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

#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.