The Most Exciting Fighters to Watch on the ONE Championship Roster

ONE Championship has an underrated roster of fighters who bring the fight each time out, but many MMA fans are unaware of the quality within the depths of its talent pool. Let's change that.

ONE also has a strong core of young fighters who have been developing their skills in the promotion. It is something that is set to pay off as they grow into some of the best in the world. A few of those mixed martial artists make an appearance on this list.

For the purpose of this exercise, all current champions were excluded as well as recent additions from the UFC such as Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez. It would be almost cheating to include former UFC titleholders as the most exciting fighters to watch.

So, with that selection put aside, who are the exceptional athletes you need to be watching as the year moves along? The answer to that question is just a moment away.

Here are the exhilarating fighters who will keep you entertained each time they step foot inside the ONE Championship cage.

Overall Record: 20-1-2

ONE Championship Record: 4-1

Are you a fan of submissions? Well, you should tune in to Hayato Suzuki the next time he fights at a ONE Championship event.

Of his four victories for the promotion, all four come by way of rear-naked choke: three in the first round.

Suzuki's only loss came in November 2017. Since then, he has run off three straight wins. The streak put him in a position to challenge for the ONE strawweight title, but an injury forced him off the card. 

Yosuke Saruta took his spot and beat champion Joshua Pacio. They are set for a rematch later in 2019.

When Suzuki returns, he should be in a position to claim his opportunity. If not, he's still at the top of the division and close to earning a title shot with his run of submission stylings.

Overall Record: 7-1

ONE Championship Record: 6-1

Four of Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev's ONE victories have come by way of violent strikes. And the other two? Submissions. He has never been to the scorecards, which tells you  something about the 24-year-old.

Only one of his wins went past the first round.

His only loss was a DQ due to an illegal kick. He has yet to taste true defeat.

While he was born in Dagestan, you won't get the dominant grinding from him that you get with the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Arslanaliev now resides in Turkey and is representing the nation well with his work in ONE. 2019 is shaping up to be a big year for him.

He has already advanced to the semi-finals of the lightweight grand prix where he will meet Ariel Sexton.

Arslanaliev has to be firmly supplanted in the lightweight title mix after his astonishing work in the cage. Youth and vigor are helping to bolster ONE's ranks and make them a destination for fight fans looking for talent just like him.

Overall Record: 11-1

ONE Championship Record: 7-1

Unlike our previous entries, Danny Kingad hasn't wowed ONE audiences with a wave of finishes. He hasn't finished an opponent since 2016. However, he does bring in some of the best work in the flyweight division.

He lost his bid for the flyweight crown but has rebounded nicely with four straight wins. Now he stands as the favorite in his half of the ONE Championship flyweight grand prix bracket. If he makes the finals, a potential match with Demetrious Johnson awaits. It would be the biggest test of his skills and his biggest opportunity to date.

Securing the ONE flyweight grand prix title would instantly put Kingad among the best in the world. 2019 can be his true coming-out party.

It will be a tough ask, but it's the chance to legitimize himself and the organization. He is a fighter to watch this year.

Overall Record: 8-1

ONE Championship Record: 5-1

While Tiffany Teo may have failed in her attempt to become the ONE flyweight champion, she remains one of the best women in the company.

Teo got right back in the win column after the loss to Xiong Jing Nan by defeating fellow contender Michelle Nicolini.

"No Chill" does her best work on the mat. She has two submission finishes under the ONE banner, but she can also secure position and dole out punishment with ground-and-pound if need be. At just 29, Teo has time to continue to develop her skills to end up a champion.

Teo's talents are helping to build a credible roster of talented women in ONE. It is no longer just the UFC harboring the top fighters.

ONE is building something great, and Teo is just one example of its ability to scout and foster talent.

Overall Record: 11-3

ONE Championship Record: 11-3

Christian Lee is just 20 years old and already has 20 fights to his name, but more impressive is his 11-3 record. After a 2016 loss to Martin Nguyen, he reeled off four straight wins to get his rematch. This time it was for the featherweight title.

Nguyen would pick up the win again, but Lee got right back to work. He took another loss, by DQ, before getting back to winning ways.

Lee picked up his second straight win to kick off 2019 with a first-round drubbing of Edward Kelly.

The talented star has to be one of ONE Championship's most prized fighters. At just 20, he is coming into his own with a high ceiling he can meet should his talents continue to develop. There is the potential for him to become one of the faces of the company.

With 11 spectacular finishes, Lee is a can't-miss fighter.

Overall Record: 12-5

ONE Championship Record: 5-2

Reece McLaren is one of the best non-champions in ONE. His only two career losses have come against the elites of his division.

His attempt at nabbing gold from Bibiano Fernandes in December showcased his talents as he was just edged out by the former champion.

He dropped his next outing, against Kevin Belingon, in just 62 seconds. He could have easily folded after those losses to top competition. Instead, McLaren was able to address holes in his game and return to form.

Since the loss to Belingon, McLaren has knocked off three opponents and finished two via submission.

Kairat Akhmetov awaits McLaren in the flyweight grand prix's opening round on March 31. McLaren could be a sleeper pick in the tournament given his past performances. The Australian flyweight is helping to make 135 pounds the signature division of ONE.

Overall Record: 10-0

ONE Championship Record: 6-0

Lowen Tynanes has flown under the radar for a lot of MMA fans but expect that to change in 2019.

The 28-year-old has a strong ground game, four career submissions and developing stand-up skills. It has helped him stay undefeated.

Tynanes' chance to make a statement will come in the semi-finals of the lightweight grand prix. He will face the winner of Eddie Alvarez vs. Timofey Nastyukhin.

Alvarez will be the early favorite in the tournament, meaning he could get an opportunity to face the former UFC and Bellator champion and enter the consciousness of a wider MMA audience.

The upcoming year should answer the question over whether Tynanes is for real. The action fighter will be sure to gain a lot more fans as the organization grows worldwide.

Overall Record: 11-3

ONE Championship Record: 5-3

Leandro Ataides hasn't had the same success as many others under the ONE banner, but don't let that fool you. He is an exciting fighter to watch and has the ability to make waves in the middleweight division.

After a quick 2-0 start in ONE, he got a shot at the inaugural ONE middleweight crown. He lost that bid and his next two fights, and it looked as if he would fade away as a challenger. Instead, Ataides has rebuilt himself as a threat.

He has finished two of his last three fights including a highlight-reel flying knee KO. And his true skills are on the mat as a jiu-jitsu specialist.

At 32, he should be entering his athletic prime which will make him even more interesting to watch.

Has he flipped the switch to become a title threat again? Or is this just fool's gold? We will find out soon enough, but regardless of the end result, fans can expect Ataides to throw caution to the wind in his attempt to climb the ranks.

Overall Record: 17-2

ONE Championship Record: 3-2

After back-to-back losses in ONE in 2016, Muin Gafurov returned to the regional circuit to regroup. After four consecutive wins, he came back against the dangerous Leandro Issa.

The result was a knockout victory in 2:24 of the first round. A triumphant return that puts the 23-year-old back in the hunt.

Gafurov is another youngster getting fantastic experience as a member of the ONE roster.

The bantamweight contender also brings in a world-class sambo background. The grappling art helped Fedor Emelianenko rise to fame in PRIDE, and now Gafurov is hoping it will bring him the same level of success in ONE. After extending his win streak to five, he is ready to make a run at the title.

Gafurov's underrated striking and excellent grappling will make him a force as he matures in the sport.

Overall Record: 3-0

ONE Championship Record: 3-0

If there is any fighter you could have guessed would be on this list, it was Garry Tonon.

His world-class submission skills made him a hot prospect for MMA. After signing with ONE, submission enthusiasts were waiting to see how he'd perform in the sport. He made his debut in March 2018 and breezed through Richard Corminal with a TKO win.

He fought twice more in 2018 and won each via submission.

It shouldn't be long before Tonon challenges for the featherweight title; his grappling is that dominant.

While he will still need to continue to develop his stand-up, he appears more than willing to exchange when necessary. Although, it may not be required too often.

Ben Askren showed that a dominant grappler can cruise to great success in ONE, and Tonon has more finishing ability with his jiu-jitsu than Askren ever did.

He is a frightening prospect with massive potential—perhaps the most of any current ONE Championship fighter.

His grappling is a joy to watch and his MMA career will be as well.