It is now August, and ONE Championship is set to burst onto the primetime stage with ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II on August 26th.
The event will mark the beginning of the partnership with Amazon Prime Video and continue ONE’s surge on the domestic stage. It is an important development for the industry, and ONE’s presence fills holes left behind by others.
How? That’s what we will begin to look at before ONE’s debut on Prime Video.
Here are four ways ONE fills the void in the U.S. marketplace.
Muay Thai and Kickboxing Insanity
Combat sports fans love stand-up wars. It lifts fans to their feet, and the roar of the crowd is deafening. ONE offers perhaps the most exciting pure striking experience in the world with Muay Thai contested in four-ounce gloves.
2022 has given proof with the electric one-round bout between Liam Harrison, who will compete for the gold at ONE on Prime Video 1 on August 26, against Muangthai PK.Saenchai.
Harrison’s bout featured five knockdowns in a single round, with the Englishman rallying to finish the contest with a TKO.
That bout encapsulated the excitement Muay Thai in ONE brings to the table. However, kickboxing cannot be left out of the discussion. In 2021, Superbon Singha Mawynn had the Knockout of the Year against Giorgio Petrosyan to capture the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title.
These two sports are coming to U.S. primetime, and the uninitiated will soon get a first-hand look at the wild action they provide. The charismatic stars such as Rodtang Jitmuangnon are soon to be household names as fans gravitate toward something truly special.
Elevating Submission Grappling
ONE has committed itself to elevate the sport of submission grappling, and those are not just words. The organization has signed many of the world’s top grapplers, including Kade & Tye Ruotolo, Mikey Musumeci, Danielle Kelly, Andre Galvao, and more.
And these matches have been given the spotlight. At the 10th-anniversary showcase, ONE X, Galvao took on two-division MMA World Champion Reinier De Ridder. The Ruotolo’s were given the spotlight against Shinya Aoki and Garry Tonon.
ONE sees a bright future for grappling, which has been missing from the U.S. scene.
Additionally, ONE’s scoring criteria are all about emphasizing finishing. Fans should not expect slow BJJ matches where grapplers are trying to rack up points. Finishing is the goal, and we have seen that with Tye Ruotolo’s incredible finish over Tonon.
Nobody else is giving these stars a platform other than ONE.
Knees On The Ground
Athletes, fans, and pundits alike have routinely called for knees on the ground to be legal in many organizations. Well, in ONE, they are.
The technique is not only another exciting weapon for athletes but an exceptional tool to keep the action moving on the ground. Athletes on the bottom cannot stall for fear of a knee coming.
Brazilian superstar Adriano Moraes will defend his title once more against MMA icon Demetrious Johnson at ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II on Aug. 27 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. https://t.co/ujZm03ykAi
— The Jakarta Post (@jakpost) August 5, 2022
The technique was shown in the main event of ONE on TNT I with Adriano Moraes’ stunning KO over Demetrious Johnson. It is a fantastic element that ONE brings to the table with its events.
ONE has given fans something they have repeatedly asked for, and it helps keep the action moving.
Superfights
One of the most engaging ways that ONE differentiates itself from other promotions is with its matchmaking.
ONE does not deter its athletes from trying to grab titles in multiple divisions or multiple sports. Janet Todd, the atomweight kickboxing queen, finally captured the ONE Interim Muay Thai World Title. De Ridder is the ONE Middleweight and Light Heavyweight World Champion. And that is just two of many.
The latest signing to ONE, Roberto Soldic, credited this as a reason he signed with the company.
And let’s not forget Johnson battling Rodtang in a mixed-rules match. After it was over, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong stated they were open to future mixed-rules bouts across Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, and submission grappling. They embrace creative solutions.
ONE delivers in striking while the iron is hot.
