'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
ONE Championship is known for showcasing fights across kickboxing, Muay Thai, submission grappling and MMA. Because of this, the Singapore-based fight league has developed quite the eclectic set of fans.
From fans of highly technical kickboxing to followers of sophisticated grappling, ONE Championship always has something for every type of fight aficionado. Whether it's for wild slugfests or technical grappling battles, at the end of the day, however, fans always come to see great fights.
Fights that turn casual observers into passionate fans. It's the kind of contest that showcases incredible performances and awesome displays of heart. The kind of battles that compel us to watch over and over again.
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
Today we dive deep into the MMA archives of ONE Championship and pull out some all-time classics. Although there are countless noteworthy fights in ONE Championship's library, we list down five that are perfect for anyone not familiar with the organization. Five MMA battles that would surely make a hardcore fan out of anybody.
#5. Eric Kelly vs. Rob Lisita - ONE Championship: War of Dragons
Let's start with a good ol' fashion bloodbath. This back-and-forth brawl between Eric Kelly and Rob Lisita might be the bloodiest in ONE Championship history. Seriously, midway into round 2, Kelly was bleeding so profusely you'd think he's dying for our sins.
Right off the bat the two didn't waste time trying to put each other away. Technique took a backseat as both sluggers threw haymakers and knees inside the pocket. Once the fight hit the ground, the two warriors never stopped attacking as well.
As the fight progressed the blood and sweat made both fighters very slippery. At that point the bout became a war of attrition. Exhausted but never defeated, Kelly and Lisita never relented on their attacks despite their fuel gage nearing empty.
Near the end of the second round, Kelly sunk in a rear-naked choke, ending the bout and earning the Filipino a hard-fought victory. The sight of the two exhausted gladiators kneeling beside each other after emptying their gas tanks is something every fight fan should see.
Watch the full fight here:
#4. Angela Lee vs. Mei Yamaguchi I - ONE Championship: Ascent to Power
ONE Championship atomweight world champion Angela 'Unstoppable' Lee made history by capturing gold at the age of 19. To achieve this, however, Lee had to go through the eye of a needle in one of the greatest female fights in MMA history.
Against veteran Mei Yamaguchi, Lee threw everything but the kitchen sink and had to fend off waves and waves of attacks from the Japanese fighter.
For the inaugural ONE Championship atomweight belt, the kinetic energy of this fight never stopped. From wild striking exchanges to gritty clinch battles to near-fight ending submission attempts, this thrilling bout literally had no chill.
With both fighters having strong grappling backgrounds, this see-saw battle had submission attempts after submission attempts. We couldn't count how many times we thought the fight would end but didn't.
Once the final bell rang, we neither had a clue who won nor did we care. What Lee and Yamaguchi achieved that night went beyond wins or losses or even championships. The two pioneers of women's MMA achieved something that would be etched forever in history.
That's something both should be proud of.
Watch the full fight here:
#3. Xiong Jing Nan vs. Angela Lee I - ONE Championship: A New Era
It was the night that ONE Championship strawweight world champion ' The Panda Bear' Xiong Jing Nan stopped the 'Unstoppable'. The bout was ONE atomweight champ Angela Lee's attempt at making history once more by capturing a second belt in the promotion.
This epic strawweight war is often considered a perfect example of how MMA is fought at its highest level. The momentum swings between Xiong and Lee were so pronounced you'd think they're in two different fights.
Picking up the pace after the third round, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Lee upped her gritty grappling attacks to catch Xiong where she wants her. The shift in intensity worked as 'Unstoppable' nearly stopped Xiong with multiple deep triangle armbars.
In the fifth round, however, Xiong upped her own attacks by peppering Lee with kicks and punches both to the head and body. Lee, seemingly having emptied her tank in the previous round, looked exhausted.
Xiong ultimately got the TKO win by using a lot of body shots to wilt the spirit of the atomweight champ. The fight was an instant classic and sparked one of the most intense rivalries in ONE Championship history.
Watch the full fight here:
#2. Vitaly Bigdash vs. Igor Svirid - ONE Championship: Tigers of Asia
Former ONE middleweight champion Vitaly Bigdash debuted in ONE Championship in the best way possible. He won the belt in one of the greatest fights the sport has ever seen.
Bigdash, who fights this December 17 at ONE: Winter Warriors, fought then-champion Igor Svirid in a fight that had more thrills than a Rocky Balboa movie.
Just the fact that this two-round fight had a total of five knockdowns makes it a rarity in the sport. Four of those knockdowns were suffered by Bigdash himself, who had to fight through the unrelenting blitz by Svirid from the get-go.
This unbelievable slugfest ended as dramatically and violently as it started. Bigdash had to muster all the courage he had after almost getting knocked out four times to land a hard knee followed by a right cross to Svirid's jaw.
We won't say anything more as we'll leave all the other details for you to enjoy.
Watch the full fight here:
#1. Aung La Nsang vs. Ken Hasegawa I - ONE Championship: Spirit of a Warrior
If you want to convert anybody into an instant ONE Championship fan, immediately show them this fight. 'The Burmese Python' Aung La Nsang, considered one of the greatest MMA champions ever, made his first ONE Championship middleweight title defense in his home country of Myanmar.
While the Burmese national hero was expected to steamroll the relatively unknown Hasegawa, no one saw how this epic match would turn out.
'War of attrition' might not even be enough to describe this unbelievable fight. The level of courage Aung La and Hasegawa displayed in this fight is, for the lack of a better term, inhuman.
Not a lot of fighters in the world can survive the amount of damage, exhaustion and hurt the two fighters put each other through. It makes you wonder if they effectively chipped away years from their lives just by going those five rounds.
Thunderous chants of 'Aung La!', seemingly coming from the entire nation of Myanmar, pushed the ONE Championship middleweight champion beyond his limits. The invading foreigner Hasegawa never backed down and fought just as valiantly as the hometown hero.
In the end, Aung La channeled all his remaining energy to his right fist and collided it straight on Hasegawa's jaw. It was too much for the brave Japanese warrior as he fell lifelessly to the floor, ending the bout via knockout.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy as their proudest son just won the greatest fight in ONE Championship history.
Watch the historic bout here:
