5 UFC-ONE World Champion vs. World Champion super-fights we need to see

ONE women’s strawweight world champion Xiong Jing Nan vs. UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (125 lbs.)

Two heavy-hitting world champions could produce fireworks if they stand against each other in an official bout.

No strawweight has ever beaten Xiong Jing Nan in the Circle so far. She has relied on her heavy hands to knock out 4 of her first 5 opponents, claiming and defending the division’s crown in the process. ‘The Panda’ has essentially cleared out the division and is looking for a new challenge.

Enter Valentina Shevchenko, the top pound-for-pound female fighter in the UFC today. The former kickboxer has transitioned well to MMA, showing that she can be as dangerous on the ground as she is on her feet with 8 knockouts and 7 submissions in 23 wins. Like Xiong, ‘Bullet’ has defeated every challenger to her crown.

The two fighters briefly met when Shevchenko visited Singapore for an event last month. They were able to work with each other and train together at Evolve MMA, while sparking the imagination of fans on what could happen if the two were to take each other on in a real match.

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ONE flyweight king Adriano Moraes vs. UFC’s bantamweight world champion Aljamain Sterling (135 lbs)

Adriano Moraes is one of the most dominant world champions in ONE Championship and is responsible for the first knockout loss of MMA legend Demetrious Johnson. He has a penchant for finishing his opponents, and his technical skills have helped him win 10 of his 20 wins via submission and 4 by knockout.

For his part, Aljamain Sterling is responsible for snapping Petr Yan’s 10-fight career win streak to claim the UFC bantamweight title. Although he won via disqualification, he was able to win their rematch to unify the title, albeit via a close split decision. Like Moraes, ‘Funk Master’ is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and has used his ground prowess to amass 8 submissions in 21 wins.

The two world champions could certainly see their fantasy fight go to the ground at some point, considering their backgrounds. However, in a matchup between a proven world champion who has defended his world title against multiple elite athletes and a champion who won the crown amidst controversy, it is Moraes who will be favored to take the victory in this one.