ONE Championship News

BJPENN.COM Staff - October 23, 2018

Early last week, ONE Championship announced that it had locked a multiple-bout contract with free agent Eddie Alvarez. Known as “The Underground King”, Alvarez’s arrival at ONE instantly sent shockwaves into the martial arts industry, sparking conversations about not only who about possible matchups for Alvarez under the ONE banner, but also other potential free agent signings ONE could announce. ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong hinted that Alvarez isn’t the only big name to be joining the promotion, and that he has plans of announcing other big names in the near future. This had fans immediately speculating.

Tom Taylor - October 23, 2018

ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion Aung La N Sang is a hero to the people of Myanmar. When he fights in the country — as he has in his last four bouts — it has the feeling of a national event. The Burmese champion draws nationwide media attention and unfailingly packs Yangon’s Thuwunna Indoor Stadium to the rafters. His next fight, which will pit him against the undefeated Mohammad Karaki in the main event of ONE: Pursuit of Greatness this Friday, will be no different.

BJPENN.COM Staff - October 23, 2018

There are few martial artists in the world who have accomplished as much or more than Eddie Alvarez has in his 15-year, 36-bout career. That’s why ONE Championship’s recent signing of the Underground King was such a big deal. The 34-year-old has won multiple championships with a number of different organizations, but he hasn’t conquered a division in ONE. During a global press conference to promote the upcoming ONE: HEART OF THE LION event in Singapore in November, and to introduce Alvarez, the 34-year-old talked about his upcoming challenge, new opportunity, and organization.

Tom Taylor - October 22, 2018

The first time Filipino knockout artist Kevin Belingon met Bibiano Fernandes in the ONE Championship cage, things didn’t go the way he planned. Instead, he was submitted by the dominating ONE bantamweight champion in the very first round. On November 9, at ONE: Heart of the Lion in Singapore, Kevin Belingon, who now wears the ONE interim bantamweight belt, will have a second chance to topple the seemingly unstoppable Bibiano Fernandes. This time around, he’s confident he can pull it off. A lot has changed since their first fight, after all.

BJPENN.COM Staff - October 22, 2018

Angela Lee, Aung La N Sang, Bibiano Fernandes, Ben Askren, and Martin Nguyen are the names most synonymous with ONE Championship today. There is no end in sight for most of them, but top-tier talent continues to make its way into the organization. The current champions and most recognizable figures will likely have to make room for the next wave of superstars. Obviously, anything can happen in martial arts, but there are at least four competitors with a good chance to become the next main-event level members of ONE Championship’s roster.

Tom Taylor - October 19, 2018

Former UFC and Bellator lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez is now a ONE Championship fighter. Speaking on the ONE: Heart of the Lion conference call on Wednesday evening, Alvarez opened up on his decision to sign with the Singapore-based promotion. “Without getting too much into it, we had offers from all around the world,” Eddie Alvarez said (transcript via MMA Fighting). “We got offers from just about everyone you can think of. Everyone expressed interest. The idea of ONE Championship, it’s the only major organization I haven’t held world title in. I won the Bellator title twice during my career, I won the UFC title during my career and as far as I’m concerned, ONE is the only major organization that I haven’t got to touch that world title belt.

BJPENN.COM Staff - October 18, 2018

There are a handful of top-tier, seasoned titleholders on the ONE Championship roster, and Aung La N Sang is one of them. He is one of the promotion’s most beloved, revered and respected martial artists. N Sang will put his middleweight title on the line against Mohammad Karaki in the main event at ONE: Pursuit of Greatness on October 26 in Myanmar.

Tom Taylor - October 18, 2018

Former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, who recently signed with Singapore’s ONE Championship, hasn’t had the chance to thoroughly examine the promotion’s lightweight division just yet. That being said, he expects to get very familiar with his peers in the division very soon. “No I’m not entirely familiar,” Eddie Alvarez said in response to BJPENN.COM on Wednesday’s ONE: Heart of the Lion media conference call. “Today when I’m on Twitter they put a poll out for possible opponents to fight. That was kind of the first time I understood who the top contenders there are.”

Thomas Taylor - October 17, 2018

Former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez appeared on ONE Championship’s Thursday evening media conference call, alongside ONE women’s atomweight champion Angela Lee, ONE women’s strawweight champion Xiong Jing Nan, ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes, ONE interim bantamweight champion Kevin Belingon, and ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong. Among the highlights of this call was Eddie Alvarez’s announcement that he plans to stick to ONE Championship’s lightweight division (169 pounds), and that he will not be heading north to the promotion’s welterweight division (185 pounds). Because ONE Championship does not allow extreme weight cutting, this would seem to rule out a widely desired fight with the promotion’s ostensibly retired former welterweight champion Ben Askren.

Tom Taylor - October 16, 2018

ONE women’s atomweight champion Angela Lee is currently gearing up for a massive title fight with ONE strawweight champ Xiong Jing Nan. If Lee is able to win this mammoth showdown, she will become a two-division ONE champion. She’ll also reaffirm her status as one of the world’s best female fighters. Considering the amount of talented female fighters that are currently competing on the sport’s biggest stages, thats saying something.

BJPENN.COM Staff - October 16, 2018

Singapore is a place where martial arts dreams can come true, and 34 competitors had an opportunity to use the location as a springboard in their professional careers on Thursday, 11 October. Placed neatly between the ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES show from Bangkok, Thailand, on 6 October, which drew 25 million viewers, and ONE: PURSUIT OF GREATNESS in Myanmar on 26 October, the ONE Warrior Series scratched the itch for fans of martial arts and the promotion.

Christopher Taylor - October 15, 2018

Former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez has found a new home. “The Underground King” announced tonight that he has signed with ONE Championship. ONE Championship’s Chatri Sityodtong shared the following video adding the caption “Please join me in welcoming Eddie Alvarez to @ONEChampionship! I am super excited for our fans to witness Eddie’s high octane, explosive dynamite KO style. Stay tuned for more big news! @Ealvarezfight”