Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
ONE Championship is back Saturday with the heavyweight title on the line between champ Brandon Vera and challenger Arjan Bhullar.
ONE Championship is back Saturday with the heavyweight title on the line in the main event.
Here’s how to watch the card from Singapore, which includes heavyweight champion Brandon Vera vs. challenger Arjan Bhullar.
Brandon Vera scheduled to defend his ONE Championship heavyweight title on May 15.
[autotag]Brandon Vera[/autotag] will return to the cage for his first fight since the pandemic.
The ONE Championship heavyweight titleholder is set to defend his belt against former UFC heavyweight [autotag]Arjan Bhullar[/autotag] in the main event of ONE Championship: Dangal on May 15 in Singapore, the promotion announced.
Vera (16-8) hasn’t competed since October 2019, when he suffered a TKO loss to light heavyweight champion Aung La N Sang in an attempt to become a two-division champion. Prior to the defeat, Vera was on a four-fight winning streak, which included the capture of the ONE Championship heavyweight title and two title defenses.
Bhullar (10-1) gets his first opportunity at ONE Championship gold since joining the promotion in 2019. Bhullar only has one bout for the promotion – a win over Mauro Cerilli in 2019. Before joining ONE Championship, Bhullar went 4-1 in the UFC.
The ONE Dangal lineup includes:
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Check out Thursday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here, and you can watch in on SportsCastr beginning at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
On Episode 3,153, the fellas welcome legendary cutman Jacob “Stitch” Duran to help recap ONE on TNT IV, as well as preview Thursday’s 2021 PFL 2 and Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 23. Tune in!
Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.
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Dutchman Reinier de Ridder is now a two-division champion, adding ONE’s light heavyweight belt to the middleweight title he already owns.
Undefeated Dutchman [autotag]Reinier de Ridder[/autotag] is now a two-division champion, adding ONE’s light heavyweight belt to the middleweight title he already owns with a decision win in the main event of ONE on TNT IV, which aired Wednesday in the U.S.
And de Ridder (14-0) earned both belts by taking them away from [autotag]Aung La N Sang[/autotag] (26-12) – the latest in a one-sided decision win at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
At the opening bell, de Ridder moved immediately forward and was able to drag the action to the canvas, scrambling through a seres of attempted escapes before setting up on top of N Sang’s half-guard. After advancing to mount shortly after, de Ridder was able to take the back when his opponent rolled. The body triangle came in immediately after, and de Ridder went to work on a potential choke.
To his credit, N Sang defended his neck well despite being in a bad position. In reply, de Ridder simply punched away to soften things up before beautifully transitioning to an arm-triangle attempt. N Sang defended it perfectly and was able to move back to the feet and deliver a few big punches before perhaps surprisingly choosing to engage again on the floor.
Aung La sneaks out of a DEEP arm-triangle choke! 🐍 @AungLANsang @tntdrama @BleacherReport @BR_MMA @brlive #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT4 pic.twitter.com/73HbedyA0z
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 29, 2021
In the second frame, de Ridder again shot inside immediately, but N Sang was able to defend the initial effort. As de Ridder continued working in tight, he did get the occasional takedown, but he wasn’t able to keep the fight on the canvas until past the halfway mark of the frame, when he was finally able to secure top position and step quickly to mount.
N Sang rolled to escape and did get back to his feet, but de Ridder took him down again and finished the frame on top.
The third saw de Ridder get the fight to the floor with relative ease, where he dominated the positioning. N Sang kept himself out of submission trouble, but he wasn’t able to muster any offense of his own. He worked back to his feet late in the round, but even then, he was simply stuck against the cage.
The fourth round was a carbon copy of the first three, and the final frame started out exactly the same. N Sang was able to sweep to the top with three minutes left, but he was unable to muster any offense in the position, and de Ridder cruised to a one-sided decision win, claiming his second ONE Championship belt – and announcing his intention to get a third by coming after current heavyweight titleholder Brandon Vera.
The ONE Championship struggles continue for [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] (30-8), who fought his heart out in an all-out brawl but ultimately suffered a unanimous-decision loss to [autotag]Rae Yoon Ok[/autotag] (15-3).
Alvarez attacked the legs of the taller Ok in the early going before driving forward and taking the fight to the floor. Ok stood quickly, and the battle in the clinch began. Ok was up to the challenge, and Alvarez was forced to back away and strike with the bigger man. It proved to be a dangerous proposition.
As they engaged on the feet, a massive two-punch combination from Ok sent Alvarez to the floor and seemed destined to end the fight. The South Korean set up on top and unleashed a non-stop barrage of hammerfists and straight punches. The referee gave Alvarez every opportunity to recover, and he did, taking an unbelievable amount of damage but refusing to quit.
Down goes Eddie! How did he survive that? 🤯 @tntdrama @BleacherReport @BR_MMA @brlive #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT4 pic.twitter.com/OdwEOFYAKp
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 29, 2021
Sensing he wasn’t going to be awarded the finish, Ok returned to the feet in the final 30 seconds, and Alvarez unbelievably was able to mount some offense just before the bell.
Alvarez was quick to the takedown in the second, but Ok remained up to the challenge. Even when Alvarez did get his opponent briefly down, Ok would work right back to his feet. Alvarez struggled to really get any effective offense logged, but he was the aggressor, even if Ok was able to defend most of it by simply setting up on the cage and staying upright.
Alvarez seemed the fresher man in the third, and he started mixing up his attacks, faking a few takedowns and driving in uppercuts and overhands depending on the read. Clearly fatigued, Ok dug deep and found the energy for a few knees and kicks up the middle while continuing to defend the takedown. In the closing seconds, the two stood toe-to-toe and took turns checking the chin to end an absolute brawl of a fight. In the end, though, the early damage proved too much to overcome for Alvarez, and judges awarded Ok the win via unanimous decision.
In a battle of undefeated heavyweights [autotag]Kirill Grishenko[/autotag] (4-0) was able to earn a somewhat bizarre victory over Senegalese wrestling sensation [autotag]Oumar Kane[/autotag] (3-1), better known as “Reug Reug.”
It was Grishenko who was the aggressor early, and he showed solid takedown defense when Kane immediately changed levels and worked from the clinch for a takedown. The position proved a stalemate, and the two would eventually reset, where Grishenko would score a couple of quick strikes before being forced to defend a takedown once again.
Kane clearly slowed as the round wore on, and Grishenko scored with a big kick to the thigh and a spinning backfist before the bell.
The second round was more of the same, with Grishenko landing big strikes when given space and then capably defending takedown attempts in the clinch. A frustrated Kane tried to land a few clubbing shots each time he would release the clinch, but he found himself unable to cause any real damage.
Controversy surrounded the ending sequence of the frame, as Grishenko landed a right hand to his opponent’s throat just after the bell, and Kane protested before dropping to the canvas. When Kane couldn’t answer the bell for the third, Grishenko was awarded a TKO win.
Kirill Grishenko 🇧🇾 beats "Reug Reug" by TKO! Do YOU agree with the ref's call? @tntdrama @BleacherReport @BR_MMA @brlive #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT4 pic.twitter.com/LWP62JaKcU
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 29, 2021
Submission wizard [autotag]Shinya Aoki[/autotag] (47-9) closed out his trilogy with fellow former ONE champ [autotag]Eduard Folayang[/autotag] (22-11) in style, scoring a first-round submission via armbar.
After a brief feeling out process to start the contest, Aoki was able to work inside to the clinch and eventually trip the action to the canvas, working quickly to mount. Once there, the end seemed almost inevitable, with Aoki controlling from the top before setting up the armbar and turning for the submission, cranking on the limb until earning the stoppage with 40 seconds left in the first round.
Shinya Aoki 🇯🇵 takes the trilogy fight with Eduard Folayang by first-round armbar! @a_ok_i @tntdrama @BleacherReport @BR_MMA @brlive #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT4 pic.twitter.com/GPDcH0zjKv
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 29, 2021
In the night’s first prelim, vaunted striker [autotag]Colbey Northcutt[/autotag] (2-1) showed off some grappling skills in a first-round submission win over the debuting [autotag]Courtney Martin[/autotag] (0-1).
Martin did her best to avoid the standup game by clinching and bringing the action to the floor early, but Northcutt was game from her back, chaining submission attempts together before locking in an armbar and extending the limb to earn a tap at the 2:28 mark of the first frame.
ONE on TNT IV results include:
If you’re only paying attention to the three big letters at the end of the week, you might miss some good stuff.
There are three solid cards this week, and if you’re only paying attention to the three big letters at the end of the week, you might miss some good stuff.
ONE on TNT IV goes down Wednesday night on TNT, 2021 PFL 2 takes place Thursday, and UFC on ESPN 23 wraps up the week Saturday.
All three cards have some intriguing bouts, like Aung La N Sang (26-11) with his light heavyweight title on the line against middleweight champion Reinier de Ridder (13-0) at ONE on TNT IV.
Is that one of the big can’t-miss fights this week? The “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Farah Hannoun broke down that one and more with panel host John Morgan.
You can watch their discussion in the video above, or check out this week’s full episode below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzjbJbtcnW4
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An independent panel decided that Eddie Alvarez should have been given a warning for his punches to Iuri Lapicus.
[autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] got his wish.
Alvarez (30-8-2), who was disqualified for striking Iuri Lapicus in the back of the head in their ONE on TNT I fight earlier this month, will have his result overturned to a no contest, ONE officials said on Monday.
ESPN was first to report the news.
Alvarez, the former Bellator and UFC lightweight champion, got off to a great start when he secured top position and began raining down punches on what he thought was the side of Lapicus’ head. But referee Justin Brown ruled they were illegal strikes to the back of the head and, as a result, Alvarez was presented a red card.
A visibly distraught Alvarez was brought to tears backstage, asking for the fight to be overturned to a no contest. ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong told MMA Junkie last week that the incident was under review and that the retraction of the red card would come down to Alvarez’s intent.
According to ONE officials, a panel of 15 independent industry experts and ONE Championship officials, judges, and referees reviewed the fight-ending sequence and decided that Alvarez should have been given a warning instead of a red card, thus overturning his disqualification loss to a no contest.
Alvarez is already set to return to action on Wednesday when he takes on Rae Yoon Ok (14-3) at ONE on TNT IV in Singapore.
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Brazilian slugger John Lineker kept his ONE championship record perfect, scoring an emphatic first-round knockout of Troy Worthen.
Brazilian slugger [autotag]John Lineker[/autotag] (34-9) kept his ONE championship record perfect, scoring an emphatic first-round knockout of [autotag]Troy Worthen[/autotag] (7-2) to move to 3-0 in the promotion.
The contest served as the headlining bout of ONE on TNT III, which took place at Singapore Indoor Stadium and aired in primetime Wednesday in the U.S on TNT.
Lineker was aggressive early, pushing forward and landing massive bodyshots with high pressure and reckless abandon. Once Worthen felt the power, Lineker added punches to the chin to his flurries, as well. To his credit, Worthen stood his ground and tried to return fire, but he wasn’t able to implement his wrestling while he was defending powerful strikes.
It was playing with fire, and it cost Worthen, who caught a straight right hand to the chin late in the frame. Another right hand landed clean while he was on the floor, ending the fight at the 4:35 mark of the opening round.
After the win, Lineker called out current ONE bantamweight champ [autotag]Bibiano Fernandes[/autotag].
“I know that I’m better than him,” Lineker said through an interpreter. “I’m the best, and I showed all the world that I will be the best in the world.”
John Lineker 🇧🇷 remains your top bantamweight contender with a THUNDEROUS KO of Troy Worthen! @johnlineker @tntdrama @BleacherReport @BR_MMA @brlive #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT3 pic.twitter.com/DDLzTD4oND
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 22, 2021
In an intriguing flyweight matchup, [autotag]Yuya Wakamatsu[/autotag] (14-4) was able to outwork [autotag]Reece McLaren[/autotag] (14-8) over the course of 15 minutes and was awarded with a unanimous decision victory for his efforts.
While McLaren flashed his grappling chops in the early stages of the fight, he was never able to really secure an earnest submission attempt. Solid takedowns and flashy sweeps were impressive for McLaren, but it didn’t match the power Wakamatsu showed on the feet with big strikes. Complicating matters for McLaren, he seemed to fade down the stretch, and Wakamatsu continued pressing forward, scoring a decision win in the process.
Wakamatsu now boasts a four-fight winning streak, built following a 2019 loss to Demetrious Johnson in the ONE debut of “Mighty Mouse.”
“Little Piranha” nearly knocked out his mouthpiece! 😬 @Yuya0209C4 @tntdrama @BleacherReport @BR_MMA @brlive #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT3 pic.twitter.com/HOKozeHvm8
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 22, 2021
On the card’s featured prelim, [autotag]Rae Yoon Ok[/autotag] (14-3) got off to a hot start and then survived the late pushes from a gritty [autotag]Marat Gafurov[/autotag] (18-4) to secure a hard-fought win via unanimous decision. With the result, Ok earned a booking against [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] (30-8) at next week’s ONE on TNT IV event.
ONE on TNT III results include:
MAIN CARD
PRELIMINARY CARD
MMA Junkie’s John Morgan catches up with CEO Chatri Sityodtong to discuss all things ONE Championship.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwb9HflCrJQ
ONE Championship is in the middle of a four-week run of consecutive primetime events on TNT, which continues Wednesday night with ONE on TNT III at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The series got off to an interesting start with ONE on TNT I, where former UFC champions [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Eddie Alvarez[/autotag] made their returns, which ended in disappointing fashion. Johnson lost by second-round knockout to flyweight champion Adriano Moraes, while Alvarez was disqualified in his fight with Iuri Lapicus because of illegal punches.
Ahead of ONE on TNT III, MMA Junkie caught up with ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong, who discussed how the TNT series is going, the possibility of Alvarez’s DQ being overturned, the potential for Johnson to get an immediate title rematch, lightweight champion Christian Lee’s success, and more.
You can watch the complete interview in the video above or read below for answers to some of those topics.
ONE Championship titleholder Aung La N Sang is asking for help as the political unrest in Myanmar has spiraled out of control.
https://youtu.be/JHtZfVtJ-pQ
Hundreds of protesters have died amidst political turmoil in Myanmar, where the military launched a coup and declared a state of emergency after its leaders were unhappy with the results of a 2020 election in the Southeast Asian nation.
ONE Championship light heavyweight titleholder Aung La N Sang, a Myanmar-born American, has spoken out since the unrest began Feb. 1 and has made a plea to U.S. President Joe Biden to do more.
“If there’s any way you can talk some sense into the military, it would be so helpful to the citizens in Myanmar who are suffering every day,” Sang said in a message directed at Biden during an interview with MMA Junkie Radio. “They have no media coverage right now, because all the media are banned. You can’t speak out against them on the internet on social media, or they’ll actually come get you at your house. Please, if you could by any way communicate and talk some sense into the general and the military, all of Myanmar would appreciate it.”
Biden has called the situation “absolutely outrageous” and ordered sanctions on Myanmar back on Feb. 10. More than 700 civilians have been killed by military forces as the bloodshed worsened under military commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power from elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi of the National League for Democracy (NLD) party.
As he prepares to fight April 28 at ONE on TNT IV, N Sang said the first few weeks of training camp were hard to focus as the violence escalated in his home country. Family and friends have sent him videos of soldiers “brutally killing young, young kids.”
“There’s protesting, and protesters are getting shot. Kids are getting killed. I’m telling you, people over there, the citizens are getting sniped,” N Sang said. “Think about it: Not just accidentally shot, but sniped. We don’t have Second Amendment (in Myanmar). That’s the thing that Americans need to remember. We should be thankful for things like that, the rights that we have.”
If he retains his title against Vitaly Bigdash, N Sang plans on using his platform to spread awareness.
“I’m trying to find some positive out of this, and hopefully I can spotlight Myanmar a little bit more after the win, a great performance,” he said.
You can watch the full interview with N Sang (and Nguyen) in the video above and check out some of his Instagram posts on the Myanmar coup below.
Use our fight booking wire throughout the week to keep tabs on all the latest matchups in the UFC, Bellator, PFL, ONE Championship and more.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got you covered.
Each week, we’ll compile all the new fight bookings right here – in one spot. Worried you missed a UFC or Bellator matchup, a playoff pairing for the PFL, or a title fight scheduled for ONE or LFA?
Our fight booking wire will keep tabs on it all and will update any time we’ve got new matchups – so you’ll want to come back throughout the week to see the latest.
Here are fight announcements that have been broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie for this week, April 19-25:
