ONE Championship News
Tom DeBlass signs with ONE Championship
Adam Martin - May 17, 2020
Former UFC and Bellator light heavyweight Tom DeBlass is coming out of retirement and signing with ONE Championship, he announced on Sunday. The 38-year-old DeBlass is a third-degree black belt under Ricardo Almedia and is considered one of the finest grapplers in the world. Between 2010 and 2013, DeBlass racked up a 9-2 record in MMA. He fought twice in the UFC back in 2012, losing to Cyrille Diabate and Riki Fukuda via decision. He then signed with Bellator and picked up wins over Carlos Brooks and Jason Lambert before stepping away from MMA in 2013 to focus on his love for Brazilian jiu-jitsu and his gym, Ocean County BJJ.
Alain Ngalani finding new motivation in special rules bout with Vitor Belfort
Tom Taylor - April 30, 2020
Alain Ngalani has been given the momentous task of welcoming former UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort to ONE Championship, and he relishes that challenge. In fact, it’s providing him with new motivation after a prolonged period of listlessness. Ngalani, who hails from Cameroon and now lives in Hong Kong, says the bout will most likely occur in the ONE light heavyweight division under a modified rule set—though the pertinent details are still being hashed out. The date of this showdown is also a moving target amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Vitor Belfort confirms opponent for ONE Championship debut
Tom Taylor - April 28, 2020
Vitor Belfort says he has an opponent for his ONE Championship debut. Belfort, who signed with ONE Championship in early 2019, recently told AsianMMA.com he has accepted a fight with hulking Hong Kong-based heavyweight Alain Ngalani.
ONE Championship unveils official athlete rankings
Tom Taylor - April 27, 2020
ONE Championship has launched its first-ever, official athlete rankings. “It is with great excitement that I announce the inaugural ONE Championship Official Rankings,” said ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Angela Lee eyeing Denise Zamboanga, Xiong Jingnan bouts when pandemic subsides
Tom Taylor - April 22, 2020
ONE atomweight champion Angela Lee, like many other fighters, is currently playing a bit of a waiting game. While she was recently linked to a title defense opposite the undefeated Denise Zamboanga, that plan was put on ice when the coronavirus pandemic took hold. “Everything is up in the air,” Lee told BJPENN.com from her home in Hawaii. “I’m definitely still training with Denise in mind, but anything can happen.
Vitor Belfort: ONE debut was in the works before pandemic hit
Tom Taylor - April 20, 2020
Vitor Belfort says his ONE Championship debut was in the works before the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Belfort revealed that his debut was nearly finalized in an interview with MMA Junkie.
Rich Franklin explains how new podcast came together
Tom Taylor - April 15, 2020
Rich Franklin wears many hats. He’s a former UFC champ. He’s a ONE Championship executive. He’s the President of ONE Warrior Series and the host of the web series of the same name. And now, he’s a podcast host. Last week, the former UFC middleweight champion announced the launch of his new podcast, Franklin Speaking, which is co-hosted by his ONE Warrior Series co-star Jonathan Fong.
Rich Franklin admits that moving on from fighting is a “difficult adjustment”
Harry Kettle - April 14, 2020
Former UFC star Rich Franklin has admitted that the process of moving on from being a professional fighter is a “difficult adjustment”. Franklin was once considered to be one of the best middleweights in the world, and heading into his fight with Anderson Silva at UFC 77, many believed he was the favorite to once again win the Middleweight Championship.
Chatri Sityodtong suggests several ONE Championship vs UFC super fights
Tom Taylor - April 3, 2020
Chatri Sityodtong is keen to pit some of the best fighters in ONE Championship against the stars of the UFC. Speaking during a live Q&A on Facebook, Sityodtong was asked about potential ONE Championship vs. UFC super fights and quickly suggested a battle between ONE strawweight champ Xiong Jingnan and her countrywoman, UFC strawweight champ Weili Zhang.
Bibiano Fernandes doubtful he can help Demetrious Johnson prep for ONE title fight
Tom Taylor - March 31, 2020
Demetrious Johnson is gearing up for a May 29 fight with ONE flyweight champ Adriano Moraes: a deadly Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist with power to boot. Needless to say, this would be an opportune time for Johnson call on his long-time friend and training partner, ONE bantamweight champ Bibiano Fernandes, who bears many stylistic similarities to Moraes. Unfortunately, Johnson and Fernandes will probably be unable to reach one another anytime soon. Living in Bellevue, Washington and Vancouver, B.C respectively, they’re only about 120 miles apart as the crow flies. Yet they’re also separated by the US-Canada border, which has become an almost insurmountable hurdle in the time of the coronavirus.
VIDEO | 35 of the best finishes in ONE Championship history
Tom Taylor - March 27, 2020
Got a hankering for some combat sports action? Looking to kill twenty-something minutes of your self-imposed quarantine? Either way, we’ve got you covered with this action-packed highlight of the best finishes in ONE Championship history.
Bibiano Fernandes focusing on mental growth as plans for next fight develop
Tom Taylor - March 24, 2020
ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes hasn’t fought since he settled his long-standing rivalry with Kevin Belingon back in October. As the coronavirus pandemic continues to tighten its grip on the world, it’s increasingly unclear when he will be able to fight again. Ever the picture of composure, Fernandes is keeping his cool in the face of this uncertainty.