Category: ONE Championship

MMA Junkie Radio #3075: Looking back at UFC on ESPN+ 31, Conor McGregor, more

Check out the latest edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

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Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with hosts “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here!

On Episode 3,075 of the podcast, the guys look back at UFC on ESPN+ 31, plus events from Invicta FC, ONE Championship and LFA. In addition, they talked about Joanne Calderwood’s fainting incident after her loss, as well as Conor McGregor’s future.

Stream or download this and all episodes of MMA Junkie Radio over at OmnyStudio, or check it out above. You can also catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and more. A new episode of the podcast is released every Monday and Thursday.

Fabricio Andrade credits ‘Hickman brothers wrestling’ for his ONE Championship win

ONE Championship returned to action this past weekend, and a little-known Brazilian featherweight picked up a big win for his career.

ONE Championship returned to action this past weekend, and a little-known Brazilian featherweight picked up a big win for his career.

[autotag]Fabricio Andrade[/autotag] (4-2) made his promotional debut in spectacular fashion, earning a second-round technical submission win over longtime veteran Mark Abelardo (19-8). The bout served as the first MMA contest of Friday’s ONE Championship 110 event in Thailand.

Afterward, Andrade said he wasn’t nearly as surprised as others might be.

“I feel like I did my job,” Andrade said after the win. “I feel like I did what I came to do, and I finished my job.”

Fighting for the first time in 14 months and the first time ever in the ONE Championship ring, Andrade certainly was a bit of a mystery. However, he certainly impressed in the performance.

Training at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand, Andrade gave praise to brothers George and Frank Hickman for elevating his game.

“Nobody knows me,” Andrade said. “Nobody knows that I have jiu-jitsu. People think that I’m a striker, but I’m not. I’m complete. I’m jiu-jitsu. I’m wrestling. I’m everything. He tried to take me down, I did that Hickman brothers wrestling, and then I did that jiu-jitsu that I was training everyday.”

To hear more from Andrade, check out the video above. Or click on the event highlights below.

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ONE Championship 110 video highlights: ‘Wonder Boy’ puts opponent to sleep

ONE Championship returned to action this past weekend, and “Wonder Boy” took advantage of his time in the ring.

ONE Championship returned to action this past weekend for the first time since February, and while the card was heavy on muay Thai action, “Wonder Boy” did take advantage of his time in the ring.

Not that one – the Brazilian one.

In the first MMA bout of Friday’s ONE Championship 110 event in Thailand, Brazilian [autotag]Fabricio Andrade[/autotag] (4-2) scored a technical submission win over the much more experienced [autotag]Mark Abelardo[/autotag] (19-8). With the result, “Wonder Boy” now owns a three-fight winning streak.

Meanwhile, in the night’s featured MMA contest, undefeated prospect [autotag]Stamp Fairtex[/autotag] (5-0) scored a dominant victory over the previously unbeaten [autotag]Sunisa Srisan[/autotag] (3-1).

Check out highlights of all the action in the video above – as well as the best moments from the night’s featured muay Thai matchups.

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Stamp Fairtex claims easy win at ‘ONE Championship 110: No Surrender’

Thai starlet Stamp Fairtex extended her undefeated start to her MMA career with a first-round stoppage victory at ONE Championship 110.

[autotag]Stamp Fairtex[/autotag] delivered another dominant performance to extend her perfect professional MMA record at “ONE Championship 110: No Surrender” in Bangkok, Thailand.

Fairtex (5-0 MMA) defeated 19-year-old debutant [autotag]Sunisa Srisen[/autotag] via first-round TKO in the featured MMA bout of the evening in the behind-closed-doors event at the Impact Arena to continue her rise up the ONE atomweight ladder.

Fairtex dominated the stand-up and connected with some punishing knees to the midsection when the pair clinched up. But it wasn’t until the fight went to the mat that the 22-year-old secured the victory.

After taking Srisen (3-1 MMA) to the canvas, Fairtex took her opponent’s back, flattened her out, and unloaded a barrage of ground strikes that forced referee Nick Chapman to step in with just over a minute left in the opening round.

Fairtex is already a huge star for the Asian promotion, having captured ONE’s atomweight titles in both muay Thai and kickboxing to make history as their first two-sport champion. The Thai striker recently lost her kickboxing title to America’s Janet Todd, but is now focusing on her MMA journey as she looks to position herself for a title fight with long-reigning champion Angela Lee.

In the night’s other MMA bout, Brazilian debutant [autotag]Fabricio Andrade[/autotag] introduced himself to the ONE Championship fanbase with an eye-catching submission as he finished New Zealand’s [autotag]Mark Abelardo[/autotag] via second-round rear-naked choke.

The 22-year-old Tiger Muay Thai prospect looked at ease on his promotional debut as he happily stood and traded with the heavy-handed Kiwi, but once he took the action to the mat, Andrade (4-2 MMA) shone as he took Abelardo’s back and locked up a rear-naked choke. Abelardo (19-8) refused to tap, but the action was stopped as he slipped into unconsciousness as a result of the debutant’s hold.

“ONE Championship 110: No Surrender” was the promotion’s first major event since the COVID-19 pandemic, with the show held behind closed doors in Bangkok. The show was presented from Singapore, with Michael Schiavello and Mitch Chilson providing commentary remotely from Melbourne and Manila respectively.

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ONE Championship’s Hiroaki Suzuki shows abs of steel in gut-punishing workout

ONE Championship striker Hiroaki Suzuki’s Instagram post shows that he is preparing his abs for war in his next ONE Super Series outing.

Professional fighters are among the toughest athletes around, but a powerful, well-placed shot to the midsection can give even the most seasoned prizefighters a moment’s pause.

That’s why the world’s best fighters put themselves through punishing gym sessions to firm up their abdomens and, in some cases, even invite their training partners to train their abs for the punishment of fight night by unloading a barrage of strikes to their torso.

One such athlete is ONE Championship striking ace [autotag]Hiroaki Suzuki[/autotag], who is looking to get himself back into title contention after his first title shot ended in defeat.

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Suzuki lost out to Thai legend Nong-O Gaiyanghadao for the ONE bantamweight muay Thai title in May last year in a fight that saw him on the receiving end of more than 50 thumping body kicks from one of the best muay Thai strikers on the planet.

But, despite taking a barrage of kicks to the midsection, Suzuki took the champion all the way to the scorecards in a remarkable display of durability.

Now the Japanese striker will be hoping to bounce back and make a run at either of the bantamweight belts in ONE’s all-striking league, ONE Super Series, which features bouts under muay Thai and kickboxing rulesets.

ONE Championship is set to return to action Friday in Bangkok as the promotion looks to get back up and running again following the COVID-19 shutdown, and Suzuki has been in the gym preparing ahead of his next fight booking. Based on the footage below, it seems he’s getting ready for another punishing war.

We saw two-division ONE champion Aung La N Sang’s “Body Shot Challenge” a few months ago, and it seems “Kaibutsukun” is happy to give “The Burmese Python” a run for his money in the toughness stakes.

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The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Stamp Fairtex set for MMA return at ‘ONE Championship 110: No Surrender’

Former two-sport champion Stamp Fairtex will look to extend her undefeated record in MMA when she returns to action in Bangkok on July 31.

ONE Championship has announced its full fight card for the promotion’s first event since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“ONE Championship 110: No Surrender” takes place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok on Friday, July 31, and marks the return to action of former two-sport champion [autotag]Stamp Fairtex[/autotag], who will continue her emerging MMA career at the Impact Arena when she takes on [autotag]Sunisa Srisen[/autotag] in a women’s atomweight bout.

Fairtex (3-0), who captured the promotion’s kickboxing and muay Thai titles before switching her attention to MMA, picked up back-to-back victories in 2019, then added a third win with a first-round TKO stoppage of Puja Tomar at “ONE Championship 106: A New Tomorrow” in January. Now the 22-year-old Thai will return to action against promotional newcomer Srisen (3-0).

Also set for action under MMA rules is Bangkok-based New Zealander [autotag]Mark Abelardo[/autotag], who will look to bounce back into the win column against debutant [autotag]Fabricio Andrade[/autotag] in a 148-pound catchweight matchup.

Abelardo (19-7) earned his spot on the ONE Championship roster after graduating from the promotion’s talent-finding series, ONE Warrior Series, and has alternated wins and losses in his four outings as part of ONE’s main roster.

His last appearance saw Abelardo lose a unanimous decision to undefeated American Troy Worthen at ONE’s most recent event, “ONE Championship 109: King of the Jungle,” in February. Now he’ll look to get his form back on track in Bangkok against Brazilian newcomer Andrade (3-2).

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The event in Bangkok will feature two muay Thai title fights at the top of the six-fight card, with a quartet of Thailand’s best muay Thai strikers set for action in the two headline matchups.

In the main event, flyweight champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon will put his title on the line against “The Baby Shark” Petchdam Petchyindee Academy, while the co-headliner will see muay Thai legend Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex challenge reigning featherweight muay Thai champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy.

The full “ONE Championship 110: No Surrender” fight card includes:

  • Champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Petchdam Petchyindee Academy (for flyweight muay Thai title)
  • Champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy vs. Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex (for featherweight muay Thai title)
  • Sittchai Sitsongpeenong vs. Superbon Banchamek (kickboxing bout)
  • Stamp Fairtex vs. Sunisa Srisen
  • Mark Abelardo vs. Fabricio Andrade
  • Panpayak Jitmuangnon vs. Superlek Kiatmoo9 (muay Thai bout)

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Vitor Belfort is looking swole before his ONE Championship debut

At 43, Vitor Belfort is looking in peak shape ahead of his ONE Championship debut.

At 43, [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] is looking like a phenom all right.

Belfort (26-14), the former UFC light heavyweight champion, is expected to make his ONE Championship debut later this year against Alain Ngalani. It will be his first fight since hanging up his gloves in May 2018.

The date, location and weight in which the bout will be contested are yet to be announced, but Ngalani does fight at heavyweight.

In the meantime, Belfort has been putting in some serious work at the gym and is looking absolutely jacked, shades of the Belfort that ran through the UFC middleweight division in 2013.

ONE Championship will return on July 31 for its first show following the coronavirus outbreak. The event will take place in Bangkok, Thailand, but no other details have been announced.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, June 9: Take a look at bantamweight, sans Henry Cejudo

“Triple C” insists his fighting days are done, unless he gets a shot at the UFC featherweight title, and our new rankings reflect the move.

[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] insists his fighting days are done, and after giving him a little cooling off period, the newest edition of the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA rankings reflect his removal from the bantamweight division.

“Triple C” may return at some point if he’s given an opportunity to compete for the UFC’s featherweight title, but for now, he’s elected to step aside, and with all the action happening at bantamweight, we figured it was time to honor his request. That allows former title challenger [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] to ascend to the No. 1 position, with [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag], who picked up a massive win at this past weekend’s UFC 250, to take the No. 2 slot.

Of course, we know that neither of those men will be fighting for Cejudo’s belt next. Instead, that honor falls to No. 3 [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag], as well as [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag], who sits at No. 5 in the featherweight division, where he long served as a UFC champion.

So check out the new look of the bantamweight division, as well as all weight classes in this week’s latest rankings list.

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Classical chin music: Marvel at ONE Championship’s latest ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ highlight reel

Recap some of the most spectacular finishes in ONE Championship history, all played out to a stirring classical music soundtrack.

ONE Championship has seen more than its fair share of highlight-reel moments, with the promotion’s mix of MMA, kickboxing and muay Thai fights delivering fireworks aplenty over the last few years.

The promotion places great pride in its social media numbers, and has spent a lot of time repurposing their best fights and memorable finishes for YouTube, Instagram and Twitter to keep interest levels high during the coronavirus pandemic.

Their latest effort is certainly well worth a look as the promotion has taken a break from the norm and introduced a classical music soundtrack so a montage of some of ONE’s most spectacular finishes.

All of the promotion’s big hitters are there, from reigning ONE MMA champions Martin Nguyen and Xiong Jingnan to muay Thai legends like Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex and Smokin’ Jo Nattawut, as ONE’s latest highlight reel features a rapid-fire selection of stunning knockouts, all set to Richard Wagner’s classic “Ride of the Valkyries.”

It makes a refreshing change from the usual hip-hop or heavy metal tracks normally used for these sorts of videos, and fits the footage perfectly.

Of course, no ONE Championship highlight reel would be complete without play-by-play man Michael Schiavello going bananas, shouting “Goodnight Irene!” with each huge KO. This video certainly doesn’t disappoint on that front, either.

Check it out via the video above and enjoy!

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Mike Tyson, Henry Cejudo and other MMA stars cause mayhem in AEW brawl

Mike Tyson, along with former UFC champions Henry Cejudo, Vitor Belfort and Rashad Evans, invade AEW.

Is “Triple C” headed for a pro wrestling career?

Former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] joined boxing legend and former champion Mike Tyson and former UFC champs [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] and [autotag]Rashad Evans[/autotag] at All Elite Wrestling’s “Dynamite” show Wednesday in Jacksonville, Fla.

Tyson, backed up by Cejudo, Belfort and Evans, walked up to wrestling superstar Chris Jericho and got in his face to shove him, causing an all-out brawl.

Could we be seeing more pro wrestling appearances from the “King of Cringe?”

Cejudo recently announced his retirement from MMA after stopping Dominick Cruz on May 9 and as a result, his bantamweight title was vacated.

Training videos emerged of 53-year-old Tyson, who appears to be in fighting shape and considering a return to some form of competition. He’s been linked to the likes of boxing champion Tyson Fury, Tito Ortiz and Wanderlei Silva.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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