ONE Championship News
Demetrious Johnson says he will never fight at 125lbs again: "It's just not healthy"
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
ONE Championship’s Demetrious Johnson, the greatest flyweight MMA fighter of all time, says he will never fight at 125lbs again. Johnson is the undisputed GOAT of 125lbs. He was the long-time flyweight champion in the UFC and he’s carried his talents over to ONE Championship, where he hopes to fight out the rest of his career. In ONE Championship there are more weight-cutting regulations, so the flyweight title in ONE is actually contested at 135lbs. That means that the fighters don’t have to cut as much weight. ONE implemented this rule change several years ago in an effort to curb massive and potentially fatal weight cuts.
Vitor Belfort wants to fight Yoel Romero: "That would be a great fight"
Adam Martin - December 10, 2020
MMA legend Vitor Belfort says he wants to fight free agent Yoel Romero, promising that it would be a “great fight” for the fans. Belfort has yet to make his debut for ONE Championship and is eager to get back into the cage in 2021. Belfort called out Wanderlei Silva in the past, and he recently called for ONE to sign former UFC legends Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen to fight because at this point he just wants big fights against top-shelf opponents. One of those high-profile opponents just became available on the free-agent market when the UFC cut Romero. If ONE can get a deal done with Romero, then Belfort would take that fight.
Tyler McGuire plans to put friendship with Agilan Thani aside to earn statement win
Tom Taylor - December 10, 2020
This Friday, at ONE: Big Bang II, Tyler McGuire will make his long awaited return to the ONE Circle when he takes on Agilan Thani. The bout will be McGuire’s first since he came up short in a welterweight title fight with Zebaztian Kadestam in late 2018—his first taste of defeat as a pro mixed martial artist.
10 lightweights to watch in MMA in 2021
bjpenndotcom - December 9, 2020
The lightweight division is widely considered the best weight class in all of MMA, and it looks like it could be better than ever in 2021. Despite the retirement of UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov—the division’s best fighter—a number of other world-class lightweights are poised to accomplish huge things in the New Year.
Demetrious Johnson booked to return opposite ONE flyweight champion Adriano Moraes
Tom Taylor - December 4, 2020
Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson is slated to return to the ONE Championship Circle opposite Adriano Moraes, the promotion’s reigning ONE flyweight champ. The bout, which is slated for February 24, was announced during Friday’s ONE: Big Bang broadcast.
Bi Nguyen looks to close out chaotic 2020 with big win over Jihin Radzuan
Tom Taylor - December 3, 2020
ONE Championship atomweight star Bi Nguyen is hoping to close out a chaotic year with a huge win over Malaysia’s Jihin Radzuan at ONE: Big Bang, which goes down on the promotion’s home turf in Singapore this Friday. The coronavirus pandemic made 2020 a bumpy year for just about everyone, but it was particularly frustrating for Nguyen. The 31-year-old striking specialist’s bad luck began early in the year, when she was forced out of planned February fight with Japan’s Itsuki Hirata with an injury. March brought another tough break, as Nguyen’s planned Muay Thai bout against Rudzma Abubakar fell through amid the early chaos of the pandemic. The trouble then continued in the third quarter of the year, when ONE Championship’s attempt to reschedule the failed February fight with Hirata came up empty—ostensibly because the Japanese fighter didn’t sign her contract.
Demetrious Johnson responds to Israel Adesanya's GOAT comment
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
ONE Championship flyweight star Demetrious Johnson has responded to some recent praise from UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya. Adesanya was recently asked who he considers the greatest fighter in MMA history, and promptly identified Johnson as his pick.
10 women to watch in MMA in 2021
Tom Taylor - December 2, 2020
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 a very tough year for MMA, but 2021 looks like it could much better—particularly for the women’s side of the sport. As the 2021 calendar starts to fill up, a number of female fighters look poised for huge things, from the UFC’s Octagon, to the ONE Championship Circle, to the PFL and Bellator MMA cages.
10 MMA champions ready to make waves in 2021
bjpenndotcom - December 1, 2020
There’s no question that 2020 has been rough for mixed martial arts. COVID-19 hit professional sports particularly hard, and the road to recovery only began in recent months. But despite the difficult challenges, MMA is looking forward to a fantastic 2021. That’s because the sport is absolutely stacked with talented fighters who are ready to cement themselves as the best in the business. Here are 10 reigning MMA world champions from organizations around the world who are primed for an epic 2021.
Vitor Belfort calls out Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen: "Bring the legends back"
Adam Martin - November 27, 2020
MMA legend Vitor Belfort has called out rival Anderson Silva and fellow veteran Chael Sonnen, saying to “bring the legends back.” Belfort fought Silva at UFC 126 in February 2011 and suffered a historic KO loss after Silva landed an incredible front kick to finish him. Belfort and Silva have always been tied to a rematch but to this point, nothing has ever been booked. As for Sonnen, Belfort was supposed to fight him at UFC 175 in July 2014, but Sonnen failed his drug test and the bout was canceled. All three fighters are no longer in the UFC, with Belfort part of ONE Championship, Sonnen with Bellator, and Silva a free agent.
ONE Championship to begin streaming regional promotions on ONE Super App
Tom Taylor - November 27, 2020
ONE Championship has announced the launch of third-party martial arts content on the ONE Super App, which will also stream live events from top regional martial arts promotions around the world. The first of these co-branded events will take place on November 28, when Russian martial arts promotion, Russian Cagefighting Championship (RCC), and Fair Fight Promotion (FFP) host a Road to ONE tournament, with athletes competing for a contract in ONE Championship. Fair Fight XIII, Featuring Road to ONE will be streamed live on the ONE Super App.
Confident Arjan Bhullar wants "Buchecha" and Aliakbari after he takes out Brandon Vera
Tom Taylor - November 25, 2020
He’s expected to challenge ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera sometime in 2021, but already, former UFC star Arjan “Singh” Bhullar is salivating at the possible matchups to be had in the newly-revamped heavyweight division in ONE Championship. The 34-year-old is 10-1 overall in his career, with impressive wins over Marcelo Golm and Juan Adams, and a recent three-round unanimous decision victory over former ONE heavyweight title challenger and Cage Warriors heavyweight champ Mauro Cerilli.