the judges’ decision. The three judges will score the bout in its entirety, not round-by-round. Judges will utilize the ONE judging criteria in descending order of importance to determine the winner of the bout.

ONE Judging Criteria

  • Near-knockout/near-submission
  • Damage (internal, accumulated, superficial)
  • Striking combinations and cage/ring generalship (ground control and superior positioning)
  • Earned takedowns or takedown defense
  • Aggression
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Global Muay Thai Rule Set

Rodtang Jitmuangnon lands an uppercut on Jacob Smith at ONE 157

ONE Championship uses the Global Muay Thai Rule Set. All athletes will wear 4-ounce mixed martial arts gloves for bouts.

Bout Duration

Each bout will be three rounds of three minutes per round, with a one-minute break between rounds. World Championship bouts will be five rounds of three minutes per round, with a one-minute break between rounds.

Ways To Win

A victory can be attained by:

  • Knockout via punch, kick, knee, elbow, or legal throw
  • Technical knockout due to referee/doctor/corner stoppage
  • Technical knockout due to 3 knockdowns in a round/4 knockdowns in a bout
  • Athlete verbally requests a stoppage
  • Judges’ decision
  • Technical decision
  • Disqualification

Decision Wins

In the event a bout goes the distance, it will go to the judges’ decision. The three judges will score the bout round-by-round using the “10-Point-Must” system, and victory is awarded by the judges’ majority decision. If the points tally is equal, then the judges shall utilize the ONE Judging Criteria to determine a winner.

ONE Judging Criteria

  • Knockdowns
  • Damage (internal, accumulated, and superficial)
  • Number of clean strikes
  • Aggression and cage/ring generalship (superior positioning)
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Global Kickboxing Rule Set

Giorgio Petrosyan attacks Superbon's body at ONE: FIRST STRIKE.

ONE Championship uses the Global Kickboxing Rule Set.

Athletes competing at bantamweight or lighter will wear 8-ounce boxing gloves. Athletes competing at featherweight or heavier will wear 10-ounce boxing gloves. 

Bout Duration

Each bout will be three rounds of three minutes per round, with a one-minute break between rounds. World Championship bouts will be five rounds of three minutes per round, with a one-minute break between rounds.

Ways To Win

A victory can be attained by:

  • Knockout via punch, kick, or knee
  • Technical knockout due to referee/doctor/corner stoppage
  • Technical knockout due to 3 knockdowns in a round/4 knockdowns in a bout
  • Athlete verbally requests a stoppage
  • Judges’ decision
  • Technical decision
  • Disqualification

Decision Wins

In the event a bout goes the distance, it will go to the judges’ decision. The three judges will score the bout round-by-round using the “10-Point-Must” system, and victory is awarded by the judges’ majority decision. If the points tally is equal, then the judges shall utilize the ONE Judging Criteria to determine a winner.

ONE Judging Criteria

  • Knockdowns
  • Damage (internal, accumulated, and superficial)
  • Number of clean strikes
  • Aggression and cage/ring generalship (superior positioning)
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Global Submission Grappling Rule Set

the best grappler in mma garry tonons one highlights 1.jpg

ONE Championship uses the Global Submission Grappling Rule Set.

Bout Duration

Every bout, including World Title bouts, will consist of a single 10-minute round.

Ways To Win

A victory is attained by one of the following ways:

  • Submission
  • Verbal tapout
  • Referee stoppage due to imminent danger
  • Athlete’s cornerman requests a stoppage
  • Judges’ decision

Decision Wins

In the event a bout goes to the distance, it will go to the judges’ decision. The three judges will score the bout by the number of catches, or legitimate submission attempts.

Judges will award the victory to the athlete with the greater number of catches. If there are an equal number of catches or no catches, the athlete determined to have shown more aggression will win. If there are no catches, the judges will award the victory to the athlete determined to have shown more aggression.

Guard-pulling must be used as an offensive maneuver with the intent to engage the opponent (jumping triangle, jumping armbar, etc.). Athletes must engage at all times. Stalling will result in a verbal warning or yellow card and the referee will restart the match from the standing position.

Athletes will receive a yellow card if he or she is stalling, and a yellow card will negate one of the recipient’s catches. If an athlete receives more yellow cards than his or her opponent, then the decision will be determined by the standard criteria. If both athletes receive the same amount of yellow card(s), then the aforementioned decision rules apply.

ONE Judging Criteria

  • Number of catches
  • Aggression
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"Premier martial arts organization in Asia."
Sports Illustrated
"Asia's largest sports media company."
Bloomberg
"Asia's largest martial arts organization."
CNN
"Asia's largest global sports media company."
CNBC
"Largest sports media property in Asia’s history."
Forbes
"Premier martial arts organization in Asia."
Sports Illustrated
"Asia's largest sports media company."
Bloomberg
"Asia's largest martial arts organization."
CNN
"Asia's largest global sports media company."
CNBC
"Largest sports media property in Asia’s history."
Forbes
"Premier martial arts organization in Asia."
Sports Illustrated
"Asia's largest sports media company."
Bloomberg
"Asia's largest martial arts organization."
CNN
"Asia's largest global sports media company."
CNBC
"Largest sports media property in Asia’s history."
Forbes