5 Defining Moments: One Championship

One Championship forever altered the mixed martial arts landscape when it debuted in 2011. Now, nearly a full decade later, it continues to push the envelope.

The Chatri Sityodtong-fronted promotion will move forward with its loaded schedule when it stages One Championship “Full Blast” on Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. A muay Thai match between Saemapetch Fairtex and Kulabdam Sor Jor Piek-U-Thai headlines the event, while a featherweight MMA co-main event pitting Indian Combat Sports Academy export Kantharaj Shankar Agasa against Wei Xie provides support.

As One Championship approaches its latest offering, a look at five of the moments that have come to define the Singapore-based organization:

One Championship “Full Blast” airs Friday in more than 150 countries on televisions, tablets, computers and mobile devices at 8:30 a.m. ET.

1. Starting Line

One Championship staged its first event with “Champion vs. Champion” on Sept. 3, 2011 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. It brought together Pride Fighting Championships rules with the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, permitting soccer kicks, knees to the head of a grounded opponent and stomps. Eduard Folayang defeated A-Sol Kwon by unanimous decision in the lightweight main event, while Yoshiyuki Yoshida laid claim to a unanimous verdict over Phil Baroni in the three-round co-headliner at 170 pounds. The show featured two sub-minute finishes on the undercard, as Eddie Ng punched out Chunbo Yuan in 45 seconds and Vuyisile Colossa cut down Xing Yu Ma with punches in 49 seconds. With that, One Championship was off and running. The organization has since promoted 165 shows, mostly in Asia.

2. Deadly Consequences

Following the tragic death of Chinese flyweight Jianbing Yang on Dec. 11, 2015, One Championship banned weight cutting by dehydration. Bing was scheduled to face Geje Eustaqio at “Spirit of Champions” in Manila, Philippines, but collapsed the morning of their fight. Though efforts—including intensive rehydration treatment—were made to resuscitate him, Bing died at the age of 22. One Championship now utilizes a team to monitor fighters during training camps to ensure they remain hydrated and healthy up to three hours before they are slated to compete. The Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator MMA and the Professional Fighters League still allow participants to cut excess weight through dehydration.

3. Gladiatorial Grind

Angela Lee waded through a spirited challenge from Mei Yamaguchi to claim the vacant women’s atomweight crown in the One Championship “Ascent to Power” headliner on May 6, 2016 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. The unbeaten Lee was awarded a unanimous decision after five rounds, as she emerged victorious in a clear contender for “Fight of the Year.” The five-round encounter was filled with elaborate scrambles, exquisite transitions, crisp standup exchanges and repeated submission attempts on both sides. Yamaguchi made the 19-year-old work for the full 25 minutes, flooring her with an overhand right at the start of the remarkable third round before nearly submitting her twice with armbars. Lee cleared the hurdle and, with the outcome still very much in doubt, found another gear in rounds four and five. The Evolve MMA prospect emptied her tool chest in a bid to stop Yamaguchi inside the distance: She attempted everything from an armbar, guillotine and brabo choke to an ankle lock, arm-triangle and triangle choke. Her efforts failed, leaving her to settle for the decision. It marked the birth of a homegrown star.

4. Historic Breakthrough

Jingnan Xiong became the first Chinese mixed martial artist to capture a major title when she put away Tiffany Teo with fourth-round punches to win the inaugural One Championship women’s strawweight crown in the “Kings of Courage” main event on Jan. 20, 2018 at the Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia. Teo succumbed to blows 2:17 into Round 4. Xiong has since retained the 125-pound championship on four different occasions, denying Laura Balin, Samara Santos Cunha and Angela Lee before earning a unanimous decision over Teo in their Oct. 30 rematch.

5. One-Sided Transaction

One Championship sent shockwaves through the industry on Nov. 3, 2018, when the organization announced it had “traded” former welterweight champion Ben Askren to the Ultimate Fight Championship in exchange for ex-UFC flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson. Askren made his promotional four months later at UFC 235, where he submitted Robbie Lawler with a first-round bulldog choke. The four-time NCAA All-American and two-time national champion drew two more assignments inside the Octagon, only to be met with disastrous results. Askren suffered a five-second knockout to Jorge Masvidal at UFC 239, then was choked unconscious by Demian Maia in the UFC Fight Night 162 main event. He announced his retirement less than a month later. Johnson, meanwhile, won the One Championship flyweight grand prix, and despite a recent knockout loss to Adriano Moraes, he remains a key piece in the promotion’s plans moving forward.