ONE Championship Fists of Fury: How to Watch, Stream Info and Top Headlines
Feb 25, 2021
ONE: Fists of Fury is set for Friday, and it's loaded with compelling matches.
Headlining Fists of Fury is Ilias Ennahachi defending his flyweight kickboxing world championship against Superlek Kiatmoo9. The card also includes Rodtang Jitmuangnon making his kickboxing debut, Giorgio Petrosyan returning to the circle for the first time since 2019 and the professional debut of 16-year-old Victoria Lee.
Here's the full card, top headlines and how to watch Fists of Fury.
Where and How to Watch
ONE: Fists of Fury will take place at Singapore Indoor Stadium at 7:30 a.m. ET on Friday.
Those in the U.S. can watch the event forfree on B/R Liveand the B/R app.
Full Card
Ilias Ennahachi (36-3) vs. Superlek Kiatmoo9 (125-28-2)
Giorgio Petrosyan (103-2-2) vs. Davit Kiria (35-17)
Rodtang Jitmuangnon (265-42-10) vs. Tagir Khalilov (27-7-2)
Hiroki Akimoto (23-1) vs. Zhang Chenglong (50-14-1)
Wondergirl Fairtex (35-16-2) vs. Jackielou Buntan (20-5)
Victoria Lee (0-0) vs. Sunisa Srisen (4-1)
Top Headlines
Victoria Lee makes her pro debut
It's rare for a 16-year-old to make a professional debut with a promotion as big as ONE, but that's exactly what Lee will be doing as she takes on a 4-1 Srisen, who's coming off her first win at ONE.
Lee is the younger sister of champions Angela and Christian Lee and is an amateur world champion in MMA, jiu-jitsu and wrestling. Let's see what she can do under the brightest lights of her young career.
Rodtang's success in muay thai is undeniable as ONE's flyweight world champion with a perfect 8-0 record at the promotion. Now he'll challenge himself in another sport as he transitions to kickboxing and takes on Khalilov.
Rodtang will eye Ennahachi's title with a win, and it's no coincidence their matches are on the same card. The Thai may have a front-row seat to the main event as a top contender to the flyweight kickboxing world championship.
With a 5-0 record at the promotion and a world grand prix title under his belt, one more win would almost certainly earn The Doctor a shot at the vacant featherweight kickboxing title.
ONE Championship Royalty: The Lee Family's Newest Crown Jewel Makes Her Debut
Feb 24, 2021
ONE Championship stars Angela Lee, Victoria Lee and Christian Lee
Angela Lee is sitting "seiza" on the mats of her warmup room in the recesses of Tokyo's hallowed Ryogoku Kokugikan arena. Her gaze is downturned. She is quiet. Her father, Ken, looks on, saying nothing. Her younger brother, Christian, has just beaten Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev to win the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix and is off in some other corner of the arena speaking to reporters from Japan, wider Asia, and further afield.
Soon, it will be Angela's turn to fight.
She's hours out from an atomweight title defense against Xiong Jingnan, which will headline the blockbuster ONE: Century card. Until then, she'll remain in this moment that every fighter knows but few fans ever witness. A moment that is at once both placid and chaotic: The moment before the moment.
It's a moment that Angela experienced many times before that day in Tokyo, when the trees were still windswept from the fury of 2019's Typhoon Hagibis. It is one that her 16-year-old sister, Victoria, will experience for the first time this Friday, when she makes her professional MMA debut against Thailand's Sunisa Srisen at ONE: Fists of Fury in Singapore.
Angela, Christian and Victoria are, by all accounts, ONE royalty, part of a family that could—with a dash of exaggeration—be compared to the Gracies in the early days of the UFC in the way they've shaped the promotion they call home.
"We definitely have our chapter in ONE Championship, and we're still writing it," Angela told Bleacher Report from Hawaii, where the Lees reside, just days before her little sister's first pro fight. "ONE: Century—the last event Christian and I competed at together—was a historical moment for ONE because it marked their 100th event, but it was also the 25th event that Christian and I had done for ONE [in combination].
"That alone is pretty remarkable."
Angela, the eldest Lee sibling, won her pro-MMA debut with ONE Championship in early 2015 when she was 18 years old, and she ultimately won the promotion's atomweight title. Christian, the next eldest Lee sibling, went pro with ONE later that year when he was 17. He also won on his debut and is now the promotion's lightweight champion.
As the 16-year-old Victoria, the second-youngest of four Lee siblings, prepares to make her professional debut, Angela and Christian are a mix of nerves and excitement. They both believe in her skills—skills honed over a lifetime on the mats and in various competitions—but understand the concerns surrounding her youth.
Angela Lee and Christian Lee
"[Victoria's debut] is something my family and I talked about for a long time," Angela said, emphasizing that the decision to let Victoria fight at 16 was not made lightly. "We're believers in taking the opportunities that are presented to us. Victoria had this unique opportunity, and we think she's prepared."
Angela has spent countless hours on the mats with Victoria over the years, but she is currently weeks out from the birth of her first child and has therefore been unable to play a physical role in her little sister's preparations. Christian, however, has been on the mats throughout Victoria's camp—partly because he's gearing up to defend his lightweight title against Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE on TNT 2 on April 14.
"If there's any 16-year-old girl that's ready to fight professionally, it's Victoria," Christian told Bleacher Report at the tail-end of his little sister's camp. "It's not about her age, it's about her skills and ability, and Victoria's skills and ability will speak for themselves.
"She's got a well-rounded mixed martial arts game. She's got really fast striking. Her wrestling is excellent, and her jiu-jitsu is very smooth. What I'm excited about most is seeing her tie it all together."
As the fight with Srisen draws closer, Victoria carries the weight of expectation—not just the expectations of Angela and Christian, but those of fans the world over who expect her to live up to the standard set by her siblings.
If she's feeling the pressure of those expectations, she's hiding it well. In fact, she's already laying out plans to blaze her own trail in the sport.
"I've had a lot of mixed emotions, but right now I'm very excited," Victoria told Bleacher Report. The 16-year-old speaks very well, like Angela and Christian, but without the confidence her older siblings have developed through their years in the limelight.
"I feel very lucky to be able to train [for my debut] with my brother and sister," she added. "My brother and sister are my role models. They inspire me. However, my parents have raised us to run our own races and focus on our own journeys."
In advance of Victoria's professional debut, Angela and Christian have both provided her with plenty of wisdom—not just in terms of technique, but in terms of the intangibles of fighting.
"I've been able to give her a lot of advice that I never had when I started my career," Christian said. "No one else can understand what it's like to be 16 years old and to be preparing for a professional mixed martial arts bout in front of the world. No one can really understand the kind of pressure that she's going through, but I was in a similar position when I was 17 and making my pro debut.
"I know the kind of pressure that's on her shoulders, so I'm talking to her on a daily basis, telling her to trust herself, trust her training, and remember how hard she's worked to get where she is."
Angela has even been able to brace Victoria for those final moments before the fight, when all the training that can be done is done and the only thing left to do is wait.
"We've talked to her many times about it, telling her to just breathe through it, focus on what needs to be done," Angela said. "Don't overthink, because it's easy to get lost in all the what-ifs.
"We know that we've prepared her as much as we could, and now it's time for her to take those steps on her own and to pave her own path."
Victoria Lee
There's no telling where Victoria's path will lead.
She could lose her professional debut. Angela and Christian have both fallen short in ONE Championship before and recognize defeat as an ever-present possibility in their chosen sport.
She could win her fight with flying colors. Angela and Christian are both predicting just that—specifically that Victoria will beat Sunisa by TKO.
Victoria shares her siblings' confidence in a win, but she is content to take her journey as it comes.
"I'm just approaching my pro debut, so I'm just focusing on that right now," she said. "I'm just taking it one step at a time."
Her end goal, of course, is having a ONE Championship belt wrapped around her waist. While there are many moments that any fighter can relate to—like the lull before a fight—that isn't one of them. That's a moment reserved for a special class.
Angela and Christian have proved they belong to that class. By the time all is said and done, Victoria hopes to prove that she does too, further cementing her family's place in the ONE Championship pantheon.
"My goal is to one day become the world champion," she said. "That would be a dream come true—the best feeling in the world."
ONE Championship: How to Watch Alain Ngalani vs. Oumar 'Reug Reug' Kane
Jan 28, 2021
ONE: Unbreakable II is this Friday, and a heavyweight clash betweenviral stars Alain Ngalani and the debuting Oumar "Reug Reug" Kane is one featured match.
Headlining Unbreakable II is is another heavyweight bout between veterans Mauro Cerilli and Abdulbasir Vagabov.
Here's the full card, top headlines heading in and how to watch Unbreakable II.
Where and How to Watch
ONE: Unbreakable II will take place at Singapore Indoor Stadium at 7:30 a.m. ET on Friday.
Those in the U.S. can watch the event forfree on B/R Liveand the B/R app.
Full Card
Mauro Cerilli (13-4) vs. Abdulbasir Vagabov (12-1)
Daichi Takenaka (12-2-1) vs. Ivanildo Delfino (8-1)
Chen Rui (9-1) vs. Kwon Won Il (9-3)
Mihajlo Kecojevic (13-1) vs. Beybulat Isaev (19-5)
Sovannahry Em (3-1) vs. Choi Jeong Yun (2-1)
Alain Ngalani (4-5) vs. Oumar Kane (1-0)
Powerhouses Ngalani and "Reug Reug" look for dominant win
Arguably the two most powerful athletes on the ONE roster square off this Friday as the 45-year-old Ngalani, one of the faces of the promotion for more than seven years now, takes on the debuting "Reug Reug" Kane.
Kane went viral for his wrestling match in Senegal, where he is one of their most recognized athletes. He then transitioned to MMA in 2019.
Kane is only one match into his professional MMA career, but that hasn't stopped fans from getting excited about what the 28-year-old Senegalese can do. In his first bout, Kane took on a 6-3 opponent who had previously competed and won at Cage Warriors, Britain's biggest MMA promotion. However, Kane showed no fear and dominated the fight with his wrestling, winning in the second round by TKO. Now he'll face Ngalani, who is a viral sensation in his own right looking for his first win in nearly three years.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXLPaXQdeyg
Whoever comes out victorious, someone is probably going to get knocked out. Only once has either man been involved in an MMA match that went the distance.
Christian Lee vs. Timofey Nastyukhin Added to 'ONE on TNT' Series in April
Jan 27, 2021
ONE Championship and Turner Sports announced a four-part event series that will air during prime time in the United States this April. In addition to theAdriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnsonand Eddie Alvarez vs. Iuri Lapicus fights already scheduled for April 7, Christian Lee, Aung La N Sang and Timofey Nastyukhin will also be in action that month on TNT.
"We are absolutely thrilled to announce that we have expanded our partnership with Turner, the leader of premium sports content in the United States, to deliver our first action-packed season of 'ONE on TNT' events to our fans in America and around the world," said ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. "We look forward to showcasing the incredible talent of the greatest martial artists on the planet live on U.S. prime time."
On April 14, lightweight world champion Lee defends his title against No. 3-ranked lightweight Nastyukhin.
Lee has dominated the division, defeating three of the top four ranked contenders and needing only a win against Nastyukhin to effectively clean out the ONE lightweights. It won't be easy, though, as the Russian is coming off wins over Pieter Buist and most notably Eddie Alvarez by first-round knockout.
A week later, ONE light heavyweight world champion Sang drops down to middleweight to face rival Vitaly Bigdash in a trilogy bout to determine the division's No. 1 contender. They fought twice in 2017 when Bigdash defended his middleweight belt by decision before Sang redeemed himself and won the title just five months later.
Here's the quick rundown of what we know so far for the 'ONE on TNT' series:
April 7:
Adriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnson (flyweight world championship)
Eddie Alvarez vs. Iuri Lapicus
April 14:
Christian Lee vs. Timofey Nastyukhin (lightweight world championship)
April 21:
Aung La N Sang vs. Vitaly Bigdash
April 28:
TBA
Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Alvarez to Compete on Same Card April 7 on TNT
Jan 22, 2021
The highly anticipated title match betweenDemetrious Johnsonand ONE flyweight champion Adriano Moraes will now take place April 7 on a card that will also see the return of Eddie Alvarez against No. 2-ranked lightweight Iuri Lapicus. ONE announced Friday the card will be on TNT in primetime for the U.S. audience.
This is the second time the Moraes-Johnson fight has been rescheduled. They were originally supposed to compete in April of last year before the coronavirus pandemic put a halt to those plans, and the meeting was then slated for Feb. 24 before Friday's announcement.
After winning the flyweight world grand prix tournament in October 2019, Johnson became the No. 1 contender for Moraes' title. Theformer UFC champion is 3-0 at ONE after defeating Yuya Wakamatsu, Tatsumitsu Wada and Danny Kingad on his way to the world grand prix championship. During his time in the UFC, the Kirkland, Washington, resident was flyweight champion for six years and still owns the record for most consecutive title defenses with 11.
For a promotion that hangs its hat on the competitiveness of its smaller weight divisions, his next match against Moraes should highlight just that as one of the most important bouts in ONE history. Johnson's quest to be considered the greatest pound-for-pound mixed martial artist of all time will take a major leap with a win over Moraes, who has been close to the top of ONE's talent pool for years now.
Alvarez hasn't competed since defeating Eduard Folayang in the lightweight world grand prix semifinals in August 2019. He was supposed to face Saygid Arslanaliev in the final but pulled out because of injury. A win over Lapicus would propel The Underground King into the lightweight rankings as he vies for a shot at champion Christian Lee.
Alvarez began his ONE tenure with a shocking first-round loss to Timofey Nastyukhin before earning his first win with the promotion against Folayang. He was a UFC lightweight champion before joining ONE and owns a 30-7 record.
ONE Championship: Unbreakable How to Watch, Stream Info and Top Headlines
Jan 21, 2021
ONE Championship's first event of 2021 is this Friday, and featured on the card is American James Nakashima who is moving down to the lightweight division to take on the legendary Shinya Aoki.
Headlining ONE: Unbreakable is the bantamweight kickboxing world championship match between Alaverdi Ramazanov and Capitan Petchyindee Academy.
Here's the full card, top headlines heading in and how to watch Unbreakable.
Where and How to Watch
ONE: Unbreakable will take place at Singapore Indoor Stadium at 7:30 a.m. ET on Friday.
Those in the U.S. can watch the event forfree on B/R Liveand the B/R app.
Full Card
(c) Alaverdi Ramazanov (61-5) vs. Capitan Petchyindee Academy (140-40)
Shinya Aoki (45-9) vs. James Nakashima (12-1)
Rade Opacic (18-3) vs. Bruno Susano (86-16)
Zebaztian Kadestam (12-5) vs. Gadzhimurad Abdulaev (5-0)
Meng Bo (16-5) vs. Samara Santos (11-7-1)
Namiki Kawahara (7-3-2) vs. Lito Adiwang (11-3)
Top ONE: Unbreakable Headlines
Nakashima looks for biggest win of career vs. Aoki
Three rounds into his match against ONE welterweight champion Kiamrian Abbasov, it seemed Nakashima was well on his way to becoming just the fourth American titleholder in the promotion's history. Then a knee from Abbasov in the fourth round rocked the University of Nebraska wrestling standout and led to the first loss of his MMA career. Now he's dropping down a weight class for the first time to take on submission specialist Aoki.
Aoki's one of the most recognized names at ONE having competed at Bellator, Strikeforce, DREAM, Shooto and Rizin. Now sitting at fourth in the lightweight rankings with six wins in his last seven matches, a victory for Nakashima would make him an immediate contender in his new division.
How will Capitan and Opacic follow up their incredible knockouts?
Unbreakable features two fighters who were candidates for Knockout of the Year in 2020.
Capitan will compete for the bantamweight kickboxing world championship after knocking out Petchtanong Banchamek in just six seconds last September, tied for the quickest KO in ONE history. He'll put his 13-match win streak on the line against champion Ramazanov.
Before that main event bout, heavyweight kickboxer Opacic returns to the ONE circle just a month after landing a vicious spinning heel kick against Errol Zimmerman.
Let's see what the Serb can pull off against the experienced Susano, who makes his ONE debut.
Ranking Top 10 American ONE Championship Fighters Ahead of 2021 Season
Jan 14, 2021
Last year, we took a crack at ranking the top U.S.-based competitors at ONE Championship. After an intriguing 2020 that saw stars continue to emerge, we're back to revise our original ranking. How does ONE's young core of promising Americans compare to some of the promotion's biggest stars?
Vera hasn't fought since last year's rankings and falls four spots to No. 10 because of his inactivity and the emergence of a few other American fighters.
However, he's still the ONE heavyweight world champion and deserves to be on the list for that alone. Vera is expected to defend his title against another former UFC fighter in Arjan Bhullar at some point in 2021. Vera is 4-0 in ONE's heavyweight division and has been the champion since 2015.
9. Lowen Tynanes
Age:30
Division:Lightweight
Record:10-1
2020 Ranking: N/R
Despite losing his lone match of 2020 by a razor-thin decision to former ONE featherweight champion Marat Gafurov, we're going to give Tynanes a spot in the rankings for his 10-match winning streak he had going into the loss and a 6-1 record at ONE.
A win over Gafurov could've propelled the Hawaiian into the lightweight rankings after being out almost two years with an autoimmune disease, but perhaps the loss is now added motivation for him to continue competing regularly and maintain fighting shape. A win or two in 2021 would bring him right back into the discussion for lightweight contenders.
8. James Nakashima
Age:32
Division: Lightweight
Record:12-1
2020 Ranking: 7 (down one spot)
Nakashima is another ONE American who entered 2020 undefeated and finished it with a blemish on their record, but there's plenty of reason to believe he could be a ONE champion someday.
He had his first title shot with the promotion last November, losing to welterweight champion Kiamrian Abbasov by fourth-round TKO despite likely winning the first three rounds. Nakashima is a wrestling standout out of the University of Nebraska, and he has shown in his two years at ONE that he's among the top wrestlers the company has to offer.
With his loss to Abbasov, Nakashima decided to drop down to the lightweight division for the first time and compete against the legendary Shinya Aoki on Jan. 22. A win over the No. 4-ranked Aoki would see Nakashima enter the rankings and put him in line for another title opportunity.
7. Janet Todd
Age:35
Division: Atomweight
Record:36-11
2020 Ranking: 5 (down two spots)
The ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion hasn't competed since our rankings from last year, so it was always going to be tough for her to remain in our top five. However, Todd's four-fight win streak topped off with a title win over Stamp Fairtex can't be denied as one of the bigger accomplishments by an American in the promotion's history.
Let's see what's next in the cards for Todd.
6. Garry Tonon
Age:29
Division: Featherweight
Record:6-0
2020 Ranking:9 (up three spots)
"Thanh Le, I'm coming for you. I'm coming for the gold you hold around your waist. It's mine."
That's the message Tonon sent after his win over top featherweight contender Koyomi Matsushima in December, making it clear that he has his eyes on the division's champion. Now ranked third in the featherweight rankings behind former champion Martin Nguyen and current lightweight champion Christian Lee, Tonon is in good company.
Although he'll likely have to wait before earning a shot at the title, the jiu-jitsu phenom is in a very good spot heading into 2021.
5. Eddie Alvarez
Age:37
Division: Lightweight
Record: 30-7
2020 Ranking:4 (down one spot)
It's unfortunate for Alvarez, now 37 years old, to have gone 18 months without competing. As he nears the tail-end of his career, Alvarez would love to become the first person to earn gold in the UFC, Bellator and ONE. To do that though, he'll need to gain momentum and earn one or two more victories before challenging Christian Lee.
Nolan King of MMA Junkie (h/t Tom Taylor of BJPenn.com) reported that he could face contenders Iuri Lapicus in April, while Saygid Arslanaliev is another possible contender. Either would certainly be another great win on his decorated resume.
4. Thanh Le
Age:35
Division: Featherweight
Record: 12-2
2020 Ranking:8 (up four spots)
In terms of improvement from last year's rankings, no one raised their stock more than Thanh Le. He was the only American to win two matches in 2020, defeating top contender Ryogo Takahashi before earning a title shot against Nguyen.
He then became the first person to knock out Nguyen, earning the featherweight world championship after their Match of the Year at ONE.
Thanh Le is quickly becoming a fan favorite, and for good reason. Whether it's a rematch against Nguyen or title defenses against Christian Lee or Tonon, that excitement is only going to grow.
3. Angela Lee
Age:24
Division: Atomweight
Record: 10-2
2020 Ranking:3 (same spot)
Although she didn't compete in 2020 because of travel restrictions and pregnancy, Lee is still the ONE atomweight world champion and the most decorated female fighter in ONE history. She's been a champion for nearly five years and defended her title four times.
When Lee returns, she'll have an atomweight world grand prix winner waiting to challenge her next.
2. Christian Lee
Age:22
Division: Lightweight
Record: 14-3
2020 Ranking:2 (same spot)
If you haven't been paying attention to Christian Lee, you should probably start. He's quietly been the most dominant fighter on ONE's roster.
At just 22 years old, Lee has wins over Aoki, Arslanaliev and Lapicus. Effectively cleaning out the lightweight division as its champion, Lee has considered returning to the featherweight division in an attempt to become a two-division titleholder. That could set up mouthwatering matchups with Le, Tonon or perhaps a trilogy bout with Nguyen.
Regardless of what's next for Lee, he likely has a long and storied career ahead of him.
1. Demetrious Johnson
Age:34
Division: Flyweight
Record: 30-3
2020 Ranking:1 (same spot)
Was there really any doubt? Although Demetrious Johnson didn't compete in 2020, there's simply no reason to knock him off the top spot when ranking ONE's top Americans. Not only is he the best pound-for-pound athlete at ONE, he may also be the greatest MMA fighter to ever do it.
His most recent accomplishment came when he won the ONE flyweight world grand prix. Next, he'll face flyweight champion Adriano Moraes in a match that's been in the works for nearly a year now. If Mighty Mouse wins, he'll become the first person to win titles at UFC and ONE.
5 ONE Championship Matches We'd Like to See in 2021
Jan 8, 2021
2020 was a strange year for ONE Championship as the coronavirus pandemic forced the Singapore-based promotion to not hold events for nearly six months.
However, it still managed to showcase the continued emergence of Asian stars and budding rivalries that highlighted much of the year. ONE will welcome back those athletes in addition to top stars like Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez in 2021 after neither were able to compete last year.
There are plenty of dream matches to think about for the new year. Here are five that we'd like to see in 2021.
Adriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnson
2021 finally has to be the year for Moraes vs. Johnson, right?
Johnson's eyes have been on Moraes' flyweight title since he joined ONE in 2018. After winning the world grand prix, "Mighty Mouse" earned that championship shot, and the two were set to face off in April of 2020. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, their match was postponed and is now slated for Feb. 24 in Singapore.
It will be a matchup between the three-time ONE flyweight champion in Moraes and the greatest flyweight of all time in Johnson. This has been a dream match among fans for a while now, so hopefully their meeting will in fact happen next month.
Eddie Alvarez vs. Iuri Lapicus or Saygid Arslanaliev
We haven't seen Alvarez in action since August of 2019, the longest layoff of his career. He was supposed to face Saygid Arslanaliev in the lightweight world grand prix in October 2019, but he was forced to pull out because of injury. It was rumored that ONE wanted to reschedule this match, but Nolan King of MMA Junkie (h/t Tom Taylor of BJPenn.com) reported are that Alvarez vs. lightweight contender Iuri Lapicus could happen instead this April.
Regardless of what ONE decides on, both matches make sense for Alvarez. Arslanaliev was an opponent "The Underground King" already prepared for, while Lapicus is coming off a title-match loss to Christian Lee and is an established top contender in the lightweight division.
Regardless of who his opponent ends up being, it will be nice to see Alvarez back in the cage.
Thanh Le vs. Martin Nguyen II
Who doesn't want to see a rematch of ONE's 2020 MMA match of the year?
After Le knocked out Nguyen in the third round of their featherweight title match last October, the former champion has requested a rematch. As the titleholder for nearly three years, Nguyen will almost certainly get it after their incredible first meeting. ONE even promoted a rematch as something to look forward to in 2021.
There's been some talk of Christian Lee coming back down to featherweight in hopes of becoming a two-division champion, but he'll likely have to wait for the winner of Le-Nguyen II to do it.
Bibiano Fernandes vs. John Lineker
Former UFC fighter Lineker, who won notable matches against Rob Font, Marlon Vera and Brian Kelleher during his time with the promotion, is now 2-0 at ONE and coming off a knockout victory over No. 1 bantamweight contender Kevin Belingon. He made his intentions clear after the win that he wants champion Fernandes next.
A bout between the two Brazilians would be welcomed, especially considering the matchup of Fernandes' grappling against Lineker's striking. Fernandes hasn't competed since October of 2019, but the 40-year-old would likely return with his compatriot waiting for him.
Of all the matches mentioned, this one is the least likely to happen simply because there are a few different factors to consider.
Aliakbari was supposed to make his ONE debut last December, but his opponent was a late scratch. When he eventually does make his debut, he'll only need one or two wins before earning a shot at the heavyweight championship held by Vera.
Vera is expected to first defend his title against Arjan Bhullar after their match originally slated for last May was postponed. This poses a couple of problems for a dream match between Vera and Aliakbari in 2021. If Vera defeats Bhullar, it's unlikely he'd compete again in 2021 as he hasn't fought twice in a year since 2011. If Vera were to lose to Bhullar, it's likely they would either have a rematch or Aliakbari would move on to face the new champion.
Vera and Aliakbari will almost certainly fight at some point, but it just might not happen this year. If ONE can make it happen, though, it would be the biggest heavyweight match in the promotion's history.
Top 5 ONE Championship Knockouts of 2020
Dec 30, 2020
Between spinning heel kicks, head kicks and right hooks, there were a lot of candidates to choose from for the best ONE Championship knockouts of 2020. To be exact, there were 50 (yes, we counted).
However, we narrowed our list down to five. Taking into consideration physical impact, creativity and in some cases the importance of the match, here are our top five ONE knockouts from the year.
5. Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai punch vs. Sangmanee Klong Suanpluresort (Aug. 21)
Sangmanee came into the semifinals of ONE's bantamweight muay thai tournament as a heavy favorite, but that didn't stop Kulabdam from landing a devastating knockout punch in the first round and advancing to the final. It was a tremendous flurry of offense from the Thai, starting with a right jab and then landing a left body shot, right uppercut and left hook to finish his opponent off.
He didn't go on to win the tournament, but Kulabdam will always have this impressive knockout and major upset on his resume.
Heading in to their match, Nguyen was the top knockout artist ONE had to offer. It seemed like every match he was part of ended in dramatic fashion. That continued to be the case when he took on Le, but this time he was on the wrong side of the result.
At the start of the third round, Nguyen pressured Le immediately and landed some heavy punches that clearly bothered his opponent. It seemed like Nguyen was headed for another knockout to add to his resume until Le responded with a crisp right hand that came out of nowhere.
Le took advantage of a hurt Nguyen and continued with an onslaught of punches that looked like something out of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots. The referee came in to stop the match, and Le was the new ONE featherweight world champion. To be able to bounce back from the number of shots Nguyen was landing and defeat him in a title match is a testament to Le and this knockout.
3. Nong-O Gaiyanghadao punch vs. Rodlek P.K. Saenchaimuaythaigym (Dec. 18)
After Rodlek won the bantamweight muay thai tournament, he earned a title shot against champion Nong-O. It wouldn't end with a championship for the challenger, though, as Nong-O landed a lightning-fast jab that dropped Rodlek to the mat in a split second.
This knockout earns extra points for how sudden it was. It seemed like no one was prepared for the match to end right at that moment, but Nong-O had other ideas.
2. Bokang Masunyane head kick vs. Rene Catalan (Dec. 4)
Masunyane came into this bout looking to break into the strawweight rankings with a win over the No. 3-ranked Catalan. He did that and more after landing a vicious head kick seemingly out of nowhere just 37 seconds into the match for an incredible knockout.
Masunyane is now 8-0 and will look to have another big year in 2021.
1. Rade Opacic spinning heel kick vs. Errol Zimmerman (Dec. 11)
You can always expect great striking technique from kickboxers, but the spinning heel kick from Opacic was a thing of beauty. The Serb timed it perfectly, landing right on Zimmerman's jaw and rendering him unable to continue their match.
The creativity and physical impact of this knockout is too great to not have in our top spot.
What do you all think? Let us know in the comments.
Top 5 ONE Championship Fighters of 2020
Dec 28, 2020
ONE featherweight world champion Thanh Le
It was a strange year for ONE Championship as the pandemic forced the Singapore-based promotion to not hold events for nearly half the year. It still managed to host hundreds of matches with some of their top athletes over seven months.
Among those athletes, five in particular really stood out. Here are the top fighters from ONE in 2020.
Note: The rankings are based only on an athlete's 2020 matches and not their career as a whole.
5. Yodkaikaew Fairtex
2020 record: 3-0
Accomplishments: One of four ONE athletes to win three matches in 2020
Highlight: Win over Tatsumitsu Wada
Yodkaikaew isn't a well-known name at ONE. In fact, he only joined the promotion in August. However, that's part of the reason he's making this list.
When ONE started to host events again in July, it did so exclusively from Thailand for nearly two months. Due to travel restrictions, it exclusively worked with Thai-based athletes, many of whom had never competed for ONE until the company signed them to short-term contracts in hopes of consistently hosting full match cards. One of the fighters eager to prove his worth was Yodkaikaew.
After defeating his first opponent by TKO, he took a short-notice match against Alex Schild just two weeks later and also knocked him out. His impressive performances earned him a contract extension and a match against Tatsumitsu Wada, a veteran flyweight for ONE who fought Demetrious Johnson last year.
Yodkaikaew capped off a remarkable 2020 with an upset victory over his Japanese opponent, taking advantage of the circumstantial opportunity to sign with ONE and prove he belonged with the promotion.
4. Thanh Le
2020 record: 2-0
Accomplishments: Became ONE featherweight world champion
Highlight: Knocking out Martin Nguyen
Le is the only American at ONE to win two matches in 2020, doing so by defeating contender Ryogo Takahashi at the beginning of the year to earn a title shot against renowned knockout artist Martin Nguyen in October.
After Nguyen landed some heavy punches in the third round that seemed like they were going to put Le away, the challenger answered with a devastating right hand that wobbled the champion and turned the direction of the match. After an onslaught of punches landed, the referee stopped the match and cemented Le's spot as one of ONE's most successful fighters in 2020 after becoming the first person to knock out Nguyen.
3. Reinier De Ridder
2020 record: 2-0
Accomplishments: Became ONE middleweight world champion
Highlight: Submitting Aung La N Sang
De Ridder has a similar resume to Le. He also defeated a top contender earlier in the year and went on to defeat the division's champion, but we're putting the Dutchman slightly ahead because of the ease in which he defeated Aung La N Sang for the belt.
Sang, who came into the match with a 11-1 ONE record and whose only loss in the promotion came by decision, was completely stifled by De Ridder. He put on a jiu-jitsu masterclass by taking down Sang to the ground less than 30 seconds into the match and submitting him in the first round. De Ridder looks poised for a long run as the middleweight champion.
2. Rodtang Jitmuangnon
2020 record: 2-0
Accomplishments: Defended ONE flyweight muay thai world title twice
Highlight: Knocked out Jonathan Haggerty
Not only do two successful title defenses make 2020 a great year for Rodtang, but it's also that he defeated two of his biggest rivals in the process that really elevate him in these rankings.
Last January, he faced Jonathan Haggerty in a highly anticipated rematch of their back-and-forth bout from last year in which Rodtang won by decision. In their second clash, the Thai left no doubt as to who the superior fighter was by knocking Haggerty out in the third round. Rodtang looked impervious to anything his opponent threw at him, walking through what seemed like every strike.
He defeated Petchdam Petchyindee Academy by majority decision in ONE's first event back after a five-month hiatus due to the pandemic. All in all, it was a great year for Rodtang, who is now 8-0 at ONE.
1. Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy
2020 record: 3-0
Accomplishments: Won ONE featherweight muay thai world title and defended twice
Highlight: TKO of Magnus Andersson
It's impressive enough to win three matches at a promotion in a year, especially when almost half of ONE's season was suspended because of the pandemic. It's even more impressive when a fighter manages to win a championship and also defends it twice in the same year. Frankly that's unusual even in normal years, but it's exactly what Petchmorakot managed to do.
After winning the inaugural featherweight muay thai world title in February, he defeated the legendary Yodsanklai Fairtex to defend his title when ONE returned from their hiatus in July. In a quick six-week turnaround for his second defense, the Thai knocked out the up-and-coming Magnus Andersson to cap off a sensational 2020.
Let's see what Petchmorakot can do as champion in a full year.
