ONE Championship has brought a little bit more clarity into the lives of MMA fans with today’s announcement that it has instituted an official rankings system for select divisions. MMA ranking systems are never perfect, but they do provide a form of structure for both fighters and fans.
“It is with great excitement that I announce the inaugural ONE Championship Official Rankings. The rankings will bring more clarity and transparency for our athletes as they chase their dreams for a world championship title. Fans can also follow their favorite athletes and their journeys more closely as they climb or fall in the rankings,” said ONE CEO and Chairman Chatri Sityodtong.
The ranking system currently only takes in those divisions from lightweight down but in the press release sent out by the company it was stated that further divisions will be ranked in the future.
Alongside the rankings, ONE also released the names of the eighteen panelists who will determine the rankings after each event. These panelists are listed below.
Tom Taylor – BJPenn.com
Stewart Fulton – MMA in Japan
Nicolas Atkin – South China Morning Post
Ian Shutts – Lowkick MMA
Santino Honasan – ABS-CBN
JM Siasat – GMA Network
Manabu Takashima – MMA Planet
Yuji Kitano – Abema TV Japan
James Goyder – AsianMMA.com
Marcelo Alonso – Tatame Magazine
Sazali Abdul Aziz – Straits Times
Worapath Arunpakdee – Thairath TV
Poptorn Roongsamai – Champ Magazine
Wanlop Sawasdee – MGR Online
Adam Kayoom – Former Athlete
Ann Osman – Former Athlete
Rich Franklin – Former Athlete
Miesha Tate – Former Athlete
ONE Championship Official Rankings
Strawweight Mixed Martial Arts
Champion: Joshua Pacio
1. Yosuke Saruta
2. Yoshitaka Naito
3. Rene Catalan
4. Alex Silva
5. Lito Adiwang
Strawweight Kickboxing
World Champion: Sam-A Gaiyanghadao
1. Astemir Borsov
2. Wang Junguang
3. Rocky Ogden
4. Josh Tonna
5. Daren Rolland
Strawweight Muay Thai
World Champion: Sam-A Gaiyanghadao
1. Josh Tonna
2. Rocky Ogden
3. Daren Rolland
4. Andy Howson
5. Rui Botelho
Flyweight Mixed Martial Arts
World Champion: Adriano Moraes
1. Demetrious Johnson
2. Danny Kingad
3. Kairat Akhmetov
4. Yuya Wakamatsu
5. Reece McLaren
Flyweight Kickboxing
World Champion: Ilias Ennahachi
1. Rodtang Jitmuangnon
2. Superlek Kiatmoo9
3. Walter Goncalves
4. Panpayak Jitmuangnon
5. Elias Mahmoudi
Flyweight Muay Thai
World Champion: Rodtang Jitmuangnon
1. Panpayak Jitmuangnon
2. Superlek Kiatmoo9
3. Jonathan Haggerty
4. Elias Mahmoudi
5. Petchdam Petchyindee Academy
Bantamweight Mixed Martial Arts
World Champion: Bibiano Fernandes
1. Kevin Belingon
2. Shoko Sato
3. Yusup Saadulaev
4. Shuya Kamikubo
5. Daichi Takenaka
Bantamweight Kickboxing
World Champion: Alaverdi Ramazanov
1. Nong-O Gaiyanghadao
2. Sangmanee Sathian MuayThai
3. Zhang Chenglong
4. Liam Harrison
5. Rodlek P.K. Saenchaimuaythaigym
Bantamweight Muay Thai
World Champion: Nong-O Gaiyanghadao
1. Sangmanee Sathian MuayThai
2. Bobo Sacko
3. Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai
4. Alaverdi Ramazanov
5. Muangthai P.K. Saenchaimuaythaigym
Featherweight Mixed Martial Arts
World Champion: Martin Nguyen
1. Christian Lee
2. Koyomi Matsushima
3. Thanh Le
4. Tetsuya Yamada
5. Garry Tonon
Featherweight Kickboxing
World Champion: Vacant
1. Giorgio Petrosyan
2. Superbon Banchamek
3. Tayfun Ozcan
4. Samy Sana
5. Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex
Featherweight Muay Thai
World Champion: Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy
1. Superbon Banchamek
2. Jamal Yusupov
3. Jo Nattawut
4. Samy Sana
5. Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex
Lightweight Mixed Martial Arts
World Champion: Christian Lee
1. Iuri Lapicus
2. Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev
3. Pieter Buist
4. Timofey Nastyukhin
5. Shinya Aoki
Lightweight Kickboxing
World Champion: Regian Eersel
1. Nieky Holzken
2. Mustapha Haida
3. Anthony Njokuani
4. Andy Souwer
5. Elliot Compton
Women’s Atomweight Mixed Martial Arts
World Champion: Angela Lee
1. Denice Zamboanga
2. Meng Bo
3. Lin Heqin
4. Mei Yamaguchi
5. Gina Iniong
Women’s Atomweight Kickboxing
World Champion: Janet Todd
1. Stamp Fairtex
2. Alma Juniku
3. Chuang Kai Ting
4. Anne Line Hogstad
5. Ekaterina Vandaryeva
Women’s Atomweight Muay Thai
World Champion: Stamp Fairtex
1. Janet Todd
2. Anne Line Hogstad
3. Alma Juniku
4. Ekaterina Vandaryeva
5. Rudzma Abubakar
Women’s Strawweight Mixed Martial Arts
World Champion: Xiong Jing Nan
1. Tiffany Teo
2. Michelle Nicolini
3. Angela Lee
4. Ayaka Miura
5. Maira Mazar