Why 2024 was a great year for ONE Championship

Another year has passed, and ONE Championship has solidified its status with yet another wildly successful 12 months.

In fact, 2024 brought landmark moments, epic fights, and the emergence of prodigious talents who made their mark on the global stage.

The year kicked off with a bang at ONE 165, where future two-sport, two-division king Superlek Kiatmoo9 clashed with Japanese kickboxing superstar Takeru Segawa in a thrilling five-round war between two legends.

Then in March, ONE Championship made its long-awaited return to the Middle East. ONE 166 took place at Doha’s Lusail Sports Arena, headlined by three World Title bouts.

In the main event, Anatoly Malykhin defeated Reinier de Ridder to claim the middleweight MMA crown, becoming the first three-sport MMA World Champion.

September saw ONE 168 unfold at Denver, Colorado’s Ball Arena, delivering unforgettable moments. Former bantamweight MMA World Champion John Lineker made his Muay Thai debut. Flyweight MMA legend Demetrious Johnson retired. And Superlek captured the bantamweight Muay Thai gold in a stunning 49-second victory over Jonathan Haggerty.

The event also marked a significant milestone for ONE Championship in the U.S., outdrawing WWE’s Monday Night Raw and NXT events with a live gate of $1,280,335.

Looking ahead, ONE is set to return to the U.S. twice in 2025, with further details expected to be revealed soon.

More stars emerge from ONE Friday Fights in 2024

The ONE Friday Fights series continued to captivate the combat sports world in 2024. Weekly bouts held at Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium have been a launchpad for new stars.

Among the breakout talents this year are Laos’ Thant Zin, Britain’s Freddie Haggerty, and Colombia’s Johan Estupinan.

Thant Zin delivered an impressive performance against Japanese ace Takeru Segawa. Haggerty went undefeated in 2024 with three consecutive knockouts, earning him a fight at ONE 170 in January.

Meanwhile, Estupinan notched four victories in just seven months, cementing himself as one of the fastest-rising stars in the promotion.

With their meteoric rise in 2024, these fighters are poised to make an even bigger impact in the year ahead.