Tag: ONE Championship News

Superlek scores 49-Second KO of Jonathan Haggerty with savage elbow strike – ONE 168 Highlights

Superlek scores 49-second KO of Jonathan Haggerty with savage elbow strike - ONE 168 HighlightsSuperlek needed less than a minute to finish Jonathan Haggerty in the ONE 168 headliner on Friday night in…

Superlek scores 49-second KO of Jonathan Haggerty with savage elbow strike - ONE 168 Highlights

Superlek needed less than a minute to finish Jonathan Haggerty in the ONE 168 headliner on Friday night in The Mile High City.

Emanating from Ball Arena, fight fans were treated to a fast and furious main event as ‘The Kicking Machine’ scored a shocking first-round KO against former two-sport king Jonathan Haggerty to claim the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world championship.

Haggerty came out aggressive from the get-go and caught Superlek early with a nice left hand. That early success appeared to encourage ‘The General’ to move forward — a decision that would prove to be a massive mistake as Superlek timed Haggerty’s entry perfectly and unleashed an absolutely brutal elbow that caught Haggerty clean and sent him crashing to the canvas.

Haggerty attempted to reach his feet before the 10-count but was unable to do so, giving us a brand new bantamweight Muay Thai titleholder.

Official Result: Superlek def. Jonathan Haggerty via KO (elbow) at 0:49 of Round 1.

Check Out highlights from Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek at ONE 168:

Liam Harrison TKO’d in second round of instant classic with Seksan – ONE 168 Highlights

Liam Harrison comes up short against Seksan in long-Awaited ONE Championship return - ONE 168 HighlightsLiam Harrison came up short in his long-awaited return to the Circle at ONE 168: Denver. Harrison got his…

Liam Harrison comes up short against Seksan in long-Awaited ONE Championship return - ONE 168 Highlights

Liam Harrison came up short in his long-awaited return to the Circle at ONE 168: Denver.

Harrison got his lightning-fast leg kicks going early, but it was Seksan who poured on the pressure, pushing ‘The Hitman’ up against the fence and working his way into range. That trend continued through to the second round as Seksan trapped Harrison against the fence and unleashed a series of vicious elbows.

‘The Man Who Yields To No One’ landed clean and put Harrison on the mat, but Harrison answered the court and came storming back. Unfortunately for fans of ‘The Hitman,’ Seksan tagged him again, sending him crashing to the canvas for the second time in the second round.

Harrison again answered the count, but it was just a matter of time before Seksan put him down for the third and final time. That moment came moments later when Seksan landed a looping right hand that caught Harrison with his back turned. Harrison hit the mat for a third time in the round, prompting the referee to call for the stoppage before the two-minute mark of the round.

Official Result: Seksan def. Liam Harrison via TKO (three knockdowns) at 1:49 of Round 2.

Check Out highlights from Liam Harrison vs. Seksan at ONE 168:

Aung La N Sang suffers brutal TKO loss against Dagestani standout Shamil Gasonov – ONE 168 Highlights

Aung La N Sang suffers brutal TKO loss against Dagestani standout Shamil Gasonov - ONE 168 HighlightsAung La N Sang suffered his first TKO loss in more than a decade at ONE 168: Denver on…

Aung La N Sang suffers brutal TKO loss against Dagestani standout Shamil Gasonov - ONE 168 Highlights

Aung La N Sang suffered his first TKO loss in more than a decade at ONE 168: Denver on Friday night.

Right out the gate, Erdogan wobbled Aung La with a right hand and quickly followed it up with a takedown that kept ‘The Burmese Python’ on the mat for much of the remainder of the opening round.

Erdogan put his striking skills on display in the opening moments of the second, landing a nice jab followed by a flurry of strikes that had Aung La on rubber legs. Still, Aung La stayed upright which prompted Erdogan to shoot in and secure another easy takedown. Once there, Aung La had little left in the tank. Erdogan poured it on, dropping a slew of ground-and-pound strikes that forced referee Herb Dean to step in and call for the stoppage.

Official Result: Shamil Erdogan def. Aung La N Sang via TKO (ground-and-pound) at 2:48 of Round 2.

Check Out highlights from Aung La N Sang vs. Shamil Erdogan at ONE 168:

The War on ONE: Karate Combat Takes Aim at ONE Championship: Fighters Would Rather Retire than Continue with ONE

Asim Zaidi ONE Championship Karat CombatThe president of Karate Combat Asim Zaidi, AKA President Awesome, recently spoke with Michael Bisping about ONE Championship and…

Asim Zaidi ONE Championship Karat Combat

The president of Karate Combat Asim Zaidi, AKA President Awesome, recently spoke with Michael Bisping about ONE Championship and how openly their fighters are champions growing unhappy with the organizations. Various fighters and managers have spoken to Zaidi looking to leave ONE.

Karate Combat and the War on ONE Championship

Recently, Karate Combat declared war on ONE Championship, the organization will be hosting an event in ONE’s former home of Singapore on September 18. ONE spent most of its years in Singapore but has been inactive there for some time instead focusing on Thailand and the USA. But, Asim Zaidi with Karate Combat is enraged and looking to push in on their territory.

According to the Karate Combat president, there are multiple champions, fighters, and managers who are dissatisfied with their dealings with ONE Championship. Speaking in an interview with Bisping, the Karate Combat leader explained:

“As time passed, more and more champions from ONE FC reached out, saying they’d rather retire in their prime than continue fighting for ONE FC. I had four or five current champions express their desire to fight for Karate Combat, but I couldn’t assist them while they were under contract.

“Then, more fighters started approaching me, complaining about their careers being stalled. Some fighters were only fighting once every two or three years, which was deeply troubling. I was receiving constant messages from managers and fighters, sharing their frustrations.”

The feud began when Karate Combat looked to book a ONE fighter who was inactive. ONE then threatened the entire gym with litigation if anything were to happen. Zaidi added:

“Chatri threatened them, saying if they allowed their fighter to compete for Karate Combat, they would pull all opportunities from their gym. Essentially, it felt like they blackballed us, putting immense pressure on us.”

Managers are disgruntled in working with ONE as their fighters are unable to get booked for fights, he continued:

“A big-time manager reached out to me and revealed that ONE Championship was signing fighters to lucrative contracts, only to keep them inactive. The fighters would become desperate, and ONE FC would then offer them much lower fight purses. This practice allegedly kept fighters locked up without using them, effectively preventing them from signing with other promotions.”

There have been several fighters who worked with ONE Championship and openly complained about them. Such names include kickboxing champion Jonathan Di Bella, former two-division champion Reinier de Ridder, kickboxing great Anissa Meksen, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu great Marcus Buchecha, and kickboxing world champion Chingiz Allazov.

With various sponsors and investors being unhappy with ONE, to add to their unhappy fighters, the organization ahs been forced to change their direction. Originally they were doing nearly all of their operations in Singapore, now it seems they are shifting to the USA and Thailand.

Karate Combat President Says Qatar is Embarrassed by ONE Championship

Asim Zaidi karate combat one championshipThe president of Karate Combat had some choice words for ONE Championship. According to Asim Zaidi, AKA President Awesome,…

Asim Zaidi karate combat one championship

The president of Karate Combat had some choice words for ONE Championship. According to Asim Zaidi, AKA President Awesome, Qatar invested in ONE earlier but since has regretted partnering with them.

ONE Championship in Qatar

ONE Championship had a sizeable investment from Qatar in 2021 and later hosted a 2024 event in the country with ONE 166: Qatar. Qatari-based sponsors such as Qatar Airways and Ooredoo have withdrawn their support for the organization. Additionally, the Karate Combat President explained that the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is not happy with their investment.

Karate Combat has recently declared war on ONE Championship and is hosting an event in ONE’s former home of Singapore. On September 18, Karate Combat will go down in Singapore.

Speaking in an interview with former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, Asim Zaidi, AKA President Awesome, explained:

“To add to this, Qatar, one of ONE Championship’s major investors, publicly stated their embarrassment over investing in ONE FC. You can find articles about this if you look it up. This was the final straw for me. They weren’t just messing with me; they were impacting fighters’ careers during their prime. So, I decided to take action. We’re throwing an event on September 18th in Singapore, aiming to provide opportunities for former ONE FC fighters and Asian fighters and show them that there’s an alternative to what I see as a dictatorship.”

According to DealStreetAsia, ONE Championship may not be in a great financial position. The company also had multiple rounds of layoffs in 2023. Several fighters and former employees are openly complaining about their contracts with ONE and being unable to get a fight. This included names such as Jiu Jitsu talent Marcus Buchecha, former two-division champion Reinier de Ridder, and kickboxing world champion Chingiz Allazov.

Currently, ONE is mainly focused on Muay Thai in Thailand and promoting events in the USA. A shift from their former strategy of working in Singapore. Only time will tell if they are successful.

Takeru Segawa left without an opponent as Black Panther Withdraws from Fight

Takeru SegawaTakeru Segawa was set to face Black Panther later this year booked for ONE Friday Fights 81 on September…

Takeru Segawa

Takeru Segawa was set to face Black Panther later this year booked for ONE Friday Fights 81 on September 27. It is reported that Thailand’s Black Panther has been forced to withdraw from this match.

Black Panther Injured Against Takeru Segawa

The Japanese-born striker Takeru Segawa is a well-decorated athlete in kickboxing. The 33-year-old has captured three weight class titles in K-1, and defended one, he has earned three K-1 Grand Prix world championships. Well-known as an aggressive knockout striker, he took his talents on the road to ONE Championship, mainly to face the Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

Due to an injury, Rodtang withdrew from their scheduled fight and Takeru was then scheduled to face the top-ranked pound-for-pound Muay Thai fighter Superlek Kiatmoo9. After five rounds of action, Takeru could barely walk after the kicking onslaught from Superlek.

Next, Takeru Segawa was set to face the streaking 24-year-old Black Panther who is a Muay Thai fighter who has never competed in kickboxing. According to insider sources, Black Panther has suffered an injury and is withdrawing from the fight. No official opponent has been named to replace him just yet for ONE Friday Fights 81.

Takeru Segawa

“According to credible sources, Black Panther has withdrawn from his fight against Takeru at ONE Friday Fights 81 on September 27. A replacement has already been secured and will be announced soon.”

Speaking in an interview, Takeru explained his determination to succeed in fight sports. He said:

“I had always dreamed of becoming a Kickboxing Champion when I was a child. I was watching K-1 on TV, and I saw a lot of karate practitioners, and I admired them. I thought if I did karate, maybe I could enter K-1. I always wanted to do kickboxing, but there were no kickboxing gyms in the neighborhood when I was a kid, so I started karate when I was in second grade…

After making up his mind and training for years, he continued:

“I saved all the money myself to go to Thailand. My mother was kind of strict. Since I was a kid, I was told that if I had something I wanted to do, I had to do it on my own – otherwise, it meant nothing.