MMA News

Category: ONE

ONE Championship is a Singapore-based fighting promotion founded in 2011. It is Asia’s largest MMA promotion.

  • ONE Championship Releases Garry Tonon, 4 Others From Roster

    ONE Championship Releases Garry Tonon, 4 Others From Roster

    ONE Championship has cut ties with five fighters across its MMA and Muay Thai rosters, headlined by the departure of grappling icon Garry Tonon.

    The release group also includes undefeated Russian MMA prospect Magomed Akaev, Romanian-Irish striker Stefan Korodi, British Muay Thai fighter Amber Kitchen, and Turkish kickboxing veteran Zafer Sayik.

    Garry Tonon’s ONE run ends after eight years

    Tonon’s exit closes the most decorated chapter on the cut list. The New Jersey native joined ONE in late 2017 and made his MMA debut for the promotion in early 2018, opening his career with five straight finishes before improving to 6-0 in 2020.

    “The Lion Killer” challenged Thanh Le for the ONE Featherweight World Title in March 2022 but was stopped in 56 seconds, suffering the first loss of his MMA career. He rebounded with three consecutive submission wins and a decision over Martin Nguyen at ONE 165, earning his way back into title contention.

    His final ONE appearance came at ONE Fight Night 34 on August 1, 2025, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Shamil Gasanov in a rematch of his 2023 kneebar victory. The multiple-time ADCC and IBJJF medalist remains one of the most accomplished grapplers ever to compete in the promotion.

    Akaev released after brief ONE tenure

    Akaev’s release comes as a surprise given the buildup behind his arrival. The Dagestani featherweight signed with ONE in 2025 carrying an unblemished 10-0 professional record and was promoted heavily as a future title threat ahead of his June 6, 2025 debut at ONE Fight Night 32.

    Korodi joined ONE in January 2024 after a Muay Thai career built in Ireland and went 1-3 inside the circle, with his most recent appearance ending in a unanimous decision loss to Vladimir Kuzmin at ONE Fight Night 33 in July 2025.

    Kitchen, the daughter of British Muay Thai legend Julie Kitchen, signed with the promotion in 2019 and competed primarily in the strawweight Muay Thai division. Sayik, a 13-time Turkish kickboxing champion, last fought at ONE Fight Night 34, dropping a unanimous decision to Suakim Sor Jor Tongprajin.

    Latest in a series of ONE roster cuts

    The releases continue a pattern of roster trimming at ONE Championship. The promotion parted ways with four fighters in March 2026, including former MMA world champions Adriano Moraes and Zebaztian Kadestam, and released six others in September 2025 with former strawweight Muay Thai champion Smilla Sundell among them.

  • “Superbon by decision” or “Noiri by Stoppage”, says Jake Peacock about big ONE 173 main event

    “Superbon by decision” or “Noiri by Stoppage”, says Jake Peacock about big ONE 173 main event

    Superbon and Masaaki Nori will throw down in a featherweight kickboxing unification bout in the headliner of ONE 173 and a prominent fighter on that event has weighed in on the main event.

    The fighter in question is Jake Peacock who will also do battle at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on November 15th. Peacock will clash with Suakim Sor Jor Tongprajin in a Muay Thai bout. As he offered up his breakdown of the massive champion vs. champion unification showdown, Peacock said [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

    “Yeah, both are quality obviously. I think Superbon might take this with his IQ. noiri will be in his hometown, in front of his hometown fans.”

    “so that will play into effect, but I think Superbon has what it takes to beat him.”

    When asked if he thinks it goes the distance or if there is a finish inside the distance, things got more outcome specific, as Peacock stated [via Bowks Talking Bouts],

    “I think it might go to decision for Superbon. if it doesn’t go decision, I think Noiri takes it.”

    “So either Noiri by stoppage or Superbon by decision.”

    Superbon’s experience with recent Netflix appearance

    Superbon has been engaging in some activities outside of the ONE Circle as of late with a role on a widely popular Netflix series. He appeared on Physical: Asia which premiered on October 28th. The leader of Team Thailand also brought his hardware with him and the distinct ONE Championship title belt will be featured on the global broadcast platform.

    Touching on his anecdotal journey being part of that series, Superbon quipped [via onefc.com],

    “It felt great. I was honored to represent or bring fame to ONE Championship.”

    “I feel like ONE Championship athletes have a global reputation, and the promotion is known worldwide.”

    “I was very honored to be a part of ONE, Physical: Asia, and Netflix.”

  • Aung La N Sang Retires; A Legend Goes Out On Top

    Aung La N Sang Retires; A Legend Goes Out On Top

    Image Credit: @killcliff_fc on Instagram

    This past weekend in Bangkok, Thailand, Burmese MMA legend Aung La N Sang made his walk to the ring for the final time. Led by Burmese Rock legend Lay Phyu singing a live rendition of N Sang’s legendary walkout song, the entire crowd was behind the ONE championship star. The energy was high, but a certain level of nerves and tension remained. Waiting in the ring was Swedish powerhouse Sebastian Kadestam, riding a three fight win streak which included a knockout of the world renowned Roberto Soldic. Aung La N Sang on the other hand, was coming off two fights with Shamil Ergodan in which he suffered a loss in both.

    With the ‘Burmese Python’ announcing his retirement prior to the bout, many worried that with one foot out the door N Sang may lay down his gloves following a third straight loss.

    That would not be the case.

    After a tentative first round, both N Sang and Kadestam began to turn up the heat. Exchanges in the pocket quickly turned bloody and dirty, with the Swede consistently backing up at the power of N Sang’s strikes. After eating a spinning elbow halfway through the round, Aung marched forward firing a barrage of hooks and uppercuts, sitting Kadestam down in the corner of the ring. The crowd went wild, as Aung La N Sang did what so many fighters fail to do: Retire on a win.

    After an up and down start to Aung La N Sang’s career, not many would have guessed he would become one of the greatest fighters in ONE Championship history. Born in Myanmar, he moved to the United States at a young age. He began his professional MMA career in 2005, fighting primarily in promotions on the East Coast. He faced future UFC fighters such as Uriah Hall and Costas Philippou. He found mixed success, racking up a record of 15-9 fighting in the United States fighting for promotions such as Bellator, CFFC, and Ring Of Combat.

    ONE Championship began aggressively expanding their MMA roster around 2014, searching for Asian fighters across the globe regardless of their country of residence. Aung La N Sang was one of the fighters signed, along with athletes such as Lowen Tynanes, Martin Nguyen, and the Lee Family. This was where it all changed for the Myanmar native.

    Aung La N Sang proceeded to win four fights in a row, earning a title shot against Vitaly Bigdash at ONE: Quest for Power in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2017. Despite a spirited effort, N Sang fell short in his title attempt and lost the unanimous decision to Bigdash. He was given another opportunity to win the title just 6 months later, and this time flipped the script, defeating the champion Bigdash by unanimous decision, securing the first belt of his career and avenging his first loss in the promotion.

    Image credit: @aunglansang on Instagram

    Following these two fights with Bigdash, Aung La N Sang put together one of the most impressive runs in promotional history. He finished six consecutive opponents, while securing and defending two different belts in the process.

    N Sang became the first double champion in ONE history, cementing his status as a legend in Asian MMA. Following this incredible run, he would lose three out of four, including his trilogy bout with Bigdash and two fights to current UFC contender Reinier De Ridder.

    Aung La N Sang has been a long term member of Kill Cliff FC in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Beloved amongst the gym and its members, Henry Hooft could be seen in N Sang’s corner at nearly all his fights. The same could be said for N Sang himself, who supports and corners countless fighters including Marc Andre Barriault, Linton Vassell, and even his former opponent Reinier De Ridder.

    Aung La N Sang Cornering Reinier De Ridder – image credit @aunglansang on Instagram

    Aung La N Sang had a long career prior to ONE, meaning by the time his stretch of dominance ended, he was in his late 30’s with plenty of mileage on the body. The Burmese Python defeated Yushin Okami, Gilberto Galvao, and Rong Fan before getting finished twice by Turkish powerhouse Shamil Erdogan. Following his 28-second loss, N Sang announced his next fight would be his last.

    With history not on his side, and an opponent six years younger than him, Aung La N Sang delivered perhaps the moment of his career, finishing Kadestam while his father cheered ringside. He was able to make the trip from Myanmar to Thailand for his son’s final fight and witness this incredible moment.

    The pride of a nation, Aung La N Sang will forever be remembered as the first Burmese Mixed Martial Artist to make an impact on the world stage, and can be proud that he rides of into the sunset with a victory in his final bout and a seat in the ONE hall of fame waiting for him.

  • Johan Ghazali: Muay Thai Tradition, Family’s Ties to Jack Dempsey’s Career, and Big ONE FN 35 Bout

    Johan Ghazali: Muay Thai Tradition, Family’s Ties to Jack Dempsey’s Career, and Big ONE FN 35 Bout

    Johan Ghazali carries on a century-plus family lineage of combat sports competitors and will unfurl the next chapter of his own story at ONE Fight Night 35. ‘Jojo’ will clash with Zakaria El Jamari in an intriguing Muay Thai bout on September 5th and Ghazali appeared on Bowks Talking Bouts with a portion of the discussion touching on how important Muay Thai specifically has been to his family.

    Through Ghazali’s own efforts in the ONE Circle, he has built a strong fan base in Malaysia as he competes in the high octane, smaller gloves iteration of Muay Thai that ONE Championship has become known for. When asking what stylistic amendments have to be made from traditional Muay Thai that generally uses the bigger gloves versus the ONE Championship permutation of Muay Thai with the smaller, 4oz gloves, Johan Ghazali said,

    “I mean I’m lucky because I joined ONE Championship very early on in my career. You know, I signed the contract when I was like 16. So I didn’t really fight; I fought in like stadiums with big gloves and five round fights and the traditional Muay Thai, so. But my goal has always been ONE Championship. I knew what I wanted to do. So, I’ve always been like planning my style and training my style to fit into ONE Championship. Not with 4 oz gloves, but you know, the fast paced, three round style, so.”

    “You know, thank God that the; I feel like the four oz gloves really fall into my favor. Of course, it’s not a God-given talent. You know, I had to work a lot, really hard for me to evolve into this style. Learn how to block properly, how to punch properly without breaking your hands. There’s so many obstacles that I went through, but I’m glad to say that I feel like this style suits me, you know, the four ounce gloves suit me.”

    Johan Ghazali on Muay Thai traditionalists, familial ties to Jack Dempsey’s career

    Johan Ghazali’s dad has been a prominent part of the old school Muay Thai scene in Malaysia and considering that aspect of things, when asked if he has had any Muay Thai traditionalists express certain sentiments to him about the ONE Championship way of promoting the art of eight limbs, Johan Ghazali stated,

    “I mean definitely there’s always going to be traditionalists. There’s always going to be people who say this is how you do it and this is how it’s supposed to be. But at the end of the day, you know, everything has to evolve. You know, every sport has to evolve, every person has to evolve. So, I’m just doing what I think is best at the moment. You know, I can stay in traditional Muay Thai and do five round fights, but I wouldn’t be in the position that I am.”

    “You know, I wouldn’t have the fan base or the crowd reach that I have. So, I’m just making the best moves possible and I like it, you know. If one day, once Muay Thai changes into something else, I’ll be there too, you know, because I’m ready to evolve and I’m ready to; I mean, even if you look at it from a different point of view, you know, this is how the best species stay alive. You know, you have to evolve. If you don’t, you’re dead. So, yeah.”

    There is so much combat sports history throughout his family’s history that extends even beyond the beautiful art of Muay Thai. In fact, Ghazali’s great-grandfather fought on some Jack Dempsey undercards a century ago. When referencing his past relative Eric Johnson Sr. who fought under the moniker of Swede Johnson, in the context of how rich the family’s history in fight sports is, Johan Ghazali quipped,

    “Absolutely. Combat sports in my family goes way back. So yeah, fighting in my family is, they don’t go apart [laughs].”

  • PFL 2025 Finalist on PFL vs. ONE Idea: “I’ll be the lineal champ across the board”

    PFL 2025 Finalist on PFL vs. ONE Idea: “I’ll be the lineal champ across the board”

    Justin Wetzell is squarely focused on capturing PFL gold this week but also has a peripheral focus on other PFL belts as well as some ONE Championship titleholders to boot.

    Justin Wetzell clashes with Marcirley Alves for the PFL bantamweight tournament title in the promotion’s 2025 World Tournament on August 15th. Wetzell was a recent guest on Bowks Talking Bouts and touched upon his thoughts on the global expansion efforts from the Professional Fighters League. When discussing his thoughts on the PFL’s global expansion efforts with their Europe, Africa and MENA circuits in the context of if this feels like an exciting time to be a contracted combatant with the Professional Fighters League, Justin Wetzell said,

    “Yeah, it’s super cool how they’re expanding and they have different leagues, man. Once I win this belt, I want to fight the champions of the other leagues to show that I’m the best bantamweight in PFL, period.”

    How Wetzell feels about a potential PFL vs. ONE champs against champs card

    It was then referenced some of the recent comments made by the Professional Fighters League’s Donn Davis toward ONE Championship‘s Chatri Sityodtong regarding an idea for a champions versus champions event. When asked what thought on an idea like that becoming a reality someday, Justin Wetzell stated,

    “Yeah, that’d be sick, man. I’ll be the lineal champ across the board. I mean, I believe in my heart I can beat Merab [Dvalishvili], bro. I can beat anyone.”

    When touching on some interesting variables of a possible Professional Fighters League vs. ONE Championship event and things like what ruleset would be utilized for those fights but addressing that it is an exciting concept all the same, Justin Wetzell quipped,

    “Yeah, I like the the collab fights or the co-promotion fights. Those are sick.”

  • Stamp Fairtex Returns at ONE 173! Big Next Bout Has Been Booked for November

    Stamp Fairtex Returns at ONE 173! Big Next Bout Has Been Booked for November

    Stamp Fairtex is preparing for her return to competitive combat and the former three sport champ will return to the ONE Circle with a defined date and opponent locked in. One of the sports that Fairtex has held ONE gold in is kickboxing and she will be returning to action under that ruleset in the fourth quarter of the calendar year.

    Kana Morimoto will be stepping into the ring against Stamp at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan which transpires on November 16th. The long awaited return of one of the promotion’s biggest stars will come at ONE 173 in what is a massive matchup that bolsters that card.

    Stamp Fairtex returns after over a year on the sidelines after sustaining an injury while training for a planned fight last Summer. Fairtex was initially slated to defend her ONE atomweight MMA title against Denice Zamboanga in June 2024 before a torn meniscus scrapped the bout and put Stamp on the bench for the foreseeable future. The rehabilitation path has clearly paid dividends as the only person to win ONE titles under MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing rules.

    Stamp relinquished her MMA strap to keep the division moving while she was recovering and Zamboanga was upgraded to the ONE atomweight champion outright after previously holding the interim crown. Zamboanga will also compete on the same card that mars stamp’s return as Zamboanga aims to defend her atomweight MMA strap against Ayaka Miura at ONE 173.

    Stamp Fairtex and her pedigree in kickboxing

    With Stamp Fairtex once again returning to competing under kickboxing rules, it’s only fitting to look back at her championship body of work within the ONE Circle under that ruleset. Stamp would cement herself as the ONE atomweight kickboxing champion in October 2018 when she bested Kai Ting Chuang on points. Fairtex would win that outing by way of a unanimous decision at ONE Championship: Kingdom of Heroes in Bangkok, Thailand.

    Stamp would then focus on Muay Thai for her next couple of bouts where she bested Janet Todd to claim the crown then defended her atomweight Muay Thai belt against Alma Juniku. Alas, Fairtex would then return to kickboxing only to lose her claim to the ONE Championship atomweight throne when she lost to the aforementioned Janet Todd in February 2020.

  • ‘The Devil in ONE’ Ali Abdelaziz Blasts Matt Hume for Nearly ‘Ruining’ Reinier de Ridder’s Career

    ‘The Devil in ONE’ Ali Abdelaziz Blasts Matt Hume for Nearly ‘Ruining’ Reinier de Ridder’s Career

    Ali Abdelaziz is not exactly known as someone who minces words with the polarizing MMA manager putting a powerful higher up in the ONE Championship hierarchy on blast. The Dominance MMA figurehead put Matt Hume in his proverbial crosshairs recently and it all stemmed from sentiments tied to Reinier de Ridder.

    Speaking with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie, Ali Abdelaziz echoed some feelings that have been put out there by RDR himself who felt like his last couple of years as a contracted ONE combatant were far from ideal. The former two division ONE Championship titleholder even went as far as to caution prospective ONE combatants frm signing a contract with the promotion. Hume is a legendary former competitor within mixed martial arts and has served as the ONE Senior VP of Competition for years now. The reverance to Hume does not resonate with Ali Abdelaziz who got biblical with his characterization of the ONE VP when Abdelaziz said,

    “Matt Hume-biggest scumbag in the history of MMA. I can tell you this, 100%. And I’ll keep it at that. I have all the proof. He’s a very bad guy, and he almost ruined this guy’s life. But also, when you-when nobody has a plan, God always has a plan. And Matt Hume was the devil, you know? That’s all I’m going to tell you. I don’t know how this guy ever did martial arts. He’s one of the biggest scumbags I’ve ever seen on the planet.I think ONE FC will be a much better place without this guy. He ruined so many people’s careers. He blackballed people. He cheats. He does everything wrong. And, you know, he just-he almost ruined this guy’s career.”

    Ali Abdelaziz continues on the Matt Hume and Reinier de Ridder situation

    Ali Abdelaziz mentioned that one day he would be able to talk about Reinier de Ridder‘s struggles in ONE and that RDR’s career mishandling is a microscom in Abdelaziz’s eyes as to how the former MMA pioneer has handled the careers of many ONE Championship fighters over the years. While de Ridder is riding an impressive three fight win streak in the UFC with a statement win over the previously unbeaten Bo Nickal, it is clear that there is still no love lsot between Abdelaziz, Matt Hume, and ONE Championship by proxy.

  • ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong Apologizes To Fighter He Accused of ‘Taking The Easy Way Out’

    Chatri Sityodtong, the leader of ONE Championship, has faced accusations of disrespectful bullying following Sunday’s ONE 172 event.

    The controversy arose from his public criticism of Japanese Shoot Boxing Champion Kaito Ono, who declined a catchweight bout against Marat Grigorian after the Armenian-Belgian failed to make weight. This incident has strained relations between ONE Championship and Shoot Boxing.

    At the post-fight press conference for ONE 172, Sityodtong launched a verbal attack on Ono, accusing him of being “scared” and lacking integrity for refusing the fight. His public shaming of Ono, who was participating in a cross-promotion match, has been widely condemned as unprofessional.

    Shoot Boxing, which has a history of successful cross-promotion events with organizations like RISE, K-1, and Glory, entered into an agreement with ONE Championship in good faith. However, Sityodtong’s actions have appeared to jeopardize this relationship. The organization has now formally demanded an apology, citing his unacceptable and disrespectful treatment of Kaito Ono.

    The public nature of the ONE chief’s remarks has drawn significant attention, with many criticizing his leadership and behavior. In response, Chatri Sityodtong has since retracted his comments.

    ONE’s chairman and CEO issued the following statement:

    “Like all the fans and officials, I was looking forward to the bout between Marat Grigorian and Kaito. Grigorian passed the hydration test after the time limit, which put him 350 grams overweight. At this point, Grigorian was penalized by having 20% of his fight purse forfeited and given to Kaito.

    “When a fighter is less than one pound overweight, the standard response in the world’s major mixed martial arts organizations is to negotiate a bout at a catchweight.

    “Naturally, I was disappointed when Kaito declined the bout. However, as the CEO of ONE Championship, it was inappropriate for me to express such feelings in a press conference.

    “I sincerely apologize and formally retract my comments regarding Kaito’s lack of courage. Kaito is a highly respected champion in Japan.”

  • ONE 172 Results & Highlights: Rodtang Stops Takeru In Under 90 Seconds

    ONE 172 Results & Highlights: Rodtang Stops Takeru In Under 90 Seconds

    The stacked ONE 172 event took place Sunday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    ONE Championship was back in Japan this past week, where the Saitama Super Arena played host to a number of intriguing battles across three different sports.

    Asia’s premier martial arts organization brought with it to the “Land of the Rising Sun” a deep lineup, filled with champions and plenty of prominent names in MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing.

    After four blockbuster title fights took place featuring the likes of MMA star Adriano Moraes, atomweight kickboxing champion Phetjeeja, and strawweight striker Jonathan Di Bella, the long-awaited showdown between Takeru Segawa and Rodtang Jitmuangnon headlined proceedings.

    It took “The Iron Man” less than 90 seconds to finish “The Natural Born Krusher.”

    With Sunday’s event concluded, see below for the full results and a replay via the promotion’s official YouTube channel.

    ONE 172 Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Flyweight Kickboxing: Rodtang Jitmuangnon def. Takeru Segawa via KO: R1, 1:20
    • Interim Featherweight Kickboxing Championship: Masaaki Noiri def. Tawanchai PK Saenchai via TKO: R3, 1:55
    • Flyweight MMA Championship: Yuya Wakamatsu def. Adriano Moraes via TKO: R1, 3:39
    • Interim Strawweight Kickboxing Championship: Jonathan Di Bella def. Sam-A Gaiyanghadao via unanimous decision
    • Atomweight Kickboxing Championship: Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom def. Kana Morimoto via unanimous decision
    • Bantamweight Muay Thai: Nabil Anane def. Superlek via unanimous decision
    • Featherweight Kickboxing: Marat Grigorian vs. Kaito Ono
    • Atomweight Muay Thai: Nadaka Yoshinari def. Rak Erawan via KO: R3, 2:40
    • Lightweight MMA: Shinya Aoki def. Eduard Folayang via submission (armbar): R1, 0:53
    • Bantamweight Kickboxing: Hiroki Akimoto def. John Lineker via split decision
    • Lightweight MMA: Adrian Lee def. Takeharu Ogawa via submission (anaconda choke): R1, 1:03
    • Flyweight Muay Thai: Shimon Yoshinari def. Yodlekpet Or Atchariya via unanimous decision

    Early Card:

    • Flyweight Kickboxing: Hyu Iwata def. Zakaria El Jamari via KO: R1, 2:12
    • Catchweight (132lbs) Kickboxing: Ryusei Kumagai def. Suriyanlek Por Yenying via unanimous decision

    Ryusei Kumagai Def. Suriyanlek Por Yenying

    Hyu Iwata Def. Zakaria El Jamari

    Shimon Yoshinari Def. Yodlekpet Or Atchariya

    Adrian Lee Def. Takeharu Ogawa

    Hiroki Akimoto Def. John Lineker

    Shinya Aoki Def. Eduard Folayang

    Nadaka Yoshinari Def. Rak Erawan

    Nabil Anane Def. Superlek

    Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom Def. Kana Morimoto

    Jonathan Di Bella Def. Sam-A Gaiyanghadao

    Yuya Wakamatsu Def. Adriano Moraes

    Masaaki Noiri Def. Tawanchai PK Saenchai

    Rodtang Jitmuangnon Def. Takeru Segawa

  • Demetrious Johnson’s Successor Crowned As Adriano Moraes Suffers Shock Loss In ONE 172 Title Fight

    Demetrious Johnson’s Successor Crowned As Adriano Moraes Suffers Shock Loss In ONE 172 Title Fight

    Following Demetrious Johnson’s retirement last year, ONE Championship finally has a new flyweight king.

    Johnson officially announced his retirement from the sport of MMA at ONE 168 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado last September following 15 months of uncertainty. His final fight was a headline victory at ONE Fight Night 10, the Asian promotion’s United States debut in May 2023.

    After outpointing Adriano Moraes in their trilogy to keep hold of the ONE flyweight title, “Mighty Mouse” hinted that the victory may have marked his farewell. That ultimately turned out to be the case, with Johnson confirming his decision to hang up the gloves by delivering an emotional speech in front of his family and adoring fans.

    Months later, the promotion began to move forward as life without Johnson got underway, announcing a vacant title fight between former champ Moraes and a man whom he’d already beaten, Yuya Wakamatsu.

    That went down Sunday morning at ONE 172 in Japan, where the home favorite upset “Mikinho” with a first-round knockout.

    https://twitter.com/GBearMMA/status/1903776343990366622

    The result means a name other than Johnson or Moraes now holds the flyweight title for the first time in over six years.

    Wakamatsu won three straight over Wei Xie, Danny Kingad, and Gilbert Nakatani to earn a rematch with Moraes. “Little Piranha” previously made an unsuccessful challenge for the Brazilian’s belt back in 2022.

  • Watch ONE Championship Fighter Put Opponent Out Cold With Scary 53-Second KO

    Watch ONE Championship Fighter Put Opponent Out Cold With Scary 53-Second KO

    ONE Championship continues to be a force in combat sports, consistently delivering some of the most eye-catching knockouts fans have ever seen.

    The premier Asian combat sports promotion hosted its 10th event of the year, ONE Friday Fights 98, on Friday night at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The action-packed lineup was headlined by a strawweight Muay Thai showdown between Chartpayak Saksatoon and Kongchai Chanaidonmuang.

    On the undercard, ONE newcomer Nongbia LaoLaneXang made a spectacular debut, securing a highlight-reel knockout victory over Marvin Dittrich in their atomweight Muay Thai showdown.

    After a measured start filled with calculated kicks and punches, LaoLaneXang methodically backed his opponent against the ropes, all while Dittrich maintained a tight guard.

    The opportunity finally arose when the German fighter dropped his hands for a split second — just enough time for the Laotian striker to unleash a thunderous right hand. The devastating shot instantly shut Dittrich’s lights out, sending him crashing to the canvas in a dramatic knockout just 53 seconds into the first round.

    For his highlight-reel finish, LaoLaneXang was rewarded with a $10,000 performance bonus.

  • ONE Championship Reveals Date And Venue For Third United States Show, Featuring Stamp Fairtex Title Fight

    ONE Championship Reveals Date And Venue For Third United States Show, Featuring Stamp Fairtex Title Fight

    ONE Championship is gearing up for another touchdown on United States soil this summer.

    The Asian martial arts powerhouse announced Thursday that it is set to make its third appearance in its familiar battleground, the “Mile High City,” with ONE 173: Denver on Aug. 1 at Ball Arena in Colorado.

    Reigning ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA Champion Stamp Fairtex will feature, taking on interim titleholder Denice Zamboanga in a unification clash.

    The news was first reported by MMA Knockout‘s Drew Beaupré.

    Stamp is set to make her long-awaited comeback after nearly two years away from competition. Her last appearance dates back to September 2023 at ONE Fight Night 14, where she secured a dominant third-round TKO victory over Seo Hee Ham. Riding an impressive four-fight winning streak, the reigning atomweight queen hasn’t tasted defeat since March 2022 when she succumbed to a submission against Angela Lee.

    Meanwhile, Denice Zamboanga is riding high after capturing the interim 115-pound title with a dominant second-round TKO victory over Alyona Rassohyna at ONE Fight Night 27 last month. “The Menace’ has strung together a four-fight win streak, bouncing back from back-to-back losses to Hee Ham.

    ONE Fight Night 10 marked the promotion’s first-ever event in the US, taking place at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado, in May 2023. The event was headlined by a highly anticipated trilogy showdown for the ONE flyweight MMA championship, featuring legendary Demetrious Johnson and former titleholder Adriano Moraes.

    ONE Championship made its sophomore appearance in the U.S. with the ONE 168 card this past September. The promotion initially planned to follow up with ONE 169 in Atlanta, Georgia, but the event was later relocated to Bangkok, Thailand.

  • ONE 171 Results & Highlights: Joshua Pacio TKOs Jarred Brooks

    ONE 171 Results & Highlights: Joshua Pacio TKOs Jarred Brooks

    The stacked ONE 171 event took place on Thursday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    ONE Championship was back in Qatar this week, where the Lusail Sports Arena played host to a number of intriguing battles across four different sports.

    Asia’s premier martial arts organization brought with it to the Middle East a deep lineup, filled with champions and plenty of prominent names in MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing and submission grappling.

    And there were championship stakes in the first of those sports that headlined ONE 171, with Filipino strawweight kingpin Joshua Pacio and American standout Jarred Brooks completing their trilogy by unifying the title.

    While “The Monkey God” dethroned “The Passion” back in 2022, the rematch saw the belt return to Pacio after Brooks was disqualified for an illegal slam. Having since captured the interim strap with a first-round submission of Gustavo Balart last August, Brooks had his sights on regaining undisputed status.

    But the American failed in that regard, with Pacio overcoming a strong start from his challenger to find the TKO finish late in the second frame.

    Gold from a different sport was also be on the line in Qatar. After losing his Muay Thai strap in Denver last year, Jonathan Haggerty ensured he kept hold of his remaining title by defending the bantamweight kickboxing championship against Chinese challenger Wei Rui.

    Elsewhere, former two-division KSW champion Roberto Soldić made his long-awaited return, Kill Cliff FC standout Aung La N Sang added a 46th fight to his illustrious record, ex-bantamweight kingpin Bibiano Fernandes closed out his career with one last bout and submission grappling star Kade Ruotolo competed in MMA for the third time.

    With today’s card complete, see below for the full results, followed by all the highlights.

    ONE 171 Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Strawweight MMA Championship: Joshua Pacio (C) def. Jarred Brooks (IC) via TKO: R2, 4:22
    • Bantamweight Kickboxing Championship: Jonathan Haggerty (C) def. Wei Rui via unanimous decision
    • Welterweight MMA: Roberto Soldić def. Dagi Arslanaliev via KO: R1, 1:55
    • Middleweight MMA: Shamil Erdogan def. Aung La N Sang via KO (head kick): R1, 0:28
    • Featherweight MMA: Shamil Gasanov def. Martin Nguyen via unanimous decision
    • Bantamweight MMA: Bibiano Fernandes def. Kevin Belingon via split decision
    • Heavyweight MMA: Kirill Grishenko def. Mauro Cerilli via KO (leg Kick): R1, 3:28
    • Bantamweight Muay Thai: Jake Peacock def. Shinji Suzuki via TKO: R3, 1:29
    • Atomweight MMA: Ayaka Miura def. Ritu Phogat via submission (kneebar): R1, 2:24
    • Lightweight MMA: Kade Ruotolo def. Nicolas Vigna via submission (arm-triangle choke): R1, 3:04

    Preliminary Card:

    • Openweight Submission Grappling: Zayed Alkatheeri def. Mohammed Hilal Ahmad Abu Rumuh via submission (armbar): R1, 2:21
    • Lightweight MMA: Abdullo Khodzhaev def. Wilian Poles via TKO: R1, 4:56
    • Featherweight MMA: Hussein Salem def. Walter Cogliandro via KO: R1, 2:25

    Hussein Salem Def. Walter Cogliandro

    Abdullo Khodzhaev Def. Wilian Poles

    Zayed Alkatheeri Def. Mohammed Hilal Ahmad Abu Rumuh

    Kade Ruotolo Def. Nicolas Vigna

    Jake Peacock Def. Shinji Suzuki

    Kirill Grishenko Def. Mauro Cerilli

    Bibiano Fernandes Def. Kevin Belingon

    Shamil Gasanov Def. Martin Nguyen

    Shamil Erdogan Def. Aung La N Sang

    https://twitter.com/ONEChampionship/status/1892635685548655018

    Roberto Soldić Def. Dagi Arslanaliev

    Jonathan Haggerty Def. Wei Rui

    Joshua Pacio Def. Jarred Brooks

  • VIDEO: Roberto Soldic, Last Man To Beat Dricus Du Plessis, Brutally Faceplants Opponent At 171: Qatar

    VIDEO: Roberto Soldic, Last Man To Beat Dricus Du Plessis, Brutally Faceplants Opponent At 171: Qatar

    Let it be known — Roberto “Robocop” Soldic is back.

    Prior to today’s event, it had remarkably been over three years since Soldic last had his hand raised. Following a defense of the KSW middleweight title in 2021, the Croatian power puncher signed with ONE Championship but went winless across his first two bouts.

    A no contest against Murad Ramazanov was followed by a shock stoppage loss to Zebaztian Kadestam in 2023, derailing the hype behind the 30-year-old, who notably knocked out current UFC kingpin Dricus Du Plessis back in 2018.

    But it’s safe to say that Soldic got that hype back and then some Thursday in Qatar, where he shared the cage with Dagi Arslanaliev as part of a loaded ONE 171 card inside Lusail Sports Arena.

    The bout lasted less than two minutes courtesy of a violent finish from “Robocop,” who landed a thunderous left hand as Arslanaliev threw a kick to put the Turkish welterweight out cold.

    While Arslanaliev was lifeless on the canvas, Soldic landed two brutal follow-up shots, the second of which came after the referee had already attempted to intervene.

    The result has finally netted Soldic his first victory under the banner of ONE, Asia’s largest martial arts organization.

    It remains to be seen what will come next for “Robocop,” especially with the promotion’s apparent move away from MMA competition in recent years, which has left many fighters sidelined and expressing discontent publicly.

  • Former Title Challenger Serves ONE Championship With Legal Papers Over Alleged Breach Of Contract

    Former Title Challenger Serves ONE Championship With Legal Papers Over Alleged Breach Of Contract

    Talk of discontent among the fighter ranks in ONE Championship continues to rise, and another athlete has now gone public with his complaints.

    Dmitry Menshikov has competed under the ONE Championship banner since June 2023. Following victories in organizations such as Glory, the Russian debuted in the Asian promotion at ONE Fight Night 11 in Bangkok, Thailand.

    He arrived straight into a title shot, challenging the lightweight Muay Thai rule of Regian Eersel. Menshikov’s first taste of ONE action was quick, with “The Immortal” landing a knockout blow in just 46 seconds.

    Since then, the 27-year-old has won three straight, most recently stopping fellow former title challenger Sinsamut Klinmee at ONE Fight Night 22 last April. Though he’s been away from the ring for 10 months, that’s seemingly not without trying.

    A press release via Menshikov and his manager this week revealed major frustration at his layoff. They claim that numerous requests to fight were ignored and met with silence by the ONE Championship matchmakers.

    The Russian is now approaching his return at ONE Friday Fights 97 later this month, but that booking would appear to have come too little, too late. The 27-year-old has served the organization with legal papers citing an alleged failure to fulfil contractual obligations and outlined his plan to enter free agency following his upcoming bout.

    “I had some great fights with ONE, but a single bout per year is not a sustainable calendar for a competitive athlete and is a clear breach of the understanding between the fighter and the organization when we entered into a promotional contract,” Menshikov said. “For this reason, I will be entering free agency after the upcoming February 14th bout.

    “I find it strange that all my wins are by KO or TKO, yet ONE chose to rebook the fighters I KO’d rather than myself. Maybe they were cheaper, I don’t know. It’s hard to know anything that’s going on at ONE – our attempts throughout 2024 to reach the matchmakers were met by deafening silence,” Menshikov continued. “Several fighters have left recently because of being frustrated, like Sage Northcutt and Reinier de Ridder, and I think that’s the best solution for me as well. My contract only has a few months left on it anyway. At this point it’s probably easier for us all to go our separate ways.”

    Dmitry Menshikov
    Image: ONE Championship

    The exact details of Menshikov’s ONE Championship contract and any potential breaches are unknown, but the kickboxing and Muay Thai fighter’s manager is seemingly confident about the claim.

    “Clearly if you sign a fighter to an exclusive contract, the intention is not for him to compete just once a year,” Andrey Busygin said. “We struggled all year to get clear answers from ONE’s matchmakers. In fact most of the time we couldn’t get an answer at all.

    “When 2024 ended with just a single bout, our legal team determined that ONE Championship had failed to perform its duties under the contract and informed ONE accordingly. We have taken this short-notice ONE bout on February 14th because Menshikov needs a fight, but after that he will be entering free agency and returning to a full competitive schedule.”

    Menshikov marks the latest fighter to express displeasure at the current situation in ONE, which has largely centered around a perceived abandonment of mixed martial arts as a focus.

    Both Reinier de Ridder and Sage Northcutt departed in 2024, with the former joining the UFC and the latter briefly signing with the PFL before entering the inaugural GFL draft last month.

    More recently, flyweight MMA fighter Reece McLaren publicly requested his release in an open letter to ONE Championship on social media. Like Menshikov, the Australian cited an alleged “ghosting” from the matchmaking team regarding his desire to fight.

  • ONE Championship Announces Fight For Title Vacated After Demetrious Johnson’s Retirement

    ONE Championship Announces Fight For Title Vacated After Demetrious Johnson’s Retirement

    ONE Championship has announced that on March 23 at ONE 172, the promotion will crown a new flyweight champion in the co-main event of the evening. The title has been left vacant ever since Demetrious Johnson announced his retirement at the Ball Arena in Denver this past September at ONE 168.

    Following several high stakes contests at flyweight, the two top contenders that will battle for the gold have emerged. Brazil’s Adriano Moraes is a multiple time flyweight champion in ONE and was the inaugural holder of the title back in 2014. In his latest title reign, he ended his trilogy of fights with Geje Eustaquio before becoming the first man to finish Johnson in 2021 which kickstarted their trilogy of fights.

    Moraes recently returned to the win column in Johnson’s absence by beating Danny Kingad at ONE 169 in November via a submission in the second round. “Mikinho” is now set to face off with Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu who is sure to receive an incredible amount of support at the Saitama Super Arena on March 23.

    Wakamatsu previously challenged Moraes for the flyweight title in 2022 at ONE: X where he was submitted in the third round. After suffering back-to-back defeats, “Little Pranha” has won three in a row including a dominant victory at the start of December over Gilbert Nakatani.

    This huge card is set to be headlined by arguably the biggest fight in the history of the promotion as Rodtang Jitmuangnon faces off with Takeru Segawa in a kickboxing super fight that has been building ever since their matchup at ONE 165 earlier this year fell through due to an injury to the Thai superstar. There is sure to be a lot more top Japanese talent on the card for what will be ONE’s biggest event to date.

  • Anatoly Malykhin Loses 1 Of 3 Titles To ‘Reug Reug’ In Huge ONE 169 Upset

    Anatoly Malykhin Loses 1 Of 3 Titles To ‘Reug Reug’ In Huge ONE 169 Upset

    Anatoly Malykhin’s three-division kingpin status is no more following ONE 169.

    Malykhin became the first MMA fighter in a major organization to capture gold across three separate weight classes earlier this year when he added the ONE Championship middleweight title to a trophy cabinet that already boasted the heavyweight and light heavyweight belts.

    And after getting the better of Reinier de Ridder for the second time to accomplish that feat, the Russian behemoth turned his sights to defending his thrones.

    His first attempt at adding a successful retention to his résumé came on Friday night at ONE 169, which he headlined inside the famed Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand opposite Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane.

    The Senegalese wrestler entered the event as a significant underdog against the undefeated “Sladkiy,” but he overcame the odds to have the heavyweight strap placed on his shoulder after five rounds.

    Kane started strong, making good on his pre-fight promise to take the Russian champ down. And Malykhin’s use of the ropes to fight his challenger’s smothering wrestling resulted in a yellow card from referee Herb Dean.

    That ultimately proved crucial, as he fell on the wrong side of a split decision verdict to be relegated to two-division titleholder status at ONE 169.

    During fight week, Malykhin had expressed firm confidence in his chances of brushing “Reug Reug” aside before turning his attention to PFL star Francis Ngannou in 2025, having taken issue with “The Predator’s” claim to global heavyweight supremacy.

    But with Kane now on the throne, perhaps a door has been opened to a huge Senegal vs. Cameroon showdown down the line, should the PFL and ONE come to terms on a cross-promotional event.

    Elsewhere at ONE 169, there were big wins for the likes of Kade Ruotolo and Jackie Buntan. While the lightweight submission grappling champion further showed his MMA promise by club-and-subbing Ahmed Mujtaba, the Filipino-American finally got her hands on ONE gold by outpointing Anissa Meksen for the inaugural strawweight kickboxing title.

    Thai star Rodtang Jitmuangnon also had his hand raised after getting the better of England’s Jacob Smith for the second time. Unfortunately, his weight miss on Thursday meant he was ineligible to exit with the flyweight Muay Thai title.

  • Francis Ngannou Called Out By Three-Division Champ For 2025 Superfight To Decide ‘Best Heavyweight In The World’ 

    Francis Ngannou Called Out By Three-Division Champ For 2025 Superfight To Decide ‘Best Heavyweight In The World’ 

    The top heavyweight competing in Asia’s leading martial arts promotion plans to prove his superiority over the rest of the pack by facing and defeating PFL champion Francis Ngannou next year.

    Having not competed in MMA since January 2022, Ngannou made his highly anticipated return to the sport in which he made his name last month following a two-fight stint in the boxing ring.

    Debuting for the PFL, “The Predator” headlined a pay-per-view event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia opposite Brazil’s Renan Ferreira. While the 2023 PFL heavyweight title winner was expected to pose a threat by many, he was battered en route to a knockout defeat within the first round.

    The result saw Ngannou crowned the inaugural PFL Super Fight heavyweight champ, and he subsequently reaffirmed his belief that no heavyweight comes close to matching him.

    Unsurprisingly, the uber-confident Anatoly Malykhin has something to say about that.

    During a recent interview with MMA Knockout, the three-division ONE Championship king reiterated his desire to do battle with another of the planet’s most devastating heavyweight knockout artists.

    And the Russian’s fire for that fight appears to have been flamed by “The Predator’s” claim to global supremacy in the division following his successful return to the cage last month in the Middle East.

    “2025, for me, is a year when a really big fight should happen, that’s what I want. Because Ngannou, Francis Ngannou, recently said that he’s the best fighter on the planet, which he cannot and should not be saying until he faces me,” Malykhin said. “So my fight against Ngannou is something that needs to happen in 2025. I think everybody looks forward to that, everybody wants that fight, and we need to have it to decide once and for all who is the best heavyweight in the world right now.”

    Anataoly Malykhin
    Image: ONE Championship

    And beyond himself, “Sladkiy” sees plenty of threats to Ngannou from Russian brutes already under the PFL banner, naming 2024 PFL heavyweight finalist Oleg Popov and former Bellator champion Vadim Nemkov.

    “Francis Ngannou is a strong fighter. I watched his fight (with Ferreira), he’s got a great skillset,” Malykhin stated. “He has got some great opposition in PFL. That’s Oleg Popov, who’s definitely gonna win the (heavyweight tournament). Everybody needs to keep his eyes on Popov, this guy is going to be absolutely amazing. I can see great things coming for him. And of course there is Vadim Nemkov, who is another amazing Russian fighter.

    “As for Ngannou, I think that it was more of a psychological pressure for him to come back into the ring after such a long break from MMA. But I think he did well, he did well,” Malykhin continued. “But his words after the fight, I think were a little bit premature. He shouldn’t have said that he is the greatest heavyweight in the world.”

    For now, Malykhin’s sights are on a different African heavyweight behemoth — one currently competing alongside him in ONE.

    The heavyweight, light heavyweight, and middleweight champ will put the first of those titles on the line against Senagalese powerhouse Oumar “Reug Reug” Kane tomorrow night at ONE 169.

    The build-up to their showdown at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand has been a heated one, with the pair almost coming to blows at the hotel and press conference faceoff during fight week.

  • ONE Championship Star Rodtang Stripped Of Muay Thai Title After Weight Miss

    ONE Championship Star Rodtang Stripped Of Muay Thai Title After Weight Miss

    One of the biggest cards of the year for ONE Championship goes down this weekend with ONE 169 on November 8 but things haven’t been plain sailing in the lead up to fight night. The weigh-ins took place earlier today in Bangkok, Thailand where one of the promotion’s biggest names was stripped of his title.

    Rodtang Jitmuangnon has been able to transcend Muay Thai and become a global combat sports star via his exciting fighting style that has earned him the nickname of “The Iron Man.” The long reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion was set to be in action at Lumpinee Stadium this Friday in one of three title fights that was originally set to take place in Atlanta before the card was moved.

    His scheduled rematch with Jacob Smith will now take place at a catchweight after Rodtang failed to make weight and was stripped of the belt on the scales. As a result, Smith will be the only one who is able to win the title.

    Early on in the promotion’s recently changed weigh-in process, he missed weight by just half a pound but had failed to pass his hydration test which is in place to prevent fighters from cutting lots of weight before their fights.

    After he failed his hydration test and declined to check his weight on the scales, the elite striker still had just under an hour to hit the mark but wasn’t giving off the best body language. Smith will also receive a percentage of his opponent’s purse which is a big payday for him considering that the Thai star makes around 10 million baht per fight (just under $300,000).

    The former champion posted the following message on social media before he was officially stripped of the title which warned fans that he was not going to make weight for the fight. Since winning the flyweight title back in 2019, this isn’t the first time that he has had issues during weigh-in day.

  • New UFC Signing Details ONE Championship Exit: ‘I Think They’re Struggling’

    New UFC Signing Details ONE Championship Exit: ‘I Think They’re Struggling’

    In July, fight fans were shocked to see that Reinier de Ridder would be competing at UAE Warriors 51 despite reportedly still being under contract with ONE Championship. “The Dutch Knight” accomplished great things in ONE where he reigned as a two-weight world champion.

    Following his quick win on UAE Warriors, it was announced that de Ridder had signed to the UFC where he will make his Octagon debut at UFC Vegas 100 on November 9. The Dutch competitor is looking forward to locking horns with Gerald Meerschaert and beginning a new chapter in his career.

    De Ridder has said in interviews that he can’t go into details about his exit from ONE Championship but that doesn’t mean that he can’t reflect on his time there. He won seven fights in a row in the promotion to become the middleweight and light heavyweight champion, earning him comparisons to the other top fighters in his weight class that were competing in the UFC.

    Though things may not have ended on the best of terms, his time as a ONE Championship athlete is still a huge part of his career. The final few stages of his time in the promotion were defined by two things, losses to the undefeated Russian Anatoly Malykhin and periods of inactivity which he says weren’t his preference.

    In an interview with MMA Fighting to preview his Octagon debut, de Ridder spoke about how he looks back at his time in ONE and what he is grateful for and where he wishes it could have been different.

    “It’s been good for a long time and it’s been bad for a pretty long time now as well. I think they’re struggling in a sense and some stuff is just not being handled the way it should be but it is what it is. I’ve had a very good run in the beginning, they gave me a lot of fights. I really gave my career, the start of my career, in ONE I was really able to make it a full-time thing, fighting. So I’m very grateful for that part but the last couple of years weren’t that great.”

  • Demetrious Johnson Reveals Primary Reason Behind Retiring From MMA

    Demetrious Johnson Reveals Primary Reason Behind Retiring From MMA

    Demetrious Johnson turned pro in 2009 and after 15 long years, he finally announced his retirement from MMA during ONE 168: Denver. The former UFC flyweight champ has 12 title fight wins and boasts one of the longest win streaks (13) in the promotion.

    During his illustrious UFC run, Johnson walked through the flyweight division with ease. Although his one-sided beat downs didn’t gather a ton of PPVs, he’s now regarded as one of the best fighters of all time.

    Many believe that “Mighty Mouse” can still hang with the best flyweight fighters in the world, but here’s why the UFC legend retired from MMA at 38…

    Demetrious Johnson Reveals Why He Didn’t Find Mixed Martial Arts Fun Anymore

    In a YouTube interview recorded before his official announcement, Johnson talked about his retirement from MMA with Merab Dvalishvili. Right away, he mentioned that MMA isn’t fun for him anymore and he prefers competing in Jiu-Jitsu over it.

    Training and fulfillment are also two major reasons why Johnson retired despite being the reigning ONE flyweight MMA champ. He didn’t gain contentment from fighting because he was barely learning anything by spending 25 minutes or fewer in the cage with opponents.

    “I’m not going to fight anymore. And the reason why is, um, I don’t find mixed martial arts fun anymore. Reason why is because I find more fulfillment in doing Jiu-Jitsu because I feel it’s harder. I find more fulfillment in helping and training with different people.”

    Instead, “Mighty Mouse” will now try to master his BJJ which he claims to be a tougher sport, and reap the benefits of training as a retired fighter. He believes athletes feel more secure about showcasing their abilities when there’s no threat of their training partner facing them in the future.

    Here’s how he explained the concept using Dvalishvili’s example:

    “If I ever wanted to feel, how does, I want to feel Merab’s gas tank. I want to see how good he is. I want to feel his strength. The only way that would ever happen is if me and you were to fight each other. If I was a professional athlete, right, it would just never happen. But if I’m like, hey, I don’t care about winning. I don’t care about, you know, ever have an opportunity to fight you. Hey Merab, can I come train with you? Yeah, you’re like, Demetrious come train. And then when we train together, you’re not going to have like, I need to beat you, you’re trying to learn from me. I don’t know, I’ve never trained outside of training camp when I would fight.”

    Based on these statements, it is safe to assume that Johnson will surely compete in specific martial arts like Jiu-Jitsu. However, it is unlikely that fans will ever get to see him mixing it all up inside a cage.

    “Once I get ready for a fight and I beat somebody. It’s like, okay, I mean I beat him, I made this money, which is great. But I didn’t get to learn anything in that 25 minutes, if that makes sense.”

  • ‘The True GOAT!’ – Fans React To UFC Legend Demetrious Johnson Retiring From MMA At ONE 168

    ‘The True GOAT!’ – Fans React To UFC Legend Demetrious Johnson Retiring From MMA At ONE 168

    Demetrious Johnson, the inaugural UFC flyweight champion, just announced his retirement from MMA at ONE 168: Denver. Back in 2019, the UFC traded Johnson with Ben Askren from ONE Championship. In the new promotion, he racked up five wins, including two title fight victories.

    Although he didn’t get much recognition for it back in the day, Johnson is easily one of the best MMA fighters ever. His 13-fight win streak at flyweight is a divisional record as he walked past the likes of Henry Cejudo, Joseph Benavidez (twice), John Dodson (twice), and Tim Elliott, among other top contenders, with ease.

    Johnson has 12 title fight wins in the UFC, lagging behind only Jon Jones and Georges St. Pierre. Now that his legendary MMA career has ended, fans worldwide have nothing but appreciation for one of the greatest fighters to ever do it..

    Fans Look Back At Demetrious Johnson’s Iconic UFC Career Devoid Of Any Controversy

    https://twitter.com/noface_net/status/1832256708028330200

    Unsurprisingly, people who’ve followed Johnson’s career for a long time are more than happy to see him finally get the respect he deserves. Towards the end of his career, he won the super fight against Rodtang Jitmuangnon and submitted heavyweights at BJJ tournaments, boosting his popularity.

    “Mighty Mouse” also never saw himself involved in controversies related to fighting or his personal life. For this reason alone, many call him the true GOAT and one of the most inspiring mixed martial artists of all time.

    Johnson’s emotional retirement speech depicted his immense love for the sport. Although some fans could not help but giggle at his voice breaks, most of them understood the sentiments and teared up alongside the champion.

  • Demetrious Johnson Announces MMA Retirement, Inducted Into ONE Championship Hall Of Fame

    Demetrious Johnson Announces MMA Retirement, Inducted Into ONE Championship Hall Of Fame

    The mixed martial arts career of UFC and ONE Championship legend Demetrious Johnson has reached its conclusion.

    Johnson officially announced his retirement from the sport of MMA following 15 months of uncertainty. His final appearance was a headline victory at ONE Fight Night 10, the Asian promotion’s United States debut in May 2023.

    After outpointing Adriano Moraes in their trilogy to keep hold of the ONE flyweight title, “Mighty Mouse” hinted that the victory may have marked his farewell.

    That has ultimately turned out to be the case, with Johnson confirming his decision to hang up the gloves by delivering an emotional speech in front of his family and adoring fans at Friday’s ONE 168 event at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

    ONE chairman Chatri Sityodtong also entered the Circle to announce Johnson as the first inductee into the organization’s Hall of Fame.

    Before finding success in ONE Championship, where he secured Grand Prix and title glory, Johnson established himself as one of the greatest of all time during a record-breaking reign in the UFC.

    While competing on MMA’s biggest stage, “Mighty Mouse” ruled over the 125-pound division for six years, making 11 consecutive successful defenses after becoming the inaugural UFC flyweight champ in 2012.

    From his so-far unmatched streak of defenses to individual moments such as the suplex armbar he used to submit Ray Borg and flying knee that exacted revenge on Moraes, not many will depart the sport with a legacy as illustrious as Johnson’s.

  • ONE 168 Results & Highlights: Superlek KOs Jonathan Haggerty In 49 Seconds, Becomes Two-Sport Champ

    ONE 168 Results & Highlights: Superlek KOs Jonathan Haggerty In 49 Seconds, Becomes Two-Sport Champ

    ONE Championship was back for its second event in the United States this week, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    In May 2023, the organization presented ONE Fight Night 10 from the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The event marked its on-site debut in the United States, and ONE Championship brought a stacked card worthy of the occasion that was topped by American legend Demetrious Johnson.

    This year, a new set of prominent names are looking to make a splash on US soil, starting at ONE 168 inside the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on Friday night.

    A championship was once again on the line in the closing act. Rather than MMA, however, ONE’s sophomore card in “The Centennial State” saw Muay Thai gold at stake in the main event as two-sport titleholder Jonathan Haggerty defended his bantamweight belt against flyweight kickboxing kingpin Superlek Kiatmoo9.

    The Thai star continued his streak of dominance, following victories over Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Takeru Segawa with a 49-second knockout of Haggerty to become a two-sport kingpin.

    https://twitter.com/Haduuuucken/status/1832273221225173415

    One of the United States’ top submission grapplers was expected to compete until early on fight day. Mikey Musumeci was originally set to challenge ONE lightweight submission grappling king Kade Ruotolo weeks on from the Hawaiian’s $1 million triumph at the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational. However, an injury stemming from that event forced his late withdrawal this week.

    Musumeci initially remained on the card, but that decision came at a cost. While initially scheduled to challenge for the 170-pound gold, “Darth Rigatoni” was instead booked to defend his 135-pound belt opposite Bebeto Oliveira. But after missing weight and hydration on Thursday, Musumeci was stripped of the title and, due to the effects of his unsuccessful weight cut, has subsequently decided not to compete.

    Nevertheless, the lineup still saw British brawler Liam Harrison make his return from injury opposite the always exciting Seksan, former UFC fighter and ex-ONE MMA titleholder John Lineker debut in Muay Thai, Kill Cliff FC standout Aung La N Sang in next assignment, and the highly touted Adrian Lee make his second ONE appearance.

    With that said, see below for the full results followed by all the highlights!

    ONE 168: Denver Results & Highlights

    Full Card:

    • Bantamweight Muay Thai Championship: Superlek Kiatmoo9 def. Jonathan Haggerty via KO (elbow): R1, 0:49
    • Flyweight Submission Grappling Championship: Mikey Musumeci vs. Bebeto Oliveira
    • Catchweight (140lbs) Muay Thai: Seksan Or. Kwanmuang def. Liam Harrison via TKO: R2, 1:49
    • Catchweight (213.75lbs) MMA: Shamil Erdogan def. Aung La N Sang via TKO (ground strikes): R2, 2:48
    • Bantamweight Muay Thai: John Lineker def. Asa Ten Pow via KO (punch): R2, 2:50
    • Lightweight MMA: Maurice Abevi vs. Samat Mamedov
    • Atomweight MMA: Victoria Souza def. Alyse Anderson via unanimous decision
    • Welterweight MMA: Isi Fitikefu def. Hiroyuki Tetsuka via unanimous decision
    • Lightweight MMA: Adrian Lee def. Nico Cornejo via submission (rear-naked choke): R1, 2:37
    • Flyweight Muay Thai: Johan Ghazali def. Josue Cruz via KO (punch): R1, 3:00
    • Flyweight Muay Thai: Johan Estupinan def. Sean Climaco via TKO: R2, 1:28

    Johan Estupinan Def. Sean Climaco

    Johan Ghazali Def. Josue Cruz

    Adrian Lee Def. Nico Cornejo

    Isi Fitikefu Def. Hiroyuki Tetsuka

    Victoria Souza Def. Alyse Anderson

    John Lineker Def. Asa Ten Pow

    Shamil Erdogan Def. Aung La N Sang

    Seksan Or. Kwanmuang Def. Liam Harrison

    Superlek Kiatmoo9 Def. Jonathan Haggerty

  • ONE’s Mikey Musumeci Stripped Of Title After Failing Three-Day, 35-Pound Weight Cut

    ONE’s Mikey Musumeci Stripped Of Title After Failing Three-Day, 35-Pound Weight Cut

    ONE Championship flyweight submission grappling titleholder Mikey Musumeci recently became embroiled in controversy after being stripped of his belt for missing weight ahead of his upcoming bout.

    Musumeci was originally set to challenge lightweight grappling champion Kade Ruotolo in the co-main event of ONE 168: Denver on Friday night. However, in a dramatic twist during fight week, Ruotolo was forced to withdraw due to injury. Consequently, the promotion quickly arranged for reigning IBJJF world champion Carlos Oliveira to step in as a last-minute replacement, facing Musumeci for his flyweight title.

    With just three days’ notice, “Darth Rigatoni” was tasked with dropping to 135 pounds, a significant cut from the originally planned 170-pound limit. Despite the extreme difficulty of such a rapid weight loss, Musumeci gave it his all. However, at Thursday’s official weigh-in, the 28-year-old New Jersey native came in at 142 pounds, missing the mark by seven pounds.

    To make matters worse, he also failed the hydration test, resulting in Musumeci being stripped of his ONE Championship title. The fight will still proceed as a catchweight bout, but now only Oliveira has a chance to win the belt if he secures the victory.

    Musumeci Labels Title Stripping The ‘Worst Day’ of His Jiu Jitsu Career

    After failing to meet the required weight and hydration benchmarks, which resulted in the loss of his title, Musumeci took to Instagram to share his emotional response to the situation. In a heartfelt message, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ expressed his sincere apologies to both his supporters and Oliveira for missing weight.

    “Probably one of the worst days of my life in jiu jitsu,” Musumeci wrote. “I wanted so bad to compete in ONE 168 in Denver. I felt horrible for the fans who were coming to see me, and I felt I was letting them down. I tried to make the championship 135 pounds weight in about 72 hours, but it was too much on short notice after preparing for the Kade match. My body and hydration shut down when I got to 136 [pounds] earlier today.”

    “Today I lost my belt, today I let down the fans, and I want to apologize to my opponent Bebeto, someone I respect greatly, for not being able to make the weight. I’m so sorry to everyone, but I gave it my all. But God has everything happen for a reason. I’m so sorry again, everyone.”

    Musumeci is fresh off a dominant first-round submission victory over Gabriel Sousa at ONE 167 this past June. Boasting an undefeated 7-0 record in the promotion, he’s proven himself a force to be reckoned with, maintaining an impressive 71% submission win rate.