5 fights we want to see added to ONE Championship: X

ONE Championship is really stacking its 10-year anniversary event. Just the first 7 official fights alone are enough to make it arguably the best event the organization has ever put together. You've got three title fights, one Grand Prix finals match, and one special rules match, just to name a few.

ONE's founder and CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, however, made it clear that the March 26 show will have a projected 18-20 fights on the card, making it their biggest event ever. This means we still have more than 10 bouts not yet announced.

In an interview with Ariel Helwani during The MMA Hour, Chatri also announced that several big names are attached to the mega-event. Fighters like Sage Northcutt, Eddie Alvarez, and Shinya Aoki are all set to appear at ONE: X but don't have official opponents yet.

Let's put our match-making hats on and list down 5 possible fights that we'd like to see get added to ONE: X.

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#5. ONE Championship strawweight Muay Thai rematch between Ekaterina Vandaryeva and Supergirl Jaroonsak

This one's fresh from our memories. Ekaterina 'Barbie' Vandaryeva went to war against rising Muay Thai superstar Supergirl Jaroonsak. Their fight happened on January 14 at ONE Championship: Heavy Hitters and it was a close one.

The first round saw both fighters getting some good licks in as the back-and-forth brawl went down the wire. Though the first round was close, we gave the edge to Supergirl. The second round, however, saw Vandaryeva take the fight to the 18-year old fighter, nearly finishing her with a constant barrage of punches. The third round was so close we ruled it out as a draw.

In the end, Supergirl was awarded a split decision win, much to the shock of everyone, including ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong:

"I would want an immediate rematch between Ekaterina and Supergirl. As being someone who does Muay Thai for 35 plus years, I can tell you, Ekaterina won that fight easily. It was not even close."

ONE Championship fights are scored as a whole, not round-per-round, unlike other organizations. The top-most criteria for judging is damage and near-KO or submission. If those two are considered, Vandaryeva won via landslide. Chatri even awarded Vandaryeva a $50,000 performance bonus, despite losing.

Having the two run it back in ONE's biggest show ever is fitting, as fans are already clamoring for a rematch.

#4. ONE Championship bantamweight bout between Kwon Won Il and Stephen Loman

This fight will determine the next title challenger to ONE's bantamweight belt. With the No.1 contender John 'Hands of Stone' Lineker fighting champion Bibiano 'The Flash' Fernandes at ONE: Bad Blood, the next two in the rankings should face each other.

'Pretty Boy' Kwon Won Il just dispatched former champion Kevin 'The Silencer' Belingon late last year at ONE: Winter Warriors II. He did so with a liver punch from hell that immediately folded the Filipino MMA legend.

In the same night, Belingon's teammate Stephen 'The Sniper' Loman made his ONE debut by knocking out former title challenger Yusup Saadulaev. It was a flawless performance that catapulted Loman right to the No.3 spot in the bantamweight ranks.

The narrative here is that Loman might want to avenge his teammate's loss and be the next challenger for the belt. These two bantamweights are red-hot right now and it would surely be a firefight once they collide in the cage.

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#3. ONE Championship lightweight bout between Saygid Izagakhmaev and Shinya Aoki

What a fight this would be. Khabib Nurmagomedov's protege and No.5-ranked lightweight Saygid Izagakhmaev just made a statement in his ONE Championship debut. The Dagestani wrestler methodically took the soul of former title challenger James Nakashima inside two rounds.

Right after the fight, Izagakhmaev called out big names in the division for his next fight. One of the names he mentioned was former ONE Championship lightweight king and MMA legend Shinya 'Tobikan Judan' Aoki. With his name already attached to the event, it would make sense for Aoki to face Izagakhmaev as he's already been called out by the young lion.

The Japanese MMA icon has been around the game for so long and has helped put Asian MMA on the map. He has seen it all and faced them all, but you'd be hard pressed to say that Aoki has ever faced a grappler like Izagakhmaev.

Unlike anyone who's ever faced any fighter from Khabib's Eagle MMA team, however, Aoki would not be afraid to go to the ground. In fact, he might even invite the Dagestani to tangle with him on the mat. It would be interesting to see Aoki's submission wizardry play with the steamrolling brand of wrestling from Izagakhmaev. It's only fitting that they collide on ONE's biggest show in history, ONE: X.

#2. ONE strawweight title fight between Joshua Pacio and Jarred Brooks

Now, this might be a bit of a shot in the dark, as adding one more title fight might over-bloat the event. To this, we say, why not? Ever since his ONE debut, Jarred 'The Monkey God' Brooks has been calling out ONE strawweight champion Joshua 'The Passion' Pacio. The American has had two dominant victories at 125 pounds, dismantling Pacio's teammate Lito 'Thunder Kid' Adiwang and Japanese Hiroba Minowa.

The American made a plausible argument about facing the champion at ONE Championship: X in an Instagram post.

The champion, however, feels that No.2-ranked Brooks should face undefeated No.1-ranked Bokang 'Little Giant' Masunyane first before getting a title shot. It makes sense, too, as Masunyane's grappling power and athleticism pose the biggest threat to Brooks' wrestling. If he really wants to prove that he is the future champion, he has to go through Masunyane first.

The only problem is that Masunyane is in South Africa and, with COVID-19 measures getting in the way, the undefeated dynamo might not be able to fight for at least six months. So the next best thing is Brooks, who has been hounding the champion like a dog chasing cars:

“If Joshua wants to sit on the shelf for another seven months and wait for me to fight, then that’s absolutely fine, but you’re the champ, man. You need to be fighting every three months and proving yourself, and that’s what I’m willing to do as a champion. So, be a champ. Come against me, March 26 at ONE X, let’s get it.”

This bout has the makings of the biggest fight in ONE Championship's strawweight division and what better event to showcase it but ONE: X?

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#1. ONE Championship lightweight bout between Sage Northcutt and Eddie Alvarez

Having these two legendary ONE Championship lightweights face each other would be enough to headline their own event. As two of the biggest imports from the UFC coming to ONE Championship, 'Super' Sage Northcutt and Eddie Alvarez have the star power to fill up arenas.

Alvarez is mostly known for beating the likes of Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis, Gilbert Melendez and Rafael dos Anjos for the UFC lightweight belt. As for Northcutt, the once-rising star of the UFC lightweight division has an 11-3 record and is still hitting his prime at 25-years-old.

Though both fighters have had a rough go at ONE Championship upon entering the organization, they still have the skill and mass appeal to be a compelling bout to watch. It also makes sense for them to face each other since they are both coming off losses and are looking to bounce back.

The most interesting narrative is the seminal 'old guard vs. new blood' story that these two can put on. As two of the most famous American fighters on the ONE Championship roster, it would be a treat to see them lock horns at ONE: X.