ONE Championship has handed out some hardware at the end of the year. After hundreds of fights across kickboxing, MMA, Muay Thai, and submission grappling, the promotion identified two standouts for Fighters of the Year. The two titleholders who earned the honor were Superlek Kiatmoo9 and Kade Ruotolo.
Superlek Earns ONE Championship Fighter of the Year Honors
Each man started the year off with a win at ONE 165 in Tokyo. More impressively, each man got to show their elite prowess in multiple sports and weights throughout the year. Their performances were unique and made them worthy of sharing the honor bestowed by ONE Championship.
At ONE 165, Superlek defeated Takeru Segawa by unanimous decision. The five-round title defense of the ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Championship was a brilliant showcase of why he is called “The Kicking Machine.” After successfully defending the gold, the Thai star returned five months later to Muay Thai against Kongthoranee Sor Sommai with a decision win at ONE Friday Fights 68.
The argument for who the pound-for-pound best striker on the planet is was put to rest at ONE 168 in Denver, Colorado. Superlek challenged Jonathan Haggerty for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title. After moving up in weight against the Brit, the 29-year-old has his quickest performance with a 49-second KO over Haggerty to become a two-sport, two-division World Champion.
Kade Ruotolo Splits ONE Championship Honors with Superlek Kiatmoo9
Back at ONE 165, Ruotolo defended the ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Championship against Tommy Langaker by unanimous decision. A little over two months later, he challenged Francisco Lo at ONE Fight Night 21 in a 180-pound catchweight affair that he won via submission in under five minutes. The submission would keep rolling in his final two appearances for ONE Championship in 2024.
The American would find himself in a new sport in his next outing. At ONE 167, Ruotolo made his long-awaited MMA debut against Blake Cooper. The Atos BJJ star quickly got the match to the canvas and finished via submission.
The same would be true of his follow-up performance at ONE 169. However, against Ahmed Mujtaba, Ruotolo got to flash power in his hands while standing before utilizing his superior grappling. In just 64 seconds, the 21-year-old moved his professional MMA record to 2-0 via submission.
A Look Ahead for Both Honorees in ONE Championship in 2025
The 2024 ONE Championship Fighters of the Year set themselves apart and proved they are the elite of the elite. Superlek and Ruotolo shined in 2024 and look to have even bigger plans for the new year.
Ruotolo will chase MMA glory while defending his grappling gold. Superlek will unify the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title with the winner of Nico Carrillo vs. Nabil Anane, which takes place at ONE 170, at ONE 172 at the Saitama Super Arena.
