The promotion would reach an evalutation of over $1 billion by October 2018.[4][5][6] In 2022, parent company One Group Holdings, changed its legal operations from Singapore to the Cayman Islands.[7][8][9]
In 2024 Forbes listed One Championship as being valued at $1.3 billion, which made the fourth most valued combat sports promotion behind UFC, WWE, and AEW.[10]
Entrepreneur and martial artist Chatri Sityodtong stated his reasons for founding One Fighting Championship in July 2011 was that he believed that martial arts was Asia's "cultural treasure", yet there was no Pan-Asian promotion to unite the continent.[11] "My vision is to make ONE Asia's first multi-billion-dollar sports media property. Every other region has them[...] But there is absolutely nothing like that on a pan-Asian basis."[11] He chose Singapore as the promotion's base because of its location and communications infrastructure.[11]
First events
One Fighting Championship held their first event, ONE FC: Champion vs. Champion, on 3 September 2011 at the sold-out Singapore Indoor Stadium.[12] On 31 March 2012, the promotion held its first female MMA fight during ONE FC: War of the Lions at the same stadium. It saw Nicole Chua, Singapore's first female professional MMA fighter, submit seven time Indian kickboxing champion Jeet Toshi.[13]
In December 2021, ONE raised an additional $150 million through an investing round led by Guggenheim Investments and the Qatar Investment Authority, increasing the company’s valuation to $1.35 billion. In October 2022, One Group Holdings changed its legal domicile from Singapore to the Cayman Islands.[7][8] On 22 June 2023, it was announced that ONE would be bringing live events to Qatar later in the year, having signed an MoU with Media City Qatar.[40]
Notable fights
Stamp Fairtex became ONE's first three-sport champion in 2023.
ONE held its first event in America, ONE Fight Night 10, at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado on 5 May 2023. Colorado was chosen because its athletic commission was the first to approve ONE's rule set.[44] The organization had initially planned on debuting in the US years prior, but was ultimately delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[45]
Since May 2018, ONE events have been broadcast live and free on both their dedicated apps and YouTube channel in select locations.[62]
On 11 December 2018, ONE announced a three-year broadcast deal with Turner Sports in the United States that will bring live events to streaming service B/R Live and recap shows on TNT.[63][64]
On 23 March 2019 ONE announced it had signed a multi-year deal with Star Sports in India.[65] On 19 September 2019, it was announced that sports streaming service FITE TV would broadcast the promotion's two-part, 100th numbered event, Century.[66]
In November 2020, ONE announced a partnership with Facebook to distribute ONE Championship content on Facebook Watch and IGTV.[67]
On April 27, 2022, ONE announced a five-year distribution deal with Amazon Prime Video, giving Amazon Prime exclusive broadcast rights for at least 12 live events annually during prime time hours in the United States and Canada.[68][69]
On September 29, 2022, ONE announced an exclusive multi-year partnership with beIN Sports to broadcast live ONE Championship events across the Middle East and North Africa for the first time. In addition to events, the partnership is set to include round-up shows, as well as related social media and digital content. beIN Sports will broadcast ONE's events to 24 MENA territories with both English and Arabic commentary.[70]
On December 8, 2022, ONE announced the partnership with Tero Entertainment during the press conference for broadcast One Lumpinee (internationally known as ONE Friday Fights) from Lumpinee Stadium, Bangkok via Thailand's Channel 7 to more than 154 countries every Friday evening starting January 20, 2023. This broadcast has been considered a big turn in the Thai television industry because Channel 7 had to remove the television drama on the prime time time-slot after the evening news, which was considered a regular identity and main income resources of the channel since its establishment in 1967.[71]
On March 16, 2023, ONE partnered with Seven Network, airing both ONE Fight Night (which aired on Prime Video in United States & Canada) and ONE Friday Fights exclusively for 7plus in Australia.[72]
On December 12, 2023, ONE partnered with Sky Sports to become exclusive home for both ONE Fight Night and ONE Friday Fights in the UK and Ireland.[73]
Anti-doping policy
In August 2022, ONE Championship announced an anti-doping partnership with International Doping Tests & Management, a subsidiary of Drug Free Sport International, who will independently handle all testing of its fighters for "illegal substances", beginning with ONE 160 that month. Although the organization planned to introduce World Anti-Doping Agency standard testing in 2019, prior to its partnership with International Doping Tests & Management, ONE had not publicly drug-tested its athletes.[74]
Rules
Mixed martial arts
ONE Championship uses the Global Martial Arts Rule Set, which "blends a combination of Best Practices from Asian and Non-Asian Rules".[75] Fighters wear 4-ounce MMA gloves. Matches vary in maximum length, depending on whether it is for a championship title. In all fights, each round can be no longer than five minutes. Most fights have a maximum of three rounds, with one minute breaks in between, but championship matches have a max of five rounds.
Striking combinations and cage generalship (ground control, superior positioning)
Earned takedowns or takedown defense
Aggression
Illegal targets for strikes are the groin, throat, trachea, and the back of the head, neck or spine. Stomps to the head of a grounded opponent, small joint manipulation, head butting, hair pulling, eye gouging, orifice insertion, spitting, and grabbing onto the cage fence are also illegal. Takedowns must not result in "spiking or pile driver[s] to the head or neck".[76]Soccer kicks to the head of a grounded opponent were previously legal in the competition, initially via an "open attack" rule, which required fighters to get permission from the referee to use them.[77] In September 2012, the company adopted the Pride Fighting Championships' rules on the technique, allowing fighters to use soccer kicks without asking for permission from the referee.[77] Soccer kicks were banned entirely in August 2016 as part of the company's worldwide expansion plans. Sityodtong stated that despite studies showing that soccer kicks are the same as a normal head kick to a standing opponent because you cannot generate any more pivotal force, the technique invites "bad publicity".[78]
Kickboxing and Muay Thai
ONE Championship uses the Global Kickboxing Rule Set and the Global Muay Thai Rule Set.[75] In kickboxing, fighters wear boxing gloves, with athletes weighing at or below 65.8 kilograms (bantamweight) wearing 8-oz gloves and athletes weighing above wearing 10-oz gloves. In Muay Thai, fighters wear 4-ounce mixed martial arts gloves. Matches vary in maximum length, depending on whether it is for a championship title. In all fights, each round can be no longer than five minutes. Most fights have a maximum of three rounds, with one minute breaks in between, but championship matches have a max of five rounds. ONE Muay Thai allows elbow strikes, clinch fighting, sweeps and throws.[79][80]
Fights can be won via:
Knockout, resulting in the opponent being unable to answer the 10-count due to a:
Unanimous decision (all three judges score in favor of one fighter)
Split decision (two judges score in favor of one fighter, one judge scores in favor of the other fighter)
Majority decision (two judges score in favor of one fighter, one judge scores a draw)
Technical decision
Disqualification
Fights are scored round-by-round by three judges using the 10-point must system. If the points tally is equal, then the judges utilize the "ONE Judging Criteria" to determine a winner:[75]
Knockdowns
Damage (internal, accumulated, and superficial)
Number of clean strikes
Aggression and cage/ring generalship (superior positioning)
Submission grappling
ONE utilizes the Global Submission Grappling Rule Set.[75] Matches consist of a single 10 minute round. Victory can be obtained by submission, verbal tapout, referee stoppage "due to imminent danger", request for stoppage by cornerman, or by judges' decision.[75] Three judges score the bout by the number of catches, or "legitimate" submission attempts. If there are an equal number of catches, the grappler who was awarded the last catch will be named the winner. If there are no catches, the judges will award victory to the athlete who showed more aggression.[75]Yellow cards are issued to grapplers who stall. Once an athlete is issued a yellow card, the only way that athlete can win is by submission.[75] Prior to May 20, 2022, submission grappling matches could only be won via submission and were automatically declared a draw after a 12 minute time limit.[81][82]
Weight divisions
ONE Championship currently uses ten different weight classes:[83]
The change took place after the death of 21-year-old Chinese fighter, Yang Jian Bing (who was supposed to face Geje Eustaquio) on 11 December 2015, due to dehydration by weight-cutting in the Philippines.[84]
The promotion banned weight-cutting by dehydration in order to promote fighter safety.[85] The promotion’s revised policy on weight mandated that athletes are monitored in their training camps, and have urine specific gravity tests to ensure they are hydrated up to three hours ahead of their bouts.
The new system was well received by athletes in the organization,[86][87] as well as other stakeholders in the MMA industry.[88][89]
On February 18, 2023, Dr. Oliver Barley revealed that the urine specific gravity tests were ineffective. Barley described the tests as being “ridiculously easy” to cheat and also admitted to having helped some ONE Championship athletes pass their hydration tests with weight cuts.[90]
In November 2017, it was announced that ONE VP Rich Franklin would head up a competition called the ONE Warrior Series, searching for up-and-coming martial artists in Asia. The prize is a six-figure contract with the organization, with the winner determined based on their performance instead of victories.[91] The most recent edition of the ONE Warrior series in its initial format was ONE Warrior Series 10, which aired on February 19, 2020.
ONE Warrior Series: Philippines
On September 12, 2022, ONE Warrior Series made a brief return as a reality television show titled ONE Warrior Series: Philippines. The show featured 16 mixed martial arts fighters in the Philippines competing for a $100,000 contract to compete in ONE Championship. Team Lakay members Joshua Pacio and Geje Eustaquio were featured on the show as coaches. The show premiered on September 18, 2022 and featured 12 episodes.[92][93]
ONE Super Series
On February 12, 2018, ONE Championship announced the establishment of the ONE Super Series, which would feature kickboxing and Muay Thai bouts.[94] The first event that featured bouts under Muay Thai and kickboxing rules was ONE: Heroes of Honor in Manila on 20 April 2018.[95] The promotion signed notable names such as Giorgio Petrosyan, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao and Fabio Pinca to feature on the bill. Since the inception of ONE Super Series, some events have used a five-roped ring, instead of the ONE circular cage, which had been used exclusively up until 2018. The ONE Super Series kickboxing bouts adopt the oriental ruleset[broken anchor].[96] As of 2020, ONE Super Series kickboxing bouts use boxing gloves. In ONE Super Series Muay Thai bouts, open-finger 4 oz gloves are used.[97] The first ONE event to consist entirely of ONE Super Series contests was ONE Championship: Immortal Triumph in Ho Chi Minh City on 6 September 2019.[98]
ONE Infinity
On 13 February 2020, ONE announced the launch of the "Infinity" series, events consisting of at least three championship fights and a minimum of 12 world champions.[99]
ONE Lumpinee
In September 2022, ONE announced a partnership with the Royal Thai Army to hold at least 52 shows in 2023 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The weekly events started with ONE Friday Fights 1 on 20 January 2023, where Nong-O Gaiyanghadao successfully defended his bantamweight Muay Thai title with a TKO of Alaverdi Ramazanov in the third round. The event finished as the most-watched show in prime time in Thailand, with a 3.9 rating among males 15 years old and over, according to data collected by Nielsen. It was broadcast locally on Thailand's Channel 7.[100] The event predominately features Muay Thai, but also includes MMA and kickboxing bouts. They are broadcast live in 154 countries, and reportedly offer the highest purses in Muay Thai history.[101][102]
In May 2022, Sityodtong stated ONE Championship had 600 fighters in the organization.[103]
Fighter salary
Fighter salaries in Asia are not publicly disclosed so information about ONE FC's fighter purses is not in the public domain. However, in January 2014 Ben Askren revealed that he was being paid a minimum of US$50,000 per fight as well as a US$50,000 win bonus.[104] This was also the same amount Adriano Moraes made in his first fight against Demetrious Johnson. Following a legal dispute with his management team, Moraes signed a new contract that saw him making US$100,000 to show and US$100,000 to win, as well as a US$250,000 flat fee as champion and a US$10,000 monthly salary over two years.[105]
Some fighter purses have been reportedly low as US$1,300 with a win bonus US$1,300, which was the amount received by Kyrgyzstani MMA fighter Anelya Toktogonov in her fight on ONE Friday Fights.[106]
A cash bonus known as the "ONE Warrior bonus" was introduced on 9 July 2014 and implemented for the first time at ONE Fighting Championship: War of Dragons on 11 July 2014.
An award of US$50,000 is given out at the end of certain events to the fighter who impresses the most in terms of:"[107]
thrilling the fans with exciting action;
demonstrating an incredible warrior spirit;
exhibiting amazing skill, and;
delivering a phenomenal finish.
The "ONE Warrior bonus" of $50,000 was re-introduced in January 2022, with a minimum of one bonus and a maximum of five bonuses awarded at each event.[108]
The rankings for ONE Championship's fighters are both recorded and updated when information has been obtained from the promotion ice cream official website.[109]
In 2017, ONE entered into a partnership with World Lethwei Championship parties agreed on sending athletes to fight in each other's organization.[130]
In January 2019, ONE entered into a partnership with Shooto, according to which Shooto champions would be given a contract with ONE Championship.[131]
On February 18, 2021, ONE partnered with American promotion Ringside United Fighting (RUF Nation). The partnership saw RUF hosting a Road to ONE 16-man heavyweight MMA tournament, with the winner getting a $100,000 contract to compete in ONE Championship.[132][133]
On November 19, 2023, ONE partnered with the UK-based Muay Thai promotion Hitman Fight League. The partnership will see Hitman Fight League host two Road to ONE four-man tournaments, with the winners receiving a £5,000 cash prize and the opportunity to compete on ONE Friday Fights at Lumpinee Stadium.[134]
Financials
Per the company's 2021 publicly available financial statements, the company has generated an accumulated net loss of US$383 millions.[135][136][137][138] When confronted with questions related to the poor financial performance and non-standard financial reporting, Chatri Sityodtong has repeatedly avoided directly answering reporters on the matter.[139] There is also an ongoing question regarding what portion of the company's reported revenue is actually from non-cash barter transactions, due to an unexplained US$400,000,000 barter transaction with a subsidiary for "intellectual property rights".[140]
Financial scrutiny of ONE Championship has increased since 2018, particularly regarding its accounting practices. The organization's barter transactions, previously a distinct category, have been integrated into broadcasting and sponsorship revenue. This change has made it more difficult to discern the proportion of revenue derived from cash versus non-cash transactions, potentially obscuring the organization's financial health.[141]
According to Kristie Neo from DealStreetAsia, The organization reportedly generated revenue between $5–8 million in 2022, a modest figure for a promotion of its size. ONE Championship also faced organizational challenges, implementing two rounds of layoffs between March and July 2023, affecting 12 to 15 staff members each time.[142]
In 2021, ONE secured significant funding, raising $150 million through investments from the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Guggenheim Investments. Despite this influx of capital, reports as of November 2023 suggest that these funds are nearly exhausted. Furthermore, investment enthusiasm in Qatar has waned, with key local partners Qatar Airways and Ooredoo discontinuing their financial backing. This withdrawal of support has led to the postponement of a planned ONE event in Qatar, which later took place 2024.[143][144] In October 2024, Group One Holdings, the company behind One Championship, was able to secure $50 million from investors, including QIA.[145]
Controversies
2020-21 Bloody Elbow report
On December 9, 2020, and January 6, 2021, Bloody Elbow published a two-part article detailing numerous allegations surrounding ONE Championship, mainly mistreatment of former fighters and employees.[146]
Former employees and fighters reportedly fear expressing discontent with ONE Championship due to potential legal actions. The company's base in Singapore, known for expensive legal proceedings, exacerbates these concerns. An insider claimed that fighters under contract have low morale but are contractually unable to publicly criticize the company. ONE has allegedly threatened legal action over critical social media posts, including preemptive statements to news outlets and informing other employers of the fighters' actions. Fighters face restrictive contracts that enforce exclusivity without guaranteeing regular fights, leaving them financially vulnerable. Additionally, the contracts reportedly include clauses prohibiting public criticism of ONE. Insiders described pressure on fighters to sign contract extensions with minimal benefits. Herbert Burns reported being sidelined for years and denied a title shot after leaving Evolve MMA, a gym founded by the promotion's CEO, Chatri Sityodtong.
"For sure, that’s exactly it, but life goes on,” Burns said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “I spoke with the Evolve founder [Chatri Sityodtong] when I left (the team) and — apparently — everything was fine. I was going to fight for the belt, he congratulated me for the win. I came back home and kept training. For two years, they kept saying ‘you’ll fight at this month or that month,’ but the contract never came. I was always hopeful that I would fight, and that’s what bled me financially and forced me to fight for the money.”[147]
There has also been skepticism regarding ONE's ticket sales, with reports of excessive distribution of free tickets and inflated claims of sold-out events. Financial records suggest a decline in ticket revenue despite an increase in the number of events. ONE has made bold claims about its market share and viewership in Asia, previously asserting a 90%+ market share and describing itself as the largest global sports media property in Asian history. However, these claims have been questioned by industry insiders and former PR head Loren Mack.
ONE's claims of reaching up to 85 million viewers per event and being available in over a billion households in Asia have been met with skepticism. The actual impact of their broadcast reach and brand recognition in Asia remains uncertain.[146]
Allegations have surfaced about ONE Championship favoring fighters from certain countries where the organization seeks expansion. Fighters from countries like Egypt and India are reportedly brought in with little experience, often losing to more accomplished fighters favored by ONE. For instance, Egyptian Top Team fighters have a combined record of 1 win and 22 losses in ONE, raising questions about matchmaking fairness. Fighters outside Asia reportedly face difficulties in negotiating pay and are often locked into lengthy contracts with restrictive clauses. In contrast, select fighters favored by management are said to receive monthly stipends in addition to fight purses.[148]
ONE's relationship with Evolve MMA, both founded by Chatri Sityodtong, is criticized for potential favoritism and conflicts of interest. Herbert Burns, formerly with ONE and Evolve, highlighted issues with media control and biased matchmaking in favor of Evolve fighters. Claims suggest that Evolve’s business model and marketing strategies, including targeting high-earning professionals, raise further concerns about the intertwined nature of Evolve and ONE.[148]
2023 Bibiano Fernandes comments
After parting ways with ONE in December 2023, former ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes told MMA Fighting he wasn't notified that the promotion wouldn't be offered a new contract and was inactive leading up to his release. During his interview, Fernandes urged fighters to think twice about signing with ONE Championship. "I wasn't mad at them. Do I think they could have offered me more fights? One-hundred percent. I was out for three years basically and they could have offered me more fights. Was I a bit upset? I was, but that's life. Many people in the world work hard, give their lives for the company they work for, and in the end [the company] owners say 'Thank you for your work,' and that's it. I was sad but what can I do? Life goes on." Fernandes went on to say, "I'm a mixed martial arts fighter but they're doing business. They only think about business, you know? What can I do?" He also urged aspiring fighters to think twice if they considered with ONE, "Many athletes go through difficulties. If you're a fighter and you're thinking about fighting for ONE Championship, brother, think twice before you decide to go there."[149]
2024 Reinier de Ridder comments
Former two-division ONE world champion Reinier de Ridder further strengthened these allegations, addressing the difficulty of getting fights with ONE during his post-fight press conference at UFC Vegas 100. "This is something I feel I have to do for other fighters—if you're thinking of signing with ONE Championship, don't," de Ridder said, "It's that simple. You should not. There's nothing there. There's no fights. You're just wrong if you do this, if you sign there, this is a bad mistake." After losing the ONE light heavyweight title in December 2022, de Ridder did not fight for the entirety of 2023 before returning to defend the ONE middleweight title in March 2024 in what was his last fight with ONE Championship. "It's been a bad couple of years. The stress I've been put through. The stress my family's been put through. To even just get fights, it hasn't been nice. It's hard for me to talk bad because I had a couple of good years at ONE as well. In the beginning, In the beginning, they treated me well. Over the past couple of years, it's been really bad."[150]
Chatri Trisiripisal, known by the ring names Chatri Sityodtong and Yodchatri Sityodtong, is a Thai entrepreneur and martial arts instructor based in Singapore.
Eduard Ayangwa Folayang is a Filipino mixed martial artist and wushu practitioner who fights in ONE Championship, where he is a two-time ONE Lightweight World Champion. He also competed for Universal Reality Combat Championship, where he is a former URCC Welterweight Champion.
Apichet Kotanon, known professionally as Nong-O Hamamuaythai, is a Thai Muay Thai fighter currently signed to ONE Championship. He is a four-time Lumpinee Stadium champion, a one-time Rajadamnern Stadium champion, and the inaugural ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion across three divisions. As of August 16, 2024, he is ranked #2 and #5 respectively in the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai and Kickboxing rankings.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts is a chain of martial arts academies. Founded by Chatri Sityodtong, it opened in January 2009. The gym includes several former and reigning UFC and ONE Championship champions, including Demetrious Johnson, Rafael Dos Anjos, Shinya Aoki, Angela Lee, Marcus Almeida and more, on its roster.
Anissa Meksen is a French-Algerian professional kickboxer, Muay Thai fighter, Savateur, and boxer. She currently competes in ONE Championship. She was the ISKA World K1 Bantamweight champion, WAKO World K1 Bantamweight champion, Glory Super Bantamweight champion, WPMF World Muay Thai Flyweight champion, and former French, European, and World Savate champion. As a professional boxer, she won the vacant France Female Super Bantamweight title.
Jonathan Haggerty is a British professional Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer currently signed with ONE Championship. He is the reigning ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion and former ONE Flyweight & Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion.
Tinnakorn Srisawat, known professionally as Rodtang Jitmuangnon is a Thai professional Muay Thai fighter and kickboxer. He is the former ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion as well as a former Omnoi Stadium Super Featherweight Champion and MAX Muay Thai 125 lb Champion.
The year 2020 was the 10th year in the history of the ONE Championship, a mixed martial arts, kickboxing and muay thai promotion based in Singapore.
The year 2021 was the 11th year in the history of the ONE Championship, a mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Muay Thai promotion based in Singapore.
The year 2022 was the 12th year in the history of the ONE Championship, a mixed martial arts, kickboxing, Muay Thai and submission grappling promotion based in Singapore and later, the Cayman Islands.
ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadiković was a Combat sport event produced by ONE Championship that took place on April 22, 2022, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.
ONE X: 10 Years Anniversary was a Combat sport event produced by ONE Championship that took place on March 26, 2022, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore.
The year 2023 was the 13th year in the history of the ONE Championship, a mixed martial arts, kickboxing, Muay Thai and submission grappling promotion based in Cayman Islands.
ONE Fight Night 6: Superbon vs. Allazov was a combat sport event produced by ONE Championship that took place on January 14, 2023, at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE 162: Zhang vs. Di Bella was a Combat sport event produced by ONE Championship that took place on October 21, 2022 at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
ONE Friday Fights: Nong-O vs. Ramazanov was a combat sport event produced by ONE Championship that took place on January 20, 2023, at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade was a combat sport event produced by ONE Championship that took place on November 4, 2023, at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE 165: Superlek vs. Takeru was a combat sport event produced by ONE Championship that took place on January 28, 2024, at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
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2024 in ONE Championship 
