ONE Championship recently posted a video to Instagram of ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong training Muay Thai with a caption asking who would like to see him take on UFC President Dana White.
5 Matches for a ONE vs UFC Event
While that is fun and intriguing, and we will circle back to it shortly, it also stokes the flames of a possible co-promoted event between the two martial arts organizations. Something ONE athletes have discussed over the past year as something they would love to do.
So why not theorize on what matches we would love to see once again? The fun never stops in this sport.
With that said, here are five bouts we would love to see in a possible ONE vs. UFC showdown.
Reinier De Ridder vs. Glover Teixeira
Reinier De Ridder could be one of the most underappreciated and undervalued stars in the sport today, a role that Glover Teixeira used to share. Both men are World Champions in their respective organizations and would make for a titanic showdown to find out who the best light heavyweight truly is.
Teixeira had a fantastic title-winning performance, but he would enter as the smaller man against a younger, more athletic opponent. De Ridder is a 6’4” beast who has dominant grappling to pair with his developing striking game. Matching that up with Teixeira’s BJJ and heavy hands would be outstanding.
The meeting between ONE and UFC’s light heavyweight kings tops the list of the matches we would most like to see happen in a dream crossover event.
Adriano Moraes vs. Brandon Moreno
Flyweight champions make for another champion vs. champion dream match. Adriano Moraes, specifically, makes this interesting following his stunning knockout over Demetrious Johnson. Given Mighty Mouse’s dominance over the UFC’s flyweight division, pitting Brandon Moreno up against the man who knocked him out is enticing.
And it would be a guaranteed barnburner, as all flyweight matches are. The speed, quickness, and technical acumen of this division are off the charts, and Moraes vs. Moreno would be a spectacular showcase of just that.
After 2021’s excitement with both Moreno and Moraes having significant moments, putting them together in 2022 would be ideal. In a proposed cross-promotion event, it would have to be considered one of the go-to matchups.
Garry Tonon vs. Ryan Hall
If we get away from Champion vs. Champion matches, this featherweight battle would be perfect as a grappling spectacle on an undercard or as a full-fledged mixed martial arts contest.Â
They are two of the most dynamic and creative submission grapplers in the world, and it is a match that has been discussed over the years as Garry Tonon has expressed interest in a match against Ryan Hall.
In 2022, we will get a little taste of it as Tonon goes for the ONE Featherweight World Championship against Thanh Le, who is a training partner of Hall’s. The two are slated for a meeting at ONE X later in the year. That could serve as the perfect launching point for a meeting between the two.
Janet Todd vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
ONE does not just utilize mixed martial arts. They also embrace kickboxing and Muay Thai. So why not use the flexibility for more exciting matches such as Janet Todd vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a Muay Thai matchup?
Jedrzejczyk is a former Muay Thai champion, but she never got to compete wearing four-ounce gloves against someone like Todd. As most of her mixed martial arts bouts take place on the feet, why not just remove the ground from the equation altogether?
Todd is powerful, intelligent, calculated, and dynamic. Pitting her against Jedrzejczyk would be an exceptional matchup guaranteed to bring fireworks. The aggression from the Polish athlete going against the cerebral nature of the American. This is one we would love to watch.
Chatri Sityodtong vs. Dana White
Why not? The ONE Chairman and CEO seemed up for the matchup in reply to the aforementioned Instagram post, saying, “Send me location.” Well, let’s see it.
View this post on Instagram
It was well established White had been training for a boxing match against Tito Ortiz back in 2007, and he has trained a bit in BJJ. As for Sityodtong, he has 35 years of experience in Muay Thai, an art he began studying as a boy in Thailand. Moreover, he earned his brown belt in BJJ last year from Alex Silva.
While this one is certainly not likely, what fan wouldn’t want to see the two faces of the respective promotions step onto the mat and go toe-to-toe as a show of honor to the sport itself? Especially after one-half of the matchup is interested in the concept. You have to have a little fun and dream big in a hypothetical crossover event.
