5 fantasy UFC-ONE trades that would benefit both promotions

On this day exactly four years ago, the UFC and ONE Championship, two of the world's top martial arts organizations, pulled off a historic trade. No such trade has happened ever since, making it a milestone moment in MMA history.

Two dominant former champions switched promotions on October 28th, 2018. Former UFC flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson and former ONE welterweight king Ben Askren headed in opposite directions, kicking off a new chapter in their respective careers.

The possibility of such a trade before 2018 seemed impossible. The fact that it came to fruition offers hope of such trades materializing in the future, which could benefit both promotions.

Notably, Johnson and Askren are in different weight classes. However, in this article, we will be looking at fighters competing in-and-around the same divisions. With that said, here are five fantasy UFC-ONE trades that would make sense for all parties involved.

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#5. Askar Askarov (UFC) ⇔ Fabricio Andrade (ONE)

The UFC flyweight division was reportedly on the cusp of being scrapped a few years ago. In recent times, the 125-pound weight class has sprung back into life. With the new influx of talent over the last few years, the division appears to be in a very healthy place.

The likes of Deiveson Figueiredo, Brandon Moreno, Kai Kara-France, Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval are all exciting flyweights atop the division. Perhaps the odd man out in the top tier at 125 pounds is Russian flyweight Askar Askarov, who is coming off a loss and has had numerous instances of struggling to make the weight limit.

Askarov missed weight for his bout against Joseph Benavidez last year. Most recently, his inability to make weight saw his matchup against Brandon Royval get scrapped at the eleventh hour. The 30-year-old could benefit from ONE Championship's weigh-in procedure instead, rather than continuing to severely dehydrate himself to make 125 pounds.

At his best, Askarov is among the top flyweights in the world. The Russian possesses excellent wrestling and is very durable, having only ever lost by decision. He boasts an impressive record of 14-1-1 and is a catch for any other MMA organization.

A trade for ONE Championship's Fabricio Andrade makes sense for both promotions. Andrade is among the top contenders in the Asian organization's bantamweight division and has emerged as one of the most exciting fighters around.

The Brazilian's record stands at 8-2 (1NC) and he hasn't tasted defeat in his last eight fights. His last bout, a championship clash against former UFC fighter John Linekar, ended with an unfortunate illegal strike, resulting in a no-contest.

Fabricio Andrade's personality would fit in well in the UFC, where drama tends to sell. 'Wonder Boy' is brash, outspoken and extremely confident, often to the irritation of his opponents.

Moreover, he speaks English, likes to instigate his opponents, and has a flashy style, which would make him an instant hit in the world's premier MMA promotion, which already houses the best Brazilian talent in the world.

For ONE Championship, recruiting a fighter as highly touted as Askar Askarov would be a massive coup. One of the main criticisms against the Asian promotion is the lack of high-level wrestlers on the roster, and Askarov can certainly make the bantamweight division more interesting in this regard.

Askar Askarov (left) and Fabricio Andrade (right) [Images via @askar_mma & @fabricioandrade1 on Instagram]

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#4. Volkan Oezdemir (UFC) ⇔ Aung La N Sang (ONE)

Aung La N Sang finds himself in an awkward position at ONE Championship. The former two-division champion is clearly among the best fighters in the promotion. However, having lost twice against both Renier de Ridder and Vitaly Bigdash, he's quite far off a championship opportunity.

'The Burmese Python' is now 37 years old and is entering the twilight of his professional career. N Sang could benefit from a fresh start, and a move over to the UFC would make sense at this stage of his career. Given that he trains in the United States at KillCliff FC in Florida, switching to the American promotion would be a wise move.

ONE Championship requires new contenders in their middleweight and light heavyweight divisions amidst current two-division champion Reinier de Ridder's dominant championship reign.

An ingress of talent in the heavier divisions is much-needed for the Singapore-based promotion, which doesn't even have rankings beyond lightweight. Recruiting legitimate challengers for de Ridder should be a top priority for ONE Championship.

The UFC has no shortage of middleweights and light heavyweights. Volkan Oezdemir, a former title challenger and veteran of the American promotion, would be an ideal addition to ONE Championship's roster.

Oezdemir has 25 fights under his belt and is far more experienced than any of the light heavyweights in ONE Championship. With the MMA world yearning for Reinier de Ridder to have a legitimate challenger, 'No Time' is an intriguing matchup for the dominant Dutchman.

Notably, de Ridder claims he is better than his UFC counterparts Israel Adesanya and Jiri Prochazka, the current middleweight and light heavyweight champions in the Dana White-led promotion. If he is to further solidify his claims to being the best in the world, a win over a UFC veteran will serve himself and ONE Championship very well.

Volkan Oezdemir (left) and Aung La N Sang (right) [Images via @volkan_oezdemir & @aunglansang on Instagram]

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#3. Yan Xiaonan (UFC) ⇔ Ritu Phogat (ONE)

The UFC is always looking to break into new markets. The organization has benefitted greatly from promoting top Chinese talent in recent years, capitalizing on a massive viewing audience. Such is their success in China that they even opened a Performance Institute facility in Shanghai.

India remains an untapped market for the UFC. MMA is still in the earliest stages of growth in the South Asian country. With its massive population and undeniable love of sports in general, India is a sleeping giant in the global MMA scene. As such, signing top Indian talent would greatly benefit the American promotion.

ONE atomweight contender and Grand Prix finalist Ritu Phogat is undoubtedly at the forefront of Indian MMA.

Phogat is clearly the best wrestler in the ONE atomweight division. 'The Indian Tigress' is just 28 years old, and as she continues to improve her striking and submissions, she will be a force to be reckoned with when she reaches her athletic prime.

The UFC will need to offer ONE Championship a top-ranked contender in return for Phogat. No.5-ranked UFC strawweight Yan Xiaonan would be an ideal candidate to send the other way, and this fantasy trade appears to work for both organizations.

Xiaonan, like Ritu Phogat, is firmly established in the top tier of her division. The striking savant has beaten numerous top contenders in the UFC and is just a few wins away from a title shot. While Phogat has displayed fairly one-dimensional offense thus far, Xiaonan could give the best ONE atomweights a real run for their money.

Yan Xiaonan's accomplishments in the UFC have been somewhat overshadowed by her compatriot Zhang Weili's success thus far. Weili is by far the more recognizable and popular of the Chinese duo, thanks to her all-action style and memorable rivalries with fellow fan-favorites Joanna Jędrzejczyk and Rose Namajunas.

It wouldn't be a massive loss to the promotion if they were to part ways with Xiaonan. On the flipside, signing arguably the best Indian-born MMA fighter in the world has huge upside.

For ONE Championship, a well-rounded and experienced fighter like Yan Xiaonan could freshen things up atop the atomweight division, potentially offering divisional queen Angela Lee a real threat to her throne.

Yan Xiaonan (left) and Ritu Phogat (right) [Images via @xiaonan_yan & @rituphogat48 on Instagram]

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#2. Alexander Volkov (UFC) ⇔ Marcus Almeida (ONE)

To say ONE Championship's heavyweight division lacks depth would be an understatement. Apart from reigning champion Arjan Bhullar, interim champion Anatoly Malykhin and Brandon Vera, there aren't any high-profile contenders in the division.

Vera, who is now 45 years old, is by far the most experienced heavyweight on the roster with 25 professional fights. While the division is still growing, it could benefit from the introduction of a credentialled and experienced heavyweight who is known to the global audience.

Perennial UFC heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov seemingly fits the bill. A former Bellator champion, Volkov has been fighting the best heavyweights in the world for the past decade or so. Still just 33 years old, the towering Russian has a lot to offer, but having lost to many top-ranked UFC heavyweights, he appears to have hit his ceiling in the American promotion.

While ONE Championship's heavyweight division is in need of more recognizable figures, the UFC has more than enough. What would benefit the Las Vegas-based promotion is an injection of fresh blood into its heavyweight bracket, and a fighter as unique as Marcus Almeida would fit in very nicely.

Almeida, popularly known as 'Buchecha', is among the most credentialled jiu-jitsu practitioners on the planet. The 32-year-old Brazilian has claimed gold medals across the most prestigious grappling tournaments in the world, including IBJJF and ADCC.

He kicked off his MMA career at ONE Championship last year and has already picked up four wins, all via finishes.

With Alexander Volkov now effectively a gatekeeper in the UFC heavyweight division, the promotion can afford to part with the Russian in exchange for an exciting up-and-comer like Marcus Almeida.

Volkov has 45 professional fights under his belt and is still in his prime, making him an invaluable addition to ONE's heavyweight division, which arguably lacks big names with experience. For the UFC, a world-class heavyweight submission specialist makes the division more diverse, offering a slew of intriguing matchups.

Alexander Volkov (left) and Marcus Almeida (right) [Images via @volkov_alex & @marcusbuchecha on Instagram]

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#1. Chan Sung Jung (UFC) ⇔ Thanh Le (ONE)

Chan Sung Jung's storied career across the WEC and UFC is the stuff of legend. The former two-time title challenger is among the most entertaining and fan-friendly fighters to ever grace the octagon, having delivered numerous memorable fights and finishes.

The all-action South Korean is now seemingly past his prime, but remains one of the most famous Asian fighters in the world. 'The Korean Zombie' is an icon in his home country, but has fought just a handful of times in Asia. A move over to ONE Championship, the continent's biggest martial arts promotion, could serve as the ideal destination for the final few years of his career.

The ideal fighter to include in a trade for Chan Sung Jung would be former ONE featherweight titleholder Thanh Le.

The 37-year-old Vietnamese-American is no stranger to the UFC. Le was a contestant on season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter and even featured in the inaugural season of Dana White's Contender Series, where he bagged a TKO victory but didn't receive a contract.

Le is an incredibly explosive and entertaining fighter. He boasts a 100% finish rate and 12 of his 13 career victories have come via knockout. The former champion would be a welcome addition to the UFC's lightweight division, which is already brimming with talent.

Both Chan Sung Jung and Thanh Le are rarely in a boring fight, which has seen fans gravitate towards their respective styles.

A potential trade featuring the two fighters would not only spice things up in both promotions, but would also offer the duo a chance to compete more frequently in front of their compatriots amidst the twilight of their respective careers.

Chan Sung Jung (left) and Thahn Le (right) [Images via @koreanzombiemma & @thanhlemma on Instagram]