5 ONE Championship fighters who are also great dads

For most children, every father is a hero shining like a beacon of integrity, leadership, and courage. ONE Championship has many athletes on its roster that exemplify these traits and more. They also happen to be great dads.

While most great fighters use their hunger for competition, glory and the pursuit of greatness as their main motivators, others use another source: family. In particular, their children.

Take ONE atomweight champion 'Unstoppable' Angela Lee, who gave birth to her first child Ava. The dominant champion has been openly outspoken about how her newborn has inspired her to become better than she already is:

"...I’m not just the same, I’m better than I was before." ⁠~Angela Lee Pucci, MMA fighter, 6X World Champion, #andmother"

Becoming a parent really does something to the mentality of a fighter. They become more dangerous as they become protective of their youngling. Like an alpha wolf taking care of its pack. They turn into more fierce and highly motivated warriors.

Today, in the spirit of Father's Day this weekend, we list down ONE Championship fighters who are also great dads. Athletes that are great fathers, motivators and occasional coaches to their offspring. Both in the ring and in life.

With that said, let's get on with the list.

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#5. ONE Championship interim heavyweight champion Anatoliy Malykhin

Perhaps the hardest-hitting dad you'll ever see, ONE Championship interim heavyweight king Anatoliy 'Sladkiy' Malykhin is a warrior in the tallest order. With 7 of his 10 wins coming by way of knockout, the undefeated Russian has demolished his way to the belt. His 3 other wins also came by way of submission stoppages. That's a 100% finish rate. This man is as frightening as they come.

In the presence of his only son, however, 'Sladkiy' turns into a gentle bear. Malykhin's social media is riddled with posts that involve his son and his beautiful wife, Anita. From cute videos depicting their home life to having his son in the gym with him, it's quite evident that the heavyweight finisher draws a lot of inspiration from his only child.

Malykhin sees his son as the "most valuable thing" that came to him in the most difficult year of 2020:

Translated into English, his caption says:

"This year there are difficulties in my career, but we are all catching up 🚀But this year gave me the most valuable thing - my son ❤️ As they say, everything that doesn't happen is for the better 🙏 Thanks to everyone who is by my side 🙏"

As early as now, Malykhin is already bringing his child to the gym, allowing the toddler to familiarize himself with the environment. Who knows, maybe one day we'll see the mini Malykhin wreak havoc in the cage just like his father.

#4. ONE Championship lightweight and MMA icon Eddie Alvarez

Former multi-time MMA world champion and regular badass Eddie 'The Underground King' Alvarez has been fighting for nearly 20 years. The New jersey native has become a champion in numerous big organizations over the years, notably in Bellator and the UFC. This man has seen it all and done it all.

Even though he's been struggling in his stint at ONE Championship recently, it doesn't look like Alvarez is looking to stop anytime soon. We can hazard a guess as to what motivates the current ONE Championship lightweight fighter to push forward: his children.

Like Malykhin, Alvarez's Instagram page is filled with photos of his family, in-between training footage, motivational posts and the occasional fight clips. What's remarkable here is that two of Alvarez's boys are following in their father's footsteps as amateur wrestlers. One of them is also a successful high school football player.

With both wrestling and football being two of the toughest, most gruelling sports ever, it pays to have an inspiring father to help you push through the grind. We're sure the Alvarez brothers are always looking up to their legendary father, 'The Underground King".

Here's some footage of Alvarez's kids in their latest wrestling competition. That suplex will get you out of your seat:

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#3. Former ONE Championship lightweight world champ Christian Lee

The youngest dad in our least but certainly not the weakest, former ONE Championship lightweight champion 'The Warrior' Christian Lee is the epitome of a finisher. All but one of his wins came by way of either KO or submission.

At just 20 years old, Lee became the youngest male fighter to become a major world MMA champion. His combination of frenetic grappling, piston-like straight punches and looping overhands has allowed him to wear gold even before he was allowed to drink. He also defended the title twice before losing it last year.

In May last year, the 23-year old Lee welcomes the newest member of his growing pack: a bouncing baby girl by the name of Alia Mae. Ever since the birth of his newborn, Lee couldn't stop posting about her together with his wife Katie.

Lee may have lost his ONE Championship belt last year to Ok Rae Yoon in a razor-close split decision, but the proud new father is hell-bent on getting the title back. With his young daughter by his side, we can bet that it will take more than an army to stop the Canadian-American from blasting his way back to the top.

#2. ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao

If you make a list of the best Muay Thai fighters of this era, you can't finish it without mentioning Nong-O Gaiyanghadao. The reigning ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai champion is in the same vein as all-time greats like Samart, Saenchai, and Buakaw.

The Sakon Nakhon native is a champion in seven different weight classes. Nong-O has won four Lumpinee Stadium titles, one Rajadamnern Stadium title and a ONE Championship belt. In his latest stint at ONE, Nong-O has been on an 8-fight winning streak with his last three coming by way of a devastating KO.

The dominant ONE champion is also the father of two teens who, from the looks of his social media, are already training under him. After all, if your father is one of the best fighters in the world, it wouldn't be such a stretch to follow his path, right?

The boys are frequently seen training in numerous posts on Nong-O's Instagram and are almost always accompanied by the guiding presence of their father. Not only are they training together, but the champion's kids are frequently seen doing a bunch of fun activities with their father on their farm.

Nong-O's boys are having the best life possible. They're being instilled with the tenets of martial arts by one of the greatest ever while also having tons of fun at the same time.

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#1. MMA legend and ONE Championship Grand Prix champion Demetrious Johnson

Of course, no other fighting father is mightier than 'Mighty Mouse' himself, former 11-time defending UFC champion and ONE Grand Prix champ Demetrious Johnson. What Johnson has achieved and continues to achieve in the sport is more than the stuff of legend. They're absolutely mythical. He is considered by many to be the greatest mixed martial arts fighter to have ever lived.

But perhaps Johnson's finest achievements aren't involving punching someone in the face or choking them unconscious. If you ask him, Johnson's biggest wins in life involve raising three beautiful children alongside his wife, Destiny.

The Johnsons have three adorable offspring: two songs, Tyrone, Maverick and one daughter, Tany. 'Mighty Mouse' is always present with his family doing a bunch of things every happy family does, movie nights, game nights, awesome dinners, beach trips, motocross riding, and all sorts of cool stuff.

Johnson is just as passionate about his family and being a father as he is about training and fighting. He is winning tremendously in both. That's why he's at the top of our list.