Over the past decade, ONE Championship has emerged as the flag bearer of Asian mixed martial arts, continuously unearthing world-class athletes in Asia while putting on some of the best mixed martial arts shows in recent years.
ONE’s activities have reintroduced the Asian brand of martial arts to the global scene, unpacking a new set of heroes who can compete with anyone.
That said, The Home Of Martial Arts has always been on the lookout for talent who could further beef up their already exciting roster, and here some of the big names from other organizations who could make things more interesting for the organization.
Brandon Moreno (UFC Flyweight World Champion)
Match to make: Brandon Moreno vs Joshua “The Passion” Pacio at strawweight
The first guy on the list is someone that current ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio and his teammate Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang have mentioned in the past.
Moreno has emerged as one of the most likeable mixed martial arts stories in recent history, as his story of going from a struggling fighter to making a run for a UFC World Title.
Given that most of the best guys in Moreno’s weight class are in ONE, it would certainly be interesting to see how “The Assassin Baby” would fare out ONE’s elite small men, starting with the king of the division in Pacio.
A clash between Pacio and Moreno, two men who can strike and grapple comfortably, would certainly be the best fight in the 125-pound division and would settle who the best “small guy” in the world is.
Chan Sung Jung (UFC Featherweight)
Match to make: Chan Sung Jung vs John “Hands Of Stone” Lineker at bantamweight
There’s a Korean revolution in ONE Championship as guys like “The Mighty Warrior” Kang Ji Won and Ok Rae Yoon have emerged as top guys in their respective divisions. Kang stopped Amir Aliakbari and Ok pulled off an upset win over Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez.
Adding another top Korean to the ONE roster would certainly be huge for The Home Of Martial Arts.
Not only will they be bringing one of the best 135 pounders on the planet, they’ll also be signing one of the most beloved fighters in the world in “Korean Zombie,” who’s known for his never-say-die attitude and ability to take punishment and keep moving forward.
A clash between him and John “Hands Of Stone” Lineker or former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon would certainly tear the house down.
Henry Cejudo (Retired former two-division UFC World Champion)
Match to make: Henry Cejudo vs Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson III at flyweight
With Henry “Triple C” Cejudo, the storyline pretty much writes itself.
If the former Olympic gold medalist decides to return to active competition then there would be no better organization for him to return to than ONE Championship, especially if he wants to proclaim himself as one of the greatest mixed martial artists to ever live.
For starters, if he heads to ONE, he’ll have a great shot at finishing his trilogy with legendary Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, something that he has hinted at in the past.
Aside from Johnson, there will be plenty of great matches for Cejudo in the division, from ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes to Danny “The King” Kingad.
In the meantime, ONE Championship returns to action with the previously recorded ONE: BATTLEGROUND III on 27 August.
Watch the event on One Sports or One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT). It will also air live simultaneously at the ONE Super App.