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When combat sports fans in North America think of MMA, they think of the UFC. But in Asia, and increasingly worldwide, there is another organization that has been building an empire of its own: ONE Championship. Founded in Singapore in 2011, ONE has grown into what it calls the world’s largest martial arts organization, producing events across Southeast Asia, and attracting some of the sport’s biggest names. Here’s everything you need to know about ONE Championship.

What Is ONE Championship?

ONE Championship (officially “ONE Championship Holdings”) is a Singapore-based mixed martial arts and combat sports promotion founded in 2011 by Chatri Sityodtong. The organization operates primarily in Asia, with its home base in Singapore and regular events in countries including Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and beyond.

ONE positions itself as more than just an MMA promotion. Its events include multiple martial arts disciplines: MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and submission grappling. This multi-discipline approach gives ONE a broader identity than organizations focused exclusively on MMA, and it connects with Asian combat sports cultures that have deep traditions in striking arts like Muay Thai.

ONE Championship History

Chatri Sityodtong founded ONE Championship in 2011 with the vision of creating a major league combat sports property in Asia. The region had a massive untapped audience for MMA — billions of people in Southeast and East Asia who were underserved by the UFC’s North American-centric programming and event schedule.

ONE grew steadily through its first decade, signing local stars who were household names in their home countries and international fighters who found the organization’s compensation and event frequency attractive. The promotion gained significant momentum by partnering with Amazon Prime Video for distribution in North America, making ONE content more accessible to Western audiences who had previously had limited access to its events.

A landmark moment came in 2022 when ONE signed a historic deal with Amazon Prime Video, bringing its events to tens of millions of Prime subscribers in the United States — a significant step in its effort to establish a genuine global profile.

ONE Championship Rules: What Makes It Different

ONE Championship operates under a different ruleset than the UFC and most North American MMA organizations, and the differences are significant for fans and fighters:

Hydration testing instead of weight cuts — ONE Championship has eliminated traditional weight cutting by implementing mandatory hydration testing before fight week. Fighters must compete at a weight close to their natural walk-around weight, making weight manipulation through water cutting impossible. This rule was introduced for fighter safety and has been praised by many medical professionals and athletes.

Open scoring — ONE Championship uses open scoring in some formats, where judges’ scorecards are announced between rounds, allowing fighters and corners to know the current standing of the fight. This changes tactical considerations compared to the secret scoring used in most promotions.

Different scoring criteria — ONE’s judges are instructed to prioritize near-finishes and damage over activity and control, which differs from the unified rules used by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and most American organizations.

Star Fighters of ONE Championship

ONE Championship has produced and featured some of the most talented fighters in the world, many of whom became global stars through the organization:

Demetrious Johnson — The former UFC Flyweight Champion who was traded to ONE Championship in 2018 in exchange for Ben Askren. Johnson — widely considered the greatest flyweight of all time — thrived in ONE, winning the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix and showcasing why he is considered the most technically skilled fighter in his weight class’s history.

Ben Askren — The undefeated wrestler who went to UFC from ONE, where he had been the Welterweight World Champion. The trade was one of the most significant inter-organizational deals in MMA history.

Angela Lee — A Singapore-based fighter who became one of ONE’s biggest stars, winning the Women’s Strawweight and Atomweight World Championships. Lee was a transcendent figure for ONE’s Asian audience and one of the promotion’s signature athletes.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon — One of the greatest Muay Thai fighters alive and the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion. Rodtang became a global sensation through ONE, known for his aggressive, exciting style and his willingness to take damage to deliver it in return.

Nong-O Gaiyanghadao — A legendary Muay Thai champion who won multiple world titles in ONE and is considered one of the greatest Muay Thai technicians in history.

Christian Lee — Angela’s brother, and a multiple-division world champion in ONE who became one of the organization’s most featured stars.

ONE Championship vs. UFC: How Do They Compare?

The natural comparison is between ONE and the UFC, the two largest MMA-focused organizations in the world. The differences are meaningful:

Geographic focus — UFC is North America-first, though it holds events globally. ONE is Asia-first, with its heartbeat in Southeast Asia.

Roster depth — The UFC has the deepest roster in MMA. ONE has exceptional talent, particularly in lighter weight classes where Asian fighters are well-represented, and is unmatched in Muay Thai and kickboxing.

Fighter pay — ONE has been praised by some fighters for offering more transparent and competitive compensation than the UFC, particularly for its top stars.

Multi-discipline identity — ONE’s incorporation of Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling alongside MMA gives it a unique identity that connects with combat sports cultures the UFC doesn’t reach as effectively.

ONE Championship Events and Where to Watch

ONE Championship holds events regularly, with its marquee events branded as ONE: [event name] and ONE Fight Night events on Amazon Prime Video. North American viewers can access ONE content through Amazon Prime Video, while Asian viewers have access through local broadcast partners and the ONE app.

The organization’s flagship events draw massive crowds in venues across Southeast Asia, where combat sports are deeply embedded in popular culture. Bangkok’s Rajadamnern Stadium — the holiest venue in Muay Thai — has hosted ONE events, connecting the modern promotion to centuries of combat sports tradition.

Why ONE Championship Matters for Combat Sports

For combat sports fans who have only followed the UFC, exploring ONE Championship opens a window onto a different world of elite martial arts. The Muay Thai and kickboxing on ONE’s cards is world-class in a way that has no equivalent in North American promotions. The MMA roster includes legitimate world-caliber fighters who are household names in Asia but largely unknown to Western audiences.

As ONE continues to expand its global reach, it represents the most significant alternative to the UFC in the combat sports landscape. Whether it can close the gap in Western markets remains the defining question of its next decade.