ONE Championship has already produced another swathe of shocks and thrills in 2023, and the year is far from over.
Rest assured that the Singapore-based promotion has highlights aplenty to come, with two events just a week apart on September 29 and October 6.
As the anticipation continues to build for ONE Fight Night 14 and ONE Fight Night 15 on Prime Video, we’ve taken a look back at some of the year’s best moments.
1. Jonathan Haggerty shocks the world
https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:CrU2_eCNx2F
British striking star Jonathan Haggerty produced one of the most stunning finishes in ONE Championship history at ONE Fight Night 9 in April.
“The General” claimed the ONE bantamweight muay Thai world title by obliterating longtime divisional king Nong-O Hama inside one round.
Haggerty’s devastating punching power was the story of the fight, as he dropped Nong-O three times on his way to a TKO win after just 2:40 of action.
He’ll look to add a second strap to his collection at ONE Fight Night 15, when he faces bantamweight MMA king Fabricio Andrade for the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing world title.
2. ONE takes the U.S. by storm
https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:CvBN-9ltVAx
ONE made its long awaited on-ground debut in the United States on May 5.
ONE Fight Night 10 sold out Colorado’s 1STBANK Center weeks in advance, and it smashed broadcast viewership benchmarks on the night, surpassing even the ONE higher-ups’ expectations.
The main event was an epic five-round trilogy fight for the ONE flyweight world title between reigning divisional king Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and heated rival Adriano Moraes – but perhaps the biggest pop from the crowd was reserved for Thai megastar Stamp Fairtex.
Stamp took the U.S. by storm with her dance-ladened walkout and charismatic personality, and her performance in the ONE circle was just as entertaining, as she crumbled hometown favorite Alyse Anderson with a second-round liver kick.
The former two-sport world champion will face red-hot South Korean contender Seo Hee Ham for the ONE interim women’s atomweight world title in the ONE Fight Night 14 headliner.
3. Fabricio Andrade seals emotional world title win
https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:CpEuLMKj9yY
Andrade capped off one of the most heated rivalries ever seen in ONE when he forced fellow Brazilian John Lineker to quit on his stool after a four-round onslaught at ONE Fight Night 7 in February.
What followed were scenes of unbridled emotion that will live long in fans’ memories, as “Wonder Boy” tearfully accepted the ONE bantamweight world title from ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
The win was the culmination of a lifetime of work for Andrade, and he’ll look to add to his burgeoning trophy collection when he faces Haggerty for bantamweight kickboxing gold on October 7.
4. Chingiz Allazov upsets Superbon to claim world title
https://www.instagram.com/p/reel:CnYjlwMDgFb
Chingiz Allazov produced another shocker when he dispatched Superbon Singha Mawynn to become the ONE featherweight kickboxing world champion at ONE Fight Night 6 in January.
After controlling the opening round, “Chinga” exploded in the second frame with a barrage of punches that were simply unstoppable. Just over a minute into the round, the Azerbaijani-Belarusian powerhouse scored his third knockdown to prompt the referee to wave off the contest.
Allazov went on to successfully defend the strap with a unanimous decision victory over Marat Grigorian at ONE Fight Night 13, while Superbon rebounded with a show-stopping headkick knockout of Tayfun Ozcan.
The Thai standout will now look to claim another world title in ONE when he challenges featherweight muay Thai king Tawanchai PK.Saenchai at ONE Fight Night 15.
