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ONE Championship is finally having its first-ever event on U.S. soil with ONE on Prime Video 10. The card, which will take place on Cinco de Mayo in 2023 in Broomfield, Colorado, will be headlined by a rubber match between ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson and former three-time titleholder Adriano Moraes.
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Though there are still a lot of questions surrounding this event, such as the bouts on the card, this is the first time the Asian organization will truly show the U.S. audience why it's so different from the pack.
ONE will be able to showcase its unique roster of fighters from different disciplines and display the highest levels of competition through various martial arts. Not to mention a great opportunity to showcase homegrown Asian talent to the western world. These facts alone make the event a must-watch for any American fight fan.
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Speaking of Asian talent, today we name three Asian ONE Championship fighters we'd like to see at the promotion's first event on American soil.
Though we are sure western fighters will be present on the card as it is a U.S.-based event, we're also positive that ONE will showcase their fighters from the world's largest continent.
#3. ONE Championship featherweight world champion Tang Kai
Newly crowned ONE featherweight king and the first male Chinese MMA world champion Tang Kai is the perfect Asian MMA fighter to be introduced to a wider American audience.
Though other Chinese MMA fighters have reached global recognition before him, like Zhang Weili, Song Yadong, and ONE women's strawweight world champion Xiong Jing Nan, Tang is arguably the best of them all.
Tang, in his world title-winning performance against Thanh Le, showed the calm, poise and ferocity of a world-class fighter. Add this to his already frightening knockout power, and he'd be the perfect person to represent Chinese MMA.
Having him defend his belt will also increase the prestige of the event, turning it into a world title double-header.
#2. ONE Championship atomweight superstar Stamp Fairtex
Not only are we sure that ONE Championship will showcase its multi-national pool of talent, they will also undoubtedly put forth all the various martial arts they feature in their events. One of these martial arts is Muay Thai, which makes up most of the best fights in ONE every year.
One of the most popular and fan-favorite Muay Thai fighters in ONE Championship today is Stamp Fairtex, who is now fighting in MMA. Stamp is a former ONE women's atomweight Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion. Her successful run in MMA has brought her to become the ONE women's atomweight world Grand Prix champion.
Her blitzing Muay Thai skills, coupled with her confident ground game, are built for pure, unadulterated entertainment. Add that to her flamboyant and colorful personality outside the cage, and you have a highly marketable and charismatic fighter.
#1. ONE Championship flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon
Continuing the narrative of showcasing Muay Thai to the world is Rodtang Jitmuangnon, arguably the most popular Muay Thai fighter in the world today.
Despite the Art of Eight Limbs being one of the most practiced and influential martial arts in MMA today, it hasn't seen a lot of exposure in the west, at least not on a mainstream level.
A large part of why this is the case is because Muay Thai as a sport is attached to the country of Thailand. It is embedded in the country's culture and is seen as a national treasure.
Because of this, for many generations since the sport's inception, most of the best Muay Thai fighters are from Thailand and have mostly spent their entire careers in the country. If you're from a foreign land and want to fight the best, you have to travel to Thailand. They never found the need to go global because the world stage is right in their country.
That said, it's time for the western viewing audience to witness the pure sophistication of a high-level Muay Thai fight between Thai fighters. There's no better fighter to showcase that on U.S. soil than Rodtang, the reigning ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion.
Rodtang's ferocious brawling style and otherworldly toughness translates well to the American sense of blood-and-guts courage, while his marvelous technical ability can wow any casual fan.
If there's any Asian fighter that has to be included in ONE Championship's first-ever U.S. event, it's Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
