ONE Championship is home to numerous athletes from the very best gyms that Asia has to offer.
Many of the top fighters from these training centers will be on show when ONE returns with back-to-back shows – ONE Fight Night 14 and ONE Fight Night 15 – on September 29 and October 6.
As the blockbuster events draw near, we take a look at the most well-known gyms that will be represented across the two star-studded cards.
Fairtex Training Center
Fairtex Training Center is a destination gym for some of the world’s top talent.
The Pattaya, Thailand, gym has largely been known for its muay Thai prowess throughout its history, with one of its most incredible success stories being ONE women’s strawweight muay Thai world champion Smilla Sundell.
The teenage phenom became the youngest ONE world champion in history when she dominated Jackie Buntan at ONE 156 in April 2022 to claim the inaugural women’s strawweight muay Thai strap at 17.
Sundell defends her strap for the first time at ONE Fight Night 14 when she takes on atomweight muay Thai queen Allycia Hellen Rodrigues in a champion vs. champion super fight.
Fairtex has also developed a reputation for producing world-class MMA talent in recent times.
Stamp Fairtex is a perfect example of the MMA strength coming out of Pattaya. The Thai megastar has made a successful transition into the sport after holding both the ONE women’s atomweight muay Thai and kickboxing world titles, and she has amassed a 10-2 record in the sport.
Stamp will look to climb to the top of the MMA mountain in the ONE Fight Night 14 headliner, when she faces South Korean superstar Seo Hee Ham for the ONE Interim women’s atomweight MMA world title.
Team MAD
One half of the ONE Fight Night 14 main event, Ham, is a product of another of Asia’s top martial arts gyms – Team MAD.
The team that calls Busan, South Korea, home has produced numerous fighters who have carved out successful careers in America. But their finest exports so far have been “Hamzzang” and former ONE lightweight world champion Ok Rae Yoon.
Team MAD’s athletes are known for their supremely well-rounded skillsets and bottomless gas tanks, and Ham has put that on show throughout her nine-fight winning streak.
In her most recent outing in ONE, the 36-year-old veteran dismantled Japanese star Itsuki Hirata with her pinpoint striking and textbook defensive grappling.
She’ll be hunting for the most significant prize of her career on September 29 – the 26-pound ONE world title belt – which she’ll proudly bring it back to Team MAD if she overcomes Stamp at ONE Fight Night 14.
Evolve MMA
Evolve MMA has assembled an absolute martial arts dream team.
World champions of all disciplines have converged in Singapore from across the globe to produce an elite, well-rounded training center for some of the world’s best athletes to learn and grow.
The gym has been home to some of ONE’s biggest superstars, like flyweight king Demetrious Johnson, world champion siblings Angela and Christian Lee, and former bantamweight muay Thai king Nong-O Hama, among many others.
Evolve will be represented well in the promotion’s upcoming cards, with a bevvy of its stars, including ONE women’s strawweight MMA world champion Xiong Jing Nan and flyweight submission grappling king Mikey Musumeci set to appear.
Xiong is scheduled for a firefight at ONE Fight Night 14 when she faces multi-sport standout Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak in a strawweight special rules fight that will allow hand strikes only as the fighters duke it out in four-ounce MMA gloves.
Singapore native and Evolve star Amir Khan will also step into action that same evening in a blockbuster rematch with former lightweight MMA king Eduard Folayang.
Musumeci will face Japanese MMA legend and fellow Evolve representative Shinya Aoki in an intriguing openweight submission grappling battle at ONE Fight Night 15.
And Eko Roni Saputra will also fly the flag for the Singaporean gym when he goes to war with Hu Yong in a flyweight MMA feature on October 6.
Tiger Muay Thai & MMA
Speaking of destination gyms, Tiger Muay Thai & MMA is one of the most sought out places for combat sports practitioners to visit.
Like Fairtex, the Phuket, Thailand, powerhouse was known for its stable of muay Thai athletes. But in the past decade, it has also become a genuine force in the MMA world.
One of the Tiger’s finest exports is ONE bantamweight MMA world champion Fabricio Andrade.
Originally set for ONE Fight Night 15, the Brazilian bruiser will now meet bantamweight muay Thai king Jonathan Haggerty for the vacant bantamweight kickboxing strap in the ONE Fight Night 16 headliner on November 3.
Timofey Nastyukhin has also been known to frequent the mats at Tiger. The Russian knockout artist will represent the gym when he takes on China’s Zhang Lipeng at ONE Fight Night 15 on October 6.
Fighting Bros
Chinese powerhouse Fighting Bros’ style was born from the striking art of sanda, but the gym has grown into one of the most revered mixed martial arts facilities on the continent.
As you would expect from a training center with its background, the Beijing team is known for producing fighters with slick movement and fast strikes. Heavy hands and feet might be its forte, but fighters such as Hu Yong are a prime example of the well-rounded athletes who have come out of Fighting Bros in recent years.
“Wolf Warrior” has seven wins from his eight ONE Championship appearance to date, and he is set to electrify Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, once again at ONE Fight Night 15, when he faces Indonesian wrestling standout Eko Roni Saputra.
Team Lakay
Team Lakay has long been one of the most prolific gyms in Asia.
The Filipino super gym has its roots in Wushu, and the ancient art shines through in the refined striking style of its stars.
The Benguet-based team has featured at the top of ONE’s cards throughout the promotion’s history, and today, a major flagbearer is bantamweight contender Stephen Loman, who currently sits in the No. 2 spot of the divisional rankings.
“The Sniper” is on the cusp of a shot at the coveted ONE bantamweight MMA world title, but former divisional king John Lineker is standing in his way. The pair will lock horns at ONE Fight Night 14, with the winner likely to get the next crack at current titleholder Fabricio Andrade down the line.
Lions Nation MMA
Formed partly from the fabled Team Lakay lineup of yesteryear, Lions Nation MMA is quickly rising to prominence thanks to its roster of renowned stars.
Also based in Benguet Province, Philippines, the new gym has been busy building a formidable stable of top fighters, and two of its biggest stars will be appearing in consecutive weeks at ONE Fight Night 14 and 15.
Former Team Lakay superstar Eduard Folayang has been a staple of ONE since the promotion’s first event in 2011. The Filipino legend has held the promotion’s lightweight MMA crown before, and he’ll look to add a chapter to his storied career on September 29 when he faces off with Amir Khan in a rematch five years in the making.
A week later, former strawweight king and previous Team Lakay standout Joshua Pacio will aim to rebound in style after his world title loss to Jarred Brooks last December. “The Passion” is set to face No. 2-ranked contender Bokang Masunyane in a clash that will likely have world title ramifications.
