5 exciting martial arts ONE Championship has hosted besides MMA

#4. Submission grappling

In 2017, ONE Championship put multiple-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Garry Tonon and Japanese martial arts icon Shinya Aoki against each other in the first-ever submission grappling contest of the promotion.

With the sport rapidly growing, ONE Championship took it upon itself to put a spotlight in the sport by giving it a global stage.

At ONE X, the promotion's 10-year anniversary showcase, grappling legend Andre Galvao and BJJ star Danielle Kelly made their promotional debuts in exciting matchups opposite two-division world champion Reinier de Ridder and former world title contender Mei Yamaguchi.

Since then, the promotion has attracted other stars of the sport, including Mikey Musumeci, the Ruotolo brothers, Jessa Khan, Renato Canuto, Tainan Dalpra, and more.

Submission grappling has been a regular feature in the promotion this year, and with ONE building an already formidable roster, it won’t be surprising to see it grow even more in the future.

---

#3. Caged Muay Thai in 4-ounce gloves

Legendary Aussie John Wayne Parr fought in smaller gloves back in 2012, and he said he enjoyed competing in it over traditional Muay Thai gloves. He is widely considered by many to have pioneered this variation of the discipline. It clearly excited more than just ‘The Gunslinger’ as ONE Championship later adopted it for its all-striking arm, the ONE Super Series.

ONE Championship introduced 4-ounce gloves and signed a host of Muay Thai legends and rising stars to its roster. They later exclusively put fighters in the same circle as its MMA contests instead of the traditional Muay Thai rings.

In 2021, Parr himself was able to try out the perfected form of his innovative idea when he made his promotional debut at ONE on TNT III. Earlier this year, Parr came out with guns blazing as he battled Filipino Wushu and MMA great Eduard Folayang in a three-round war in his quest for 100 wins.

Unfortunately, he the historic win once again escaped him. However, it was the perfect send-off for the man who introduced the idea of smaller gloves in the sport.