ONE Championship News

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 29, 2019

Filipino star Danny Kingad and Team Lakay have had to be very versatile over the past year. The ONE Championship flyweight contender has had his opponents changed on him due to injury twice in a row.  In a recent Q&A, he opened up about the challenges and his overall preparation for Reece McLaren in the semi-finals of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix at ONE: Dawn of Heroes on August 2 in Manilla.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 26, 2019

ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen still fondly remembers the precise moment he was introduced to the sport that would eventually become a career-defining passion. Forced to abandon his ambitions of becoming a full-time rugby league player due to a string of ongoing injuries, Nguyen caught the combat bug after witnessing two of mixed martial arts’ all-time greats square off in a classic contest.

Tom Taylor - July 23, 2019

Former UFC bantamweight contender John Lineker is reportedly closing in on an opponent for his ONE Championship debut. And just like his fellow UFC veterans Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Alvarez and Sage Northcutt, it looks like he could be in for a tough welcome to the Singapore-based promotion. https://twitter.com/BigMarcel24/status/1153310832882782208

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 22, 2019

ONE: Dawn of Heroes is turning out to be one of the most stacked cards this year. ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen was a relatively late addition to what was already a fantastic card in Manilla on 2 August. The “Situ-Asian” will be defending his title against Koyomi Matsushima.  Everyone will be anticipating the Nguyen-Matsushima main event, but four bouts have the potential to steal the show.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 17, 2019

Yielding different results in their respective debuts on 31 March in Tokyo Japan at ONE: A NEW ERA, Demetrious Johnson, and Eddie Alvarez have a few things to tweak as they get acclimated to a new promotion. Once again, Johnson and Alvarez will compete on the same card when they battle Tatsumitsu Wada and Eduard Folayang, respectively, at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES on 2 August at the Mall of Asia in Manila, Philippines. 

Tom Taylor - July 15, 2019

Former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez is back in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix. After being eliminated from the tournament by Timofey Nastyukhin in March, Alvarez has re-entered the field as Nastyukhin has been forced to withdraw from the semifinals with an injury.

Cole Shelton - July 12, 2019

After Vitor Belfort was knocked out by Lyoto Machida at UFC 224, the former champion announced his retirement from the sport. But, after a year away from MMA it was announced in late February that the 42-year-old had signed with ONE Championship. Since then, there has been little to no talk about when Belfort will make his debut. He did ask for a fight with Roy Jones Jr. However, the veteran still awaits a fight in the Asian-based promotion. When he does indeed fight, ‘The Phenom’ wants UFC commentator, Joe Rogan in his corner.

Tom Taylor - July 12, 2019

On Friday, ONE Championship returned to our screens with the exciting ONE: Masters of Destiny card from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Watch it live below:

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 11, 2019

There will be three different combat sports on display at ONE: Masters of Destiny on 12 July at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, but each bout could potentially end in a  knockout. Here is a look at the most prolific knockout artists competing on the ONE Championship card. 

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 11, 2019

Malaysian women’s atomweight contender Jihin Radzuan — known by the nickname “Shadowcat” — will be defending her home country’s pride against the Philippines’ Jomary Torres at ONE: Masters of Destiny this coming Friday, July 12 at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Apart from an impressive 4-1 professional record, the up-and-coming Malaysian prospect is also the owner of one of the more unique monikers in mixed martial arts, and it is something that has made fellow athletes and fans quite curious.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 10, 2019

Filipina mixed martial artist Jomary Torres returns to action on July 12 at ONE: Masters of Destiny as she faces MIMMA Women’s Champion and Malaysia’s own Jihin “Shadow Cat” Radzuan at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur. There’s a lot at stake for Torres who has lost her last three bouts after a stellar start with ONE Championship, and now as she prepares for one of the most important matches of her career, she reflects back to her humble beginnings and the reason why she took up the sport.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 10, 2019

ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion “Unstoppable” Angela Lee makes her return to competition on 12 July in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in the co-main event of ONE: MAsters of Destiny. The card is shaping up to be an impressive one with Lee’s bout playing second fiddle only to the rematch between Giorgio Petrosyan and Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy.

Thomas Taylor - July 9, 2019

Over the weekend, former ONE Championship welterweight king Ben Askren experienced his first professional loss, succumbing to a flying knee just five seconds into a UFC 239 bout with Jorge Masvidal. Speaking on Facebook on Tuesday, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong shared his take on the former ONE Champ’s first taste of defeat.

Tom Taylor - July 9, 2019

Shortly after John Lineker announced that he has signed with ONE Championship, he set his sights on two of the Singapore-based promotion’s brightest shining stars: flyweight contender Demetrious Johnson and bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes. “He’s an excellent athlete, a great fighter, but I’m coming,” Lineker told MMA Fighting of the bantamweight champ Fernandes. “I want to do my best in there and put on a show for the fans. Bibiano is a great athlete, has a good ground game and heavy hands, but I’m going there to give them a show.”

Adam Martin - July 9, 2019

It didn’t take long for John Lineker to feel comfortable in his new home. Just one day after signing with ONE Championship, Lineker called out Demetrious Johnson for a superfight. “If they want to make this superfight, I’m here. I’m here to fight him. It’s going to be the opportunity that I didn’t have before. Finally,” Lineker told MMAFighting.com.

BJPENN.COM Staff - July 9, 2019

It would be fair to say there is a lot on the line in the highly-anticipated upcoming rematch between Thailand’s Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy and Italy’s Giorgio “The Doctor” Petrosyan. The pair are set to face off against each other once more on the main event of ONE: Masters of Destiny inside the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Friday, 12 July.

Tom Taylor - July 1, 2019

For a time, there was much discussion about a potential flyweight title super fight between TJ Dillashaw and Demetrious Johnson, then the UFC bantamweight and flyweight champions respectively. At the time of these discussions, Johnson expressed some doubt that TJ Dillashaw would be able to make the 125-pound limit for their potential flyweight title fight. Dillashaw later made 125 pounds for a January title fight with Henry Cejudo, but subsequently tested positive for EPO, and named his tough weight cut as one of the reasons he turned to this substance.

Tom Taylor - June 30, 2019

Bibiano Fernandes and Kevin Belingon have a long and complicated history under the ONE Championship banner. The pair first fought in 2016, when the Team Lakay product Belingon challenged Brazil’s Fernandes for the ONE Championship bantamweight title. On that night, Fernandes quickly took care of business, defeating his challenger with a first round armbar.