5 incredible UFC vs. ONE Championship fights we'd like to see

Without a shadow of a doubt, the UFC is the world's premier MMA organization. The America-based promotion has the deepest roster in professional combat sports and houses some of the best talent in the world.

While the UFC is undoubtedly the biggest stage for MMA on the planet, Asia's ONE Championship has risen to prominence at quite a rapid pace in recent years. ONE doesn't restrict itself to just pure MMA. Rather, the Singapore-based promotion puts on kickboxing, Muay Thai and submission grappling bouts, in addition to mixed martial arts.

Both promotions have world-class fighters. Naturally, comparisons are drawn between athletes who compete in the same weight class, prompting hypothetical debates as to who would emerge victorious.

UFC president Dana White has reiterated on numerous occasions that he doesn't foresee his company engaging in any cross-promotional bouts. Nevertheless, we thought we'd take a look at five fantasy MMA matchups to book if the two organizations were open to crossover contests.

Note: The two promotions have different weigh-in procedures and as such, the names of the weight classes don't match up. For example, the UFC's bantamweight fighters and ONE's flyweight fighters both weigh in at 135 pounds.

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#5. Petr Yan (UFC) vs. Adriano Moraes (ONE)

Petr Yan has emerged as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world since winning the UFC bantamweight title in 2020. 'No Mercy' has been hailed as one of the best strikers in the UFC by a number of his peers and he looks set to stay atop the 135-pound division for a long time.

Yan boasts a professional record of 16-2. However, there are important points to consider while looking at his record. His first career loss came against Magomed Magomedov via split decision in 2016, a result which remains controversial to this day. Nevertheless, he avenged that loss a year later, handily beating Magomedov in a rematch.

The only other loss on his record was a disqualification that saw him lose his belt at UFC 259 last year to Aljamain Sterling, who took an illegal knee from the Russian. Effectively unbeaten, Yan is a nightmare stylistic matchup for anyone he goes up against. Looking down the pecking order of the bantamweight division, it's hard to see anyone beating 'No Mercy' in the near future.

Perhaps the only fighter in the world who can potentially beat Petr Yan isn't even in the UFC. ONE Championship's Adriano Moraes has all the attributes needed if one was to design a fighter capable of defeating Yan. Moraes is the reigning ONE flyweight champion and has emerged as one of the best fighters to come out of Asia's premier MMA organization.

Moraes boasts a professional record of 19-3, with all three of his career losses coming by way of split decision. The well-rounded Brazilian is dangerous in every realm of MMA, possessing slick kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills. Additionally, his lanky frame allows him to enjoy a significant reach advantage over most opponents. 'Mikinho' remains the only fighter to have ever knocked out UFC legend Demetrious Johnson.

A fight between Petr Yan and Adriano Moraes has all the ingredients needed to produce fireworks. Both fighters have never been finished in their professional MMA careers so far and are insanely durable. In a fantasy world where this fight has the potential to come to fruition, the stylistic matchup is mouthwatering and the bout will be an absolute treat to watch.

#4. Rose Namajunas (UFC) vs. Angela Lee (ONE)

Rose Namajunas has emerged as one of the most interesting and likable fighters on the UFC roster in recent years. The reigning strawweight champion's unassuming and gentle nature outside the cage, coupled with her terrifying intensity inside the octagon, makes her an incredibly intriguing fighter.

Namajunas broke onto the scene as a contestant on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, submitting all of her opponents on her way to the finale. She came into the UFC with a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu background and, following her alliance with legendary striking coach Trevor Wittman, has become one of the most well-rounded fighters in the promotion.

Proof of her obvious improvements in the stand-up realm is in the fact that Namajunas has secured stunning first-round knockout victories against seasoned strikers like Joanna Jędrzejczyk and Zhang Weili. At just 29, she is already the champion of the most competitive division in all of women’s MMA.

Watch a compilation of Rose Namajunas' finishes below:

Angela Lee is arguably the best female mixed martial artist outside of the UFC. The reigning ONE atomweight champion looks set to reign over her division for a long time to come, already having beaten most of the top contenders.

Lee possesses elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Out of her 10 career wins, seven have come by way of submission. She became a ONE champion at just 18 and has stayed atop the 115-pound division for a very long time. At just 25, this prodigy has a very bright future ahead of her.

Both Angela Lee and Rose Namajunas are well-rounded and highly intelligent fighters. They have very similar skillsets and the grappling exchanges between the two submission artists would be a sight to behold. Additionally, both fighters have that championship mentality that sets them apart from the rest of the women in their respective divisions.

Watch a compilation of Angela Lee's best performances in ONE Championship below:

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#3. Deiveson Figueiredo (UFC) vs. Joshua Pacio (ONE)

Who is the best 125-pound fighter in the world?

The question as to which fighter is the best in their weight class is a tricky one. While the UFC is undoubtedly the biggest MMA promotion, that doesn't mean they have ALL the best fighters on the planet. Top promotions like Bellator and ONE Championship have been slowly but surely improving the quality of their rosters in recent years and can finally hold a candle to the Dana White-led promotion.

With regards to the 125-pound weight class, a division that Bellator doesn't have, the title of the best fighter in the world befits either the UFC flyweight champion or ONE's strawweight champion.

Deiveson Figueiredo is the reigning UFC flyweight king. The Brazilian is huge for the weight class and possesses legitimate one-punch knockout power, a rare asset for a 125-pound fighter. 'Deus da Guerra' boasts an excellent professional record of 21-2 and is very well-rounded. Out of his 21 career wins, nine have come by way of KO/TKO and eight by submission.

Figueiredo's 125-pound ONE Championship counterpart has a very similar skillset and record. Joshua Pacio, the ONE strawweight champion, has a 20-3 record and is one of the longest reigning champions in the promotion. Having already defended his title twice, the 26-year-old will stay atop the division for a long time to come if he continues to improve.

Pacio and Figueiredo are so evenly matched. Even their knockout to submission ratio is uncannily similar. 'The Passion' has eight wins by way of KO/TKO and nine via submission.

Check out Joshua Pacio's incredible highlight reel below:

The only difference between the two 125-pounders is their age. Deiveson Figueiredo is eight years older than Joshua Pacio and could struggle against the speed of the Filipino fighter. On the flipside, Figueiredo is undoubtedly more powerful than Pacio and will likely have a strength advantage. All things considered, it's a very intriguing matchup.

#2. Justin Gaethje (UFC) vs. Thanh Le (ONE)

If the UFC and ONE Championship are open to cross-promoting, there are a number of incredible stylistic matchups that'll undoubtedly produce fireworks. It just so happens that the most entertaining knockout artists in their respective promotions happen to be around the same weight class.

Justin Gaethje, a former UFC interim champion, is arguably the most entertaining fighter in all of combat sports. The American has developed a reputation for being – as Joe Rogan puts it – "the most violent man in the most violent sport". The all-action lightweight contender has never been in a boring fight. His savage mentality and insane durability have made him a fan-favorite.

While Gaethje does have a background in wrestling, he rarely uses it offensively. 'The Highlight' prefers staying on the feet with his opponent. His relentless pressure often sees his foes crumble and his finishing rate reflects the same. Out of his 23 career wins, 19 have come by way of knockout.

Watch a compilation of Justin Gaethje's knockouts in the UFC below:

ONE Championship has a fighter on its roster very similar to Justin Gaethje. The Asian MMA promotion's reigning featherweight champion, Thanh Le, is a sensational knockout artist just like his UFC counterpart. He boasts a 100% finishing rate and is one of the most lethal strikers in ONE Championship.

The Taekwondo specialist has a wide array of tools in his arsenal. The sheer diversity of his finishes makes him an extremely dangerous fighter. Le is yet to taste defeat in ONE Championship, having knocked out every opponent he's faced in the promotion so far.

Two out of his three career losses have come via submission and he seemingly struggled against high-level grapplers early on. However, he hasn't lost since 2018 and in his most recent bout, a defense of his featherweight title, he knocked out Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom Garry Tonon with relative ease.

A potential Justin Gaethje vs. Thanh Le matchup has the makings of an absolute barnburner. Both fighters' stand-and-bang approach, coupled with their fight-ending power and irrefutable toughness, makes this matchup arguably the best fight one can put together in all of MMA.

Check out some of Thanh Le's best knockouts in ONE Championship below:

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#1. Israel Adesanya (UFC) vs. Reinier de Ridder (ONE)

Israel Adesanya and Reinier de Ridder are among the most dominant champions in combat sports today. Both fighters have been cleaning out their divisions in recent years. De Ridder has been quite vocal in stating his belief that he's the best middleweight in the world. Adesanya, on his part, has never acknowledged his Dutch counterpart's claims.

Without a doubt, Adesanya has faced and beaten better fighters than de Ridder has. That's largely down to the depth of the UFC's roster. Nevertheless, 'The Dutch Knight' has been supremely commanding in all of his bouts in ONE Championship so far.

Israel Adesanya became the undisputed UFC middleweight champion following his sensational knockout victory over Robert Whittaker in 2019. 'The Last Stylebender' has been defending his belt ever since and at just 32, he is expected to rule the 185-pound division for a long time to come. The Kiwi has proved to be a tough night out for any middleweight he's gone up against.

Adesanya's striking is levels above his peers and with every passing bout, his wrestling defense is improving. His extensive background in kickboxing and accomplishments in the UFC make him one of the most decorated combat sports athletes on the planet today.

Watch a compilation of Israel Adesanya's best performances in the UFC below:

Reinier de Ridder is the reigning ONE middleweight and light heavyweight champion. The Dutchman's skills are like an inverted mirror of Israel Adesanya's. He has world-class grappling skills and 10 of his career wins have come via submission. Additionally, his striking has continued to improve with every passing fight.

De Ridder boasts a perfect professional record of 15-0. He is a stylistic nightmare for every fighter he takes on, as strikers are scared to engage him out of fear of a takedown, while wrestlers are seemingly petrified of his impeccable Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Watch the highlights of Reinier de Ridder's rise below:

What makes a potential showdown between Israel Adesanya and Reiner de Ridder so intriguing is the fact that they possess the exact skillset needed to beat one another. If one had to create a fighter to defeat Adesanya, high-level grappling and solid striking would be the key components. Similarly, a tough stylistic matchup for de Ridder would be a world-class striker with solid defensive wrestling.

Adesanya vs. de Ridder would represent the highest level of MMA in the modern era.