3 reasons why ONE Championship is more than just an MMA promotion

ONE Championship continues to uphold the Bushido code, or the way of the warrior, with its mission of presenting martial arts to its essence.

The Singapore-based organization, which recently concluded a groundbreaking United States on-location debut at ONE Fight Night 10, is considered globally as one of the pillars of the professional combat sports world.

However, unlike its competitors across the globe, the largest martial arts organization has so much more to offer than just non-stop combat action.

Here are three reasons why ONE Championship is more than just an MMA promotion.

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#3. ONE Championship fighters embody martial arts’ core values

Make no mistake about it, fighters from ONE’s stacked roster are killers once the circle door closes. It’s the biggest reason why the promotion boasts a staggering 70 percent finishing rate in its events.

But once the final horn rings, we see inspiring displays of true sportsmanship, as fighters are gracious both in victory and defeat.

We see minimal trash talk between combatants, who often show respect before and after fights.

It’s certainly a breath of fresh air, especially given the toxic animosity and over-the-top theatrics that MMA fans are now accustomed to in most North American promotions.

Nowadays, some fighters feel the need to put up a façade to make themselves marketable.

As entertaining as it can be at times, it strips away the true nature of martial arts.

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#2. All athletes from authentic martial arts are well represented

When it comes to mixed martial arts, the big three combat sports backgrounds will always be boxing, wrestling, and jiu-jitsu. While ONE Championship houses a lot of amazing talents who are proficient in these disciplines, they also shine a light on all forms of combat.

Aside from its star-studded Muay Thai and kickboxing ranks, ONE has a lot of stars who have found success coming from Sambo and Sanda backgrounds.

The Filipino stable of Team Lakay has brought Wushu to the mainstream, while supreme athletes like Sage Northcutt and Thanh Le come from a karate background.

In fact, Oumar ‘Reug Reug’ Kane, who practices Senegal’s traditional “mbapatte” wrestling, will once again strut his stuff in front of a global audience at ONE Fight Night 13 against BJJ specialist Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida.

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#1. All forms of martial arts are brought into the mainstream

MMA, of course, is still king in the combat sports world. As mentioned, ONE Championship has already established its claim in the hurt business and is even home to arguably one of the greatest of all time, Demetrious Johnson.

Then again, ONE continued to push the envelope and offered its massive audience other forms of high-level martial arts set in a professional setting.

They began hosting the purest form of the striking arts with Muay Thai and kickboxing bouts.

ONE even raised more awareness for the grappling arts by revitalizing the submission grappling scene for the masses.

These are not gimmick fights either just to appease the public. Each sport has divisions, rankings, and of course, massive shiny belts made from 26 pounds of solid gold.

ONE Championship truly has it all.