Tag: ONE Championship

ONE Championship Secures Additional Investment From Renowned Firm

ONE Championship announced that it has raised an additional US$166 million in the Series D financing round that was led by Sequoia Capital, an investment firm that had already funded the company in 2017. According to the announcement that was released by the Singapore-based martial arts promotion on Monday, 8 October, new investors, including Temasek, […]

The post ONE Championship Secures Additional Investment From Renowned Firm appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

ONE Championship announced that it has raised an additional US$166 million in the Series D financing round that was led by Sequoia Capital, an investment firm that had already funded the company in 2017.

According to the announcement that was released by the Singapore-based martial arts promotion on Monday, 8 October, new investors, including Temasek, Greenoaks Capital, and other leading institutional investors, also participated in the round.

It is an extremely significant development for ONE Championship as the organization enters 2019 with an ambitious 30-event calendar.

Receiving another financial backing from Sequoia Capital, ONE Championship now has a total capital base that exceeds US$250 million, which further solidifies the organization’s dominant market leadership position in the sports media industry in Asia.

The ardent love of head honcho Chatri Sityodtong for martial arts paved the way to the birth of ONE Championship, which is now widely regarded as the world’s premier martial arts promotion and the largest global sports media property in Asian history.

When he came up with the idea for ONE Championship, he envisioned the entire Asia comprised of over four billion people united under a single sport.

ONE Championship has achieved tremendous success since its inception in 2011, broadcasting to over 1.7-billion potential viewers across 138 countries around the world.

Since its inaugural card in September 2011, it has staged more than 80 live events and has visited 11 different countries, including United Arab Emirates, China, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Cambodia.

Forming a number of key partnerships with the biggest local and global entities in the world, ONE Championship is at pace for a billion dollar valuation and an initial public offering in the next couple of years.

“The objective of our company is to unleash superheroes that ignite hope, strength, and dreams across all segments of society across the region. As one of the most successful venture capital firms in the world, Sequoia has an unparalleled track record of partnering with early-stage companies and helping to build them into global market leaders,” Sityodtong said.

“I am confident that Sequoia’s expertise, network, and resources will contribute significantly to ONE Championship’s success. I am also thrilled that Temasek, Greenoaks Capital, and other leading blue-chip institutional investors believe in both our mission of unleashing superheroes and our goal of becoming Asia’s first multi-billion dollar sports media property,” the ONE Championship Chairman and CEO added.

The lucrative investment puts ONE Championship at a place of power and great influence in Asia as it is set to take advantage of venturing into new markets like Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea as well as multiple destinations in mainland China including Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Beijing in 2019.

In addition, the promotion is positioned for more exposure globally as it seeks to acquire marquee talents available in the free agent market such as former mixed martial arts lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, who is rumored to be close to a deal with ONE Championship.

Sityodtong attributes ONE Championship’s success to its content and its extremely-loyal fans that are growing in number every single day.

“ONE Championship captures the essence of entertainment similar to a show in Las Vegas, but it combines it with the sporting excellence of elite martial artists. Our vision is to become a part of everyday life for everyone in Asia. There is no reason why it should not happen because Asia has always been the home of martial arts,” he stated.

The post ONE Championship Secures Additional Investment From Renowned Firm appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai dominates Iran Diaz in 12 rounds to retain WBC title

ONE Championship’s venture into the sport of boxing turned out to be a huge success as Thai boxing superstar Srisaket Sor Rungvisai marked his third successful defense of his WBC Super Flyweight World Championship in front of a hometown crowd. Srisaket sent the crowd at the jam-packed Impact Arena in Bangkok Thailand into a rapturous […]

The post Srisaket Sor Rungvisai dominates Iran Diaz in 12 rounds to retain WBC title appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

ONE Championship’s venture into the sport of boxing turned out to be a huge success as Thai boxing superstar Srisaket Sor Rungvisai marked his third successful defense of his WBC Super Flyweight World Championship in front of a hometown crowd.

Srisaket sent the crowd at the jam-packed Impact Arena in Bangkok Thailand into a rapturous chorus of cheers as he clinched a convincing unanimous decision win over Mexican challenger Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz in the main event of ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES on Saturday, 6 October.

Banking on his heavy hands and southpaw stance, Srisaket persistently hammered the taller Diaz with hard body shots from the opening bell.

The consistent attack to the midsection paid dividends for Srisaket in the later rounds as Diaz dropped his defensive guard, prompting the Thai boxer to increase his offense that had his opponent reeling inside the ring.

In the championship rounds, Srisaket unleashed a series of power shots, but Diaz amazingly withstood the blitz of punches from the 31-year-old Sisaket, Thailand native.

In the end, the three judges unanimously awarded the victory in favor of Srisaket with the scores of 119-109, 120-108 and 119-109.

Aside from the high-profile boxing match, ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES featured a five-round bout for the ONE Kickboxing Atomweight World Championship, which is now in the possession of Thailand’s own Stamp Fairtex.

Stamp turned in a debut to remember as she dethroned “Killer Bee” Kai Ting Chuang via unanimous decision to become the new titleholder.

Beaming with confidence, Stamp used her range and movement to outstrike her counterpart throughout the fast-paced five-round contest.

A flurry of strikes in the fifth round sealed the victory for Stamp, who takes home the prestigious title belt in only her first appearance on the ONE Super Series stage.

In a mixed martial arts contest, Japanese legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki made his case for a shot at the coveted ONE Lightweight World Championship with resounding clarity, submitting New Zealand-based Malaysian sensation Ev “E.T.” Ting in a title eliminator.

From the get-go, Aoki immediately looked for a takedown and managed to effortlessly execute one against Ting’s will.

On the canvas, Aoki smoothly passed Ting’s guard and locked in a deep arm triangle to put the Malaysian to sleep, clinching the victory in just 57 seconds.

Other MMA matches

Tajikistan martial arts phenom Muin Gafurov made an astounding return to the most prestigious stage of global martial arts competition with a statement victory, knocking out top contender Leandro “Brodinho” Issa of Brazil in the first round.

On the other hand, Japanese grappling wizard Hayato Suzuki established his first winning streak in ONE Championship, pulling off a second-round submission victory over Robin Catalan of the Philippines.

Moreover, hometown favorite Rika “Tiny Doll” Ishige of Thailand is back in the winner’s circle, following an impressive technical knockout victory over Bozhena “Toto” Antoniyar of Myanmar in the first round.

China’s Fu Chang Xin turned in an impressive grappling performance to defeat Cambodia’s Rin Saroth in just two rounds, while Ramon “The Bicolano” Gonzales of the Philippines sent Dodi “Maung” Mardian of Indonesia to sleep with a rear naked choke in the first round.

ONE Super Series bouts

Muay Thai legend Nong-O Gaiyanghadao put on a striking clinic in front of his home crowd as he punished ISKA and WBC World Champion Mehdi Zatout of France to earn a unanimous decision victory over three rounds in their ONE Super Series Muay Thai showdown.

Nigeria’s Anthony “The Assassin” Njokuani scored the biggest win of his kickboxing career, defeating Dutch kickboxing legend Andy “The Destroyer” Souwer via split decision in a ONE Super Series Kickboxing contest.

In a ONE Super Series Kickboxing bout, Hong Kong-based Alain “The Panther” Ngalani of Cameroon and Andre “The Giant” Meunier of Australia battled to a No-Contest (NC) ruling after an inadvertent low blow rendered Ngalani unable to continue.

Three-time IFMA Champion Alaverdi Ramazanov of Russia stunned the partisan Thai crowd after edging out hometown favorite Petchmorrakot Wor. Sangprapai via unanimous decision in their ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest.

In a ONE Super Series Kickboxing contest, Muay Thai legend Singtongnoi Por Telakun of the Evolve Fight Team turned in a tremendous striking performance to defeat promotional newcomer Masahide Kudo of Japan.

Meanwhile, Muay Thai superstar Petchdam Kaiyanghadao of Thailand made quick work of Kenny “The Pitbull” Tse of China, putting together a devastating showcase of his piston-like left roundhouse kick for fans in attendance.

The post Srisaket Sor Rungvisai dominates Iran Diaz in 12 rounds to retain WBC title appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Japanese legend Shinya Aoki still thirsts for gold in ONE Championship

Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki is on the verge of reclaiming his coveted gold-plated strap, but in order for the Japanese legend to obtain the sought-after title shot, he must defeat one of the most talented competitors in ONE Championship’s bustling 77.1-kilogram weight class. Aoki is set to lock horns with ex-world title […]

The post Japanese legend Shinya Aoki still thirsts for gold in ONE Championship appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki is on the verge of reclaiming his coveted gold-plated strap, but in order for the Japanese legend to obtain the sought-after title shot, he must defeat one of the most talented competitors in ONE Championship’s bustling 77.1-kilogram weight class.

Aoki is set to lock horns with ex-world title contender Ev “E.T.” Ting on the undercard of ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, which takes place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand on Saturday, 6 October.

The bout will serve as a ONE Lightweight World Title eliminator, with the winner moving on to face the victor of the championship clash between former titleholder Eduard Folayang and Singaporean contender Amir Khan in early 2019.

Aoki has made an excellent start to 2018, defeating one-time featherweight kingpin Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in a grappling super-match in January and then returning to mixed martial arts competition.

The 35-year-old Japanese submission wizard cemented his position as one of the division’s top contenders with a spectacular first-round submission of Rasul Yakhyaev last May before scoring a stunning first-round stoppage victory over Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai two months later.

When asked for his assessment on his last two outings on the ONE Championship stage, Aoki only responded in a deadpan manner: “I really didn’t do anything special in preparation for those fights. There is an element of luck in these things, certainly.”

“You cannot excel in your job unless luck is on your side, but I am simply doing what I do best,” he added.

Known by his moniker “Tobikan Judan” or “The Grandmaster of Flying Submissions” due to his spectacular submission triumphs, Aoki believes that he is certainly in a league of his own as a martial artist.

Aoki expects a lopsided encounter with Ting due to the stark difference in talent and skill set.

“It will probably not match up at all. It will be a one-side game,” he quipped.

Aoki is widely regarded as the most dominant lightweight in Asia for the better part of the last decade as he has had 50 professional bouts and strutted his wares in various mixed martial arts promotions such as the ONE Championship, DREAM, Bellator, Strikeforce and Shooto.

In addition, being a champion is synonymous to Aoki’s name as he has a lengthy list of accolades in both mixed martial arts and submission wrestling.

Aoki lauded his 15-year prizefighting experience and considers it as an advantage over Ting, who turned pro as a mixed martial artist in April 2011.

“It’s my biggest advantage over him. I have been fighting ever since 2003. I have experienced losses and fought in an unstable environment,” he explained.

Although Aoki is entering the scheduled three-round lightweight tiff as the clear favorite to win due to his impressive curriculum vitae, he received numerous warnings about Ting’s explosive style.

Since unsuccessfully challenging for the ONE Lightweight World Championship in April 2017, Ting has been on a tear, winning three-straight bouts under the bout’s umbrella.

The 29-year-old Malaysia-born Kiwi has used a high-volume striking attack to knock out former welterweight champion Nobutatsu Suzuki in August 2017 before defeating top contenders such as Ariel Sexton and Koji Ando by decision.

Facing a formidable stand-up practitioner in Ting, Aoki believes that he has an ace up his sleeve.

“I am a far more superior competitor than him. I have the goods to get it done on Saturday. Everyone will see,” he declared.

“I have been in the cage or ring with many good fighters and train with world champions, both on the ground and standing up. So I feel comfortable with all aspects of the sport,” Aoki continued.

Even if it appears that he has nothing more to prove in mixed martial arts, Aoki revealed that his mission to regain the ONE Lightweight World Championship is what keeps him hungry to compete at the highest level.

“I want the title back. It’s no secret. I am going to get it back. It will be mine again very soon,” he ended.

The post Japanese legend Shinya Aoki still thirsts for gold in ONE Championship appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Ev Ting Confident With Rolling Against a Grappling Legend in Shinya Aoki

BANGKOK, Thailand – Former ONE World Title challenger Ev “E.T.” Ting of Malaysia is entering perhaps the toughest bout of his career this weekend, when he faces Japanese legend and former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan. The 29-year-old Malaysian-Kiwi sensation is ripped and ready to go for their three-round lightweight […]

The post Ev Ting Confident With Rolling Against a Grappling Legend in Shinya Aoki appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

BANGKOK, Thailand – Former ONE World Title challenger Ev “E.T.” Ting of Malaysia is entering perhaps the toughest bout of his career this weekend, when he faces Japanese legend and former ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Japan.

The 29-year-old Malaysian-Kiwi sensation is ripped and ready to go for their three-round lightweight clash at ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, set for this Saturday night, 6 October at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

Despite Aoki’s lofty grappling credentials, Ting believes he has what it takes to hang right in the thick of things on the mat with the submission specialist.

“I’ve worked on my ground game and grappling skills my entire career, and I am extremely confident in handling any situation. My defense is on point, and I am aware of threats when they appear. I’m not at all intimidated by his jiu-jitsu,” said Ting, beaming with confidence.

“If he is able to take me down, I know exactly what to do. I know my game and I know my skills. If it comes to that, then I’m prepared for whatever.”

Despite Ting’s defensive grappling skills however, he would be best suited to avoid a ground war with Aoki at all.

The Japanese stalwart is world-renowned for his ability to submit guys, having scored incredible victories over big name opponents such as Kazushi Sakuraba, Yuki Yamamoto, Lyle Beerbohm, Joachim Hansen, and Eddie Alvarez. The list of top martial arts talent Aoki has reduced to mere clips on his highlight reel goes on and on.

Which is why although Ting is confident with his ability to roll with Aoki, he believes that sticking to his strengths is what will ultimately get him the victory.

“I’ve rolled with black belts before, it’s nothing new to me. But I will definitely strike with him because that’s his biggest weakness. If he can overcome my movement and somehow get close enough to hug me, then by all means, let’s grapple. He will have to get through some heavy fire though, and he has to be prepared to take some big shots,” said Ting.

ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced a month ago that the winner between Ting and Aoki will go on to challenge for the lightweight title in the promotion’s inaugural Japan event in Tokyo next year.

With the Eduard Folayang vs Amir Khan bout already announced for Manila as the official ONE Lightweight World Championship title bout, Ting will earn a shot at the title should he get passed Aoki this Saturday.

The post Ev Ting Confident With Rolling Against a Grappling Legend in Shinya Aoki appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Thailand’s real-life Rocky Balboa, guarantees KO victory

Thai boxing superstar Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is ready to make history in ONE Championship on Saturday, 6 October as he will become one of the first two men to ever compete in boxing under the promotion’s banner. Srisaket puts his WBC Super Flyweight World Championship on the line against Mexican challenger Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz in […]

The post Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Thailand’s real-life Rocky Balboa, guarantees KO victory appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Thai boxing superstar Srisaket Sor Rungvisai is ready to make history in ONE Championship on Saturday, 6 October as he will become one of the first two men to ever compete in boxing under the promotion’s banner.

Srisaket puts his WBC Super Flyweight World Championship on the line against Mexican challenger Iran “MagnifiKO” Diaz in the main event of ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES, which emanates from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.

As he prepares for one of the most important bouts of his celebrated boxing stint, Srisaket remembers a time far removed from the Thai capital’s bright lights when he and his loved ones struggled to make ends meet.

Growing up in Sisaket, Thailand, the country’s best boxer left his hometown at the age of 13 to look for odd jobs in the capital of Bangkok.

Srisaket initially worked as a security guard, but when the money was not enough to buy food, he searched for leftover food from the trash that he collected at a nearby department store.

“On some difficult days, I had to collect the food from trash to cook and eat to survive because I did not have enough money,” he shared.

To augment the family income, Srisaket moonlighted as a competitor in Muay Thai, which is a revered combat sport in Thailand.

“As a young guy who didn’t have the right qualification to earn decent office jobs, fighting professionally was the only way I could get some money. It was also something I liked, and it was a fun challenge. I saw it as a way to help better my life and future,” he stated.

With his Muay Thai career going nowhere, Srisaket discovered professional boxing, which gave him the impression that it could be his ticket out of poverty due to the sport’s profitability.

However, his transition to boxing was not a walk in the park as he was knocked out in his first two bouts in 2009.

“I needed the money very badly, so I accepted the fight even though I didn’t have much time to prepare and didn’t really know how to box. I just knew that boxing has similarities to Muay Thai,” he recalled.

“There were only two paths to choose for me at that time,” Srisaket added. “One is to become a boxer and the other one is to keep on working as a trash collector, and I chose the path to become a boxer because there’s more hope at least. There’s some hope in this career.”

Srisaket did not post a win until his fourth professional match in November 2009 when he scored a third-round knockout over compatriot Prakaipech Aunsawan.

After suffering another loss to Japanese Kenji Oba in February 2010, Srisaket joined Nakornloung Promotion (NKL) camp and reeled off 26-straight victories, including an eighth-round stoppage of Yota Sato to clinch the WBC super flyweight title in May 2013.

Although his impressive winning streak was halted by Mexico’s Carlos Cuadras in May 2014, Srisaket established another series of triumphs, winning 19 in-ring contests with 16 coming by way of knockout.

During that remarkable stretch, Srisaket recaptured the WBC super flyweight belt by pulling off an upset win against Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez of Nicaragua via majority decision in March 2017.

Srisaket’s astonishing conquest of Gonzalez earned him a spot in The Ring Magazine’s international pound-for-pound rankings, where he currently occupies the No. 7 seat.

“I never thought that I would come this far or even get to be a world champion. I only aspired to win a regional title and maybe get on television. I wound up doing so much more,” Srisaket disclosed.

After successfully defending the green-laced strap twice and making a quick work of South Korea’s Young Gil Bae in a non-title tilt last July, Srisaket is set to make his debut in ONE Championship on Saturday.

Now revered as a national treasure in Thailand, Srisaket seeks to successfully defend his WBC Super Flyweight World Championship for the third time against Diaz at ONE: KINGDOM OF HEROES.

Knowing that his opponent is driven, well-prepared, and determined to capitalize on this rare opportunity, Srisaket is motivated to win the title tiff in convincing fashion, gunning for the 42nd knockout victory of in illustrious professional boxing career.

“My confidence in my ability to win by knockout is 100 percent. I think there’s no way he can beat me. I just have to be cautious. I won’t let this belt get taken away from me that easily,” he vowed.

The post Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Thailand’s real-life Rocky Balboa, guarantees KO victory appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Ben Askren Destroys Nate Diaz Amidst UFC 165-Pound Hype

It’s apparently time Ben Askren destroys Nate Diaz. Askren is currently retired. But that won’t stop him from offering his opinion on the buzzing discussion about a new UFC 165-pound division. Normal lightweights Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier have been going back-and-forth on social media trying to get the UFC to finally create the often-rumored […]

The post Ben Askren Destroys Nate Diaz Amidst UFC 165-Pound Hype appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

It’s apparently time Ben Askren destroys Nate Diaz.

Askren is currently retired. But that won’t stop him from offering his opinion on the buzzing discussion about a new UFC 165-pound division. Normal lightweights Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier have been going back-and-forth on social media trying to get the UFC to finally create the often-rumored division.

While the UFC isn’t biting as of yet, Diaz has kept the pressure high to get the ball rolling at 165. He even issued them a classic Diaz “don’t be scared” tweet.

“Funky” Fires Back

Askren seemingly couldn’t take the jawing. The undefeated welterweight tweeted a seething response to Diaz’ claim, trashing his record, wrestling skill, and physical appearance:

“Nothing about you is very scary. Arms the size of a noodle, takedown defense like a middle schooler and very amateur smack talk. I highly doubt anyone is scared of someone who is 6-6 in his last 12.”

Askren’s Stats

Askren was then reminded that Diaz had never pulled out of a fight whether he was injured or not. “Funky” clapped back that he never had either, but also had a long list of other accomplishments to top Diaz:

“Meh. Never pulled out, never missed weight, never failed a drug test, never lost. Now we are talking”

Askren makes a point there, yet it’s a bit unsatisfying at the core. The dominant wrestler was a champion. He also retired on top without a loss, which is something few if any MMA fighters can truly claim.

However, he never fought in the UFC despite long-running discussions to do so. A Diaz fight may never have materialized regardless. Askren’s smothering style has long been a turnoff to fans due to his perceived “boring” in-cage presence. It’s a bit overexaggerated, however.

Diaz will finally return to action at November 3’s UFC 230 from New York. He’s teased that he won’t be available to fight on the card. If that’s true, he’s looking in excellent physical shape to not be fighting. Diaz is a top-level draw in the UFC and would likely lap Askren in terms of attention no matter the records.

Askren retired last year as well. That makes his callout bittersweet because we’ll most likely never see them fight. Was “Funky” right to blast Diaz, or is it a moot point?

The post Ben Askren Destroys Nate Diaz Amidst UFC 165-Pound Hype appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.