Tag: ONE Championship

Earlier today, Asian-based MMA promotion ONE Championship announced that it “has increased requirements and standards for the ONE Agent Certification program.”

The announcement features several requirements, including a one-year minimum Asian living clause. ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong discussed their new plan, noting that agent fraud had been a problem in Asia:

“At ONE Championship, we are always upgrading and improving all of our systems and processes across the company to ensure a healthy ecosystem for all parties,” ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said (h/t MMAJunkie).

“For as many decades as I can remember, agent and manager fraud has always been a big problem in Asia. ONE Championship aims to create a healthier, happier, and safer environment for our athletes both in and out of the arena.”

According to the announcement, “all Agents representing any ONE Championship athlete must be accredited with the ONE Agent Certification. ONE Championship reserves the right to revoke or deny the accreditation of any agent at its sole discretion.”

The new protocol seems to be coming from an altruistic ideology such as “no history or current ongoing matters of legal or lawsuit activity with any athlete.” The residency requirement stands out as a potential issue for U.S.-based athletes and management groups.

Sityodtong addressed some of these concerns on Facebook saying “exceptions to the criteria will be made on a case-by-case basis.”

He then went on to promote the ONE Elite Agency, a firm headed by ONE Championship owner and CEO Victor Cui that is designed as “an exclusive, invitation-only sports agency reserved for the top 10 percent of athletes in ONE Championship who show the biggest global hero promise in and out of the circle of competition.”

Sityodtong said all the changes are done with the fighters’ best interest strictly in mind:

“ONE Championship’s goal is to allow each athlete the opportunity to select a certified ONE Agent who has agreed to abide by specific rules and regulations in representing or advising athletes honestly, competently, loyally, and zealously.”

“The ONE Agent Certification strives to allow each athlete the opportunity to make better-informed decisions about their careers, empowering each athlete by making available a comprehensive disclosure of facts relevant to the ability of a professional to serve as a fiduciary representative or advisor, and by regulating the conduct of each individual engaged in the functions of an agent or advisor or in recruiting and providing services for athletes.”

Effective immediately, ONE Championship has strengthened its Agent Certification to global standards similar to those of the top global sports media properties in the world such as NFL and MLB.

— Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) April 29, 2019

The ONE Agent Certification was originally created to establish uniform standards of eligibility and conduct for all Agents, Managers, and/or Advisors seeking to work with ONE athletes.

— Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) April 29, 2019

The post ONE Championship Announces Mandatory Agent Certification Program appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Mixed martial arts as an olympic sport? It could be a reality, according to ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong. In fact, the organization’s massive push towards bringing amateur mixed martial arts to the biggest global stage of competition has seen it inking a multi-year seven-figure partnership with the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA).

“ONE Championship is thrilled to announce a multi-year partnership with GAMMA, the world’s independent governing body of the sport of mixed martial arts,” Sityodtong stated through a Press Release.

“As a lifelong martial artist, I am personally invested in developing the amateur mixed martial arts scene, and ensuring that all athletes have the right foundation and support to pursue a professional career in this sport.”

Based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, GAMMA is a non-profit organization founded in 2018. It was built by a group of mixed martial arts pioneers and experts, across five continents with decades of experience in the sport among them.

Headed by its President, Alexander Engelhardt, GAMMA today is made up of national federations across over 60 countries — a number which could grow to over 100 in the near future, according to Sityodtong.

GAMMA’s main objective is to obtain international recognition for mixed martial arts as an Olympic sport, in order to give all amateur mixed martial artists the platform and opportunity to fulfil their dream of competing on the Olympic stage.

Part of the partnership with GAMMA will see ONE share expertise and knowledge in the areas of developing and promoting best practices in health and safety standards, anti-doping regulations, and competition rules for the daily safe practice of competitive mixed martial arts at the amateur level.

“On behalf of GAMMA, I would like to thank ONE Championship for their support and commitment to the sport of mixed martial arts. As a lifelong karate practitioner, I am passionate about delivering the same level of international recognition to the discipline of mixed martial arts,” stated Alexander Engelhardt, President of GAMMA.

“Both GAMMA and ONE celebrate the authentic martial arts values of integrity, humility, honor, respect, courage, discipline, and compassion in the same spirit as the Olympics. With this philosophical foundation, GAMMA and ONE aim to elevate the sport of mixed martial arts and prepare it for entry into the Olympics.”

GAMMA is set to hold its Amateur MMA World Championships in Singapore this November, showcasing the world’s biggest and brightest young martial arts talents on the most prestigious global amateur mixed martial arts platform.

The post ONE Championship Partners With Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Welcome back, Martin Nguyen. The defending ONE featherweight champion put on a spectacular show on his return bout from injury.

The 30-year-old Vietnamese-Australian retained his title at ONE: Roots Of Honor with a superb knockout of Mongolia’s Narantungalag Jadambaa Jadambaa.

Both men were up for this fight, but it was Nguyen, the younger athlete by 13 years, who had more pop in his strikes. He was also quicker on his feet. Nguyen avoided being caught by any of Jadambaa’s heavy shots in the opening round and looked the fresher fighter coming into the second. The defending champion then went to work on his opponents left leg, with a series of blistering kicks.

Jadambaa, limping at this stage, backed himself against the cage. Nguyen, sensing his opportunity, then launched his aerial assault. A flying knee caught the Mongolian perfectly to stop the contest instantly.

RIGHT ON TARGET
Martin Nguyen clinches a scintillating flying knee knockout victory to retain the ONE Featherweight World Title! @MartinNguyenMMA #WeAreONE #RootsOfHonor #Manila #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/EF2ShIBQmm

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 12, 2019

Nguyen could not have scripted a better comeback performance.

In the nine months that Nguyen has been on the sidelines, ONE has undergone something of a transformation with all their new star signings. However tonight, he reminded everybody of how good he is when fully fit and injury-free.

In the evening’s co-main event, Filipino Joshua Pacio made sure the home fans went home smiling. Pacio reclaimed his title from Japan’s Yosuke Saruta with a stunning fourth-round knockout.

Joshua Pacio scores a MASSIVE KO, reclaiming the ONE Strawweight World Title! #WeAreONE #RootsOfHonor #Manila #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/sPWNAN1H88

— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 12, 2019

The hometown hero had to work for his win as he was sent to the canvas in the first round. However, as the rounds ticked off, Pacio came into his own and began to assert control of the fight. Pacio’s win ends a poor run for Team Lakay that has seen the camp lose three of their four ONE titles.

It was a good night overall for the Singapore-based promotion with a number of entertaining contests. The worry must have been that after the high of Japan, there would be a comedown, but that was avoided with a solid all-around show.

Full Results:

Main Card:

Martin Nguyen defeated Narantungalag Jadambaa via second-round KO
to retain the ONE Featherweight World Championship

Joshua Pacio defeated  Yosuke Saruta via fouth-round KO to
win the ONE Strawweight World Championship

Tatsumitsu Wada defeats Gustavo Balart via unanimous decision

Leandro Issa defeated Fu Chang Xin via first-round submission.

Andrei Stoica defeats Ibrahim El Bouni via unanimous decision (ONE Super Series kickboxing – light heavyweight)

James Nakashima defeated Luis Santos via second-round TKO (mixed martial arts – welterweight)

Edward Kelly defeated Sung Jong Lee via second-round TKO (mixed martial arts – featherweight)

Anderson Silva defeated Andre Meunier via first-round (ONE Super Series kickboxing – heavyweight)

Preliminary Card

Kwon Won Il defeats Eric Kelly via first-round KO (mixed martial arts – featherweight)

Saemapetch Fairtex defeats Ognjen Topic via majority decision (ONE Super Series Muay Thai – bantamweight)

Xie Bin defeats Ahmad Qais Jasoor via second round submission (mixed martial arts – bantamweight)

Niko Soe defeats Eko Roni Saputra via first-round TKO (doctor stoppage) at 3:03 of round one (mixed martial arts – flyweight)

Bi Nguyen defeats Dwi Ani Retno Wulan via first-round TKO (mixed martial arts – women’s atomweight)

Ramon Gonzales submits Akihiro Fujisawa via first-round submission (mixed martial arts – flyweight)

The post ONE: Roots Of Honor Recap: Nguyen’s Triumphant Return appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

James Nakashima maintained his undefeated record today with a TKO win – the first stoppage of his career – over Brazil’s Luis Santos.

The pair met on the main card of ONE: Roots Of Honor in Manila, Philippines.

The opening round was a relatively even affair. Nakashima came out and immediately pressed forward, cutting off the cage in search of a takedown. The former college wrestler is known for his suffocating ground game but has been steadily improving his striking. The Illinois native recently spent a month in Italy training under one of the world’s top strikers in Giorgio Petrosyan.

Nakashima’s stand-up kept Santos honest and stopped the Brazilian from establishing his rhythm. Santos threw out several heavy shots but nothing connected hard enough to put Nakashima off his stride.

Sensing perhaps that it was time to up his tempo, Santos burst into life in the second, charging forward looking to land a knockout blow. After avoiding the worst of a chopping leg kick, Nakashima dived to the ground taking Santo’s leg, and in turn, Santos with him.

It was at this point that the Brazilian injured his knee. After he pulled guard on Nakashima, Santos could be seen speaking to the American. Following this, Nakashima ceased any further attacks and the referee stopped the fight.

It may not have been the type of victory he wanted, but regardless, Nakashima got the win. While nothing is set in stone, it would appear likely that Nakashima’s next bout will be a title fight against ONE Championship welterweight champion Zebaztian Kadestam.

The post Nakashima Stops Santos, Makes Case For ONE Title Shot appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.