ONE Championship News

Drake Riggs - November 18, 2018

ONE Championship and the UFC made some MMA history recently with the first ever fighter ‘trade’. The trade saw an exchange between former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson and former ONE welterweight champion, ‘Funky’ Ben Askren. With the trade now in the rearview mirror and each fighter with their expected debuts mapped out, ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong doesn’t think it will be the last MMA trade we’ll see.

Thomas Taylor - November 17, 2018

On Saturday night (Saturday morning in North America), ONE Championship returned to Jakarta, Indonesia with ONE: Warrior’s Dream. This exciting, finish-filled card, was topped by a welterweight title fight, as Swedish knockout artist Zebaztian Kadestam battled undefeated American wrestler Tyler McGuire for the ONE welterweight title vacated by Ben Askren. With less than 30 seconds left in the fight, Kadestam won with a huge, last-minute knockout.  

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 16, 2018

He didn’t go out and party. Nor did he toast his title triumph with a few beers. Instead, new ONE Championship Bantamweight king Kevin Belingon savored the moment with his loved ones. “I just enjoyed a simple victory lunch with my family,” said Belingon, who dined out on Filipino pinakbet (a meat and vegetable stew) yesterday.

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 16, 2018

At ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM in Jakarta, Indonesia on 17 November, kickboxing legend Nieky Holzken will battle Cosmo Alexandre in a Super Series bout in the co-featured bout at the ONE Championship event. The main event is a mixed martial arts clash between Tyler McGuire and Zebaztian Kadestam that will determine the next ONE welterweight champion. In case you’re unaware, here are five reasons for you to watch Holzken take on Alexandre.

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 13, 2018

There is something about a Grand Prix tournament that gets the pulse of every mixed martial arts fan racing. So it came as no surprise that when ONE Championship announced it would be holding not one but two Grands Prix in 2019, the news spread like wildfire across the internet. These eight-man tournaments will take place in two of the most stacked divisions in the promotion: lightweight and flyweight.They will run throughout the year and the winners will walk out of the cage with the prefix ONE World Champion attached to their name.

Tom Taylor - November 10, 2018

On Friday night in Singapore, (Friday morning in North America), in the main event of ONE: HEART OF THE LION, Filipino spitfire Kevin Belingon ended the reign of longstanding ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes with a thrilling split decision victory. For Belingon, who lost his first encounter with the champion Fernandes by first-round submission, this title victory was a huge moment.

Tom Taylor - November 9, 2018

Miesha Tate is the latest high profile mixed martial arts star to sign with Singapore’s ONE Championship — but she will not be fighting for the promotion. Instead, the former UFC bantamweight champion will be working as a ONE Championship executive and color commentator. Tate was in attendance at ONE Championship’s ONE: HEART OF THE LION card in Singapore on Friday, and despite having just arrived in the city and being plagued by jet-lag, graciously fielded a few questions from the media in attendance.

Tom Taylor - November 9, 2018

Bibiano Fernandes is no longer the ONE Bantamweight World Champion. After a legendary reign that spanned a whopping seven title defenses, he surrendered his belt to Filipino challenger Kevin Belingon in the ONE: HEART OF THE LION main event. Belingon won the fight by split decision after five incredible rounds of action. Although the Filipino succumbed to a few of Fernandes’ takedown attempts, he denied many others, and deftly fought off several submission attempts. On the feet, meanwhile, Belingon was the picture of excellence, punishing the long-time champion’s body with spinning kicks, and dropping him with a massive punch at the end of the third round.

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 8, 2018

One of Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s dreams as a martial artist is set to become a reality when ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced at the press conference of ONE: HEART OF THE LION at the Marina Bay Sands last Wednesday, 7 November the eight-man Flyweight World Grand Prix, which will be composed of eight of the best flyweights of the stacked ONE flyweight division. Though Sityodtong has yet to reveal the detailed set up of the tournaments, one thing is for sure, the winner will determine the undisputed champion one way or another.

Tom Taylor - November 8, 2018

23-year-old Malaysian bantamweight Muhammad Aiman is known for his unpredictable style inside the cage. One moment, he might be biding his time, and the next, you might catch him throwing back-to-back cartwheel kicks or leaping onto his foe’s back chasing a rear-naked choke. Outside the cage, however, “Jungle Cat” is not nearly as wild.

Tom Taylor - November 8, 2018

Earlier this week, former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion Conor McGregor released a rather bizarre Tweet that seemed to blame ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong for the UFC’s choice to close down its flyweight division. You must now take all the 125lbers that have been let go, Chatri.You talk all of this Martial Art and respect talk, yet your greed has directly cost more than half a fighting division it’s chance to earn income for their family. Have respect @YODCHATRI. Sign the division.

BJPENN.COM Staff - November 8, 2018

Mixed martial arts stars Eduard Folayang, Angela Lee, and Aung La N Sang were among the big winners at the 2018 Global Martial Arts Awards, held Thursday, 8 November at the JW Marriot in Singapore. The Awards night featured a who’s who of martial arts talent from across the world and the awards were presented by 18 leading broadcasters from all over.