5 Defining Moments: One Championship in 2022

Another year has come and gone in the existence of One Championship, which staged 121 bouts across 20 events in 2022. Titles changed hands, new stars rose to the forefront and the flames of multiple rivalries were fanned between Jan. 14 and Dec. 3. It was an eventful 12 months for the Chatri Sityodtong-led combat sports enterprise.

As the Southeast Asia powerhouse preps plans and lays the groundwork for future endeavors, a look at five of the many moments that came to define it over the past 365 days:

1. Blunt Force Trauma

John Lineker once again lived up to his “Hands of Stone” reputation when he took possession of the One Championship bantamweight title with a stirring knockout of Bibiano Fernandes in the second round of their ONE “Lights Out” co-headliner on March 11 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Lineker slammed the door 3:40 into Round 2, completing his ascent to the top of the 145-pound weight class. An entertaining first round in which both men were hurt gave way to the decisive second. Fernandes weathered some searing hooks to the body and head from his countryman, executed a single-leg takedown and went to work from top position. Lineker eventually scrambled back to his feet, moved into open space and let his notorious punching power do the rest. He pawed with a jab, denied an attempted takedown and soon after connected with a lunging left hook. Fernandes hit the canvas in a dazed state, necessitating an immediate stoppage from referee Olivier Coste.

2. Mouse Trap

One Championship made its debut on Amazon Prime and did so with Demetrious Johnson as its centerpiece. The AMC Pankration cornerstone took the undisputed company’s flyweight title by force when he struck down Adriano Moraes with a straight right hand and follow-up flying knee in the fourth round of their ONE on Prime Video 1 main event on Aug. 26 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Johnson drew the curtain 3:50 into Round 4. Moraes frustrated “Mighty Mouse” on the ground for much of the first two rounds but did not escape unscathed. Johnson stayed active from the bottom and hacked open a gnarly cut above the Brazilian’s right eyebrow with a sneaky elbow strike. Momentum shifted noticeably in Round 3. Johnson pieced together exquisite combinations, mixed in a backfist at short range and battered his counterpart’s body with knees from the clinch. He continued to pile up points in close quarters in the fourth round, moved out into open space and buckled Moraes with a straight right. The Brazilian careened towards the fence, where he was met with a perfectly timed flying knee that ended his title reign.

3. A Rivalry Renewed

Jingnan Xiong retained the One Championship women’s strawweight title with a unanimous decision over archrival Angela Lee in the ONE on Prime Video 2 headliner on Sept. 30 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang Singapore. Xiong won the approval of all three cageside judges, improving to 2-1 in her head-to-head series with the “Unstoppable” Hawaiian. In many regards, it was all about the first round. There, Xiong had her challenger on skates more than once with punishing right hands and follow-up attacks. Referee Herb Dean appeared to be on the verge of calling for the stoppage on multiple occasions, only to allow Lee to press forward. Nowhere else in the bout were the exchanges between the two women more profound. Lee had her moments—she zeroed in on the neck in the second round, enjoyed some success in the clinch and utilized more variety than the champion—but could never swing the momentum permanently to her side. Xiong downshifted later in the match and left the door open but re-established her hands as the dominant force in the fifth round, where combination punching and effective counters managed to keep the spirited Lee at bay.

4. Double Trouble

Reigning lightweight titleholder Christian Lee pushed his stock to an all-time high and became a rare simultaneous two-division champion when he buried Kiamrian Abbasov with elbows and punches in the fourth round of their ONE on Prime Video 5 main event on Dec. 2 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Abbasov bowed out 4:20 into Round 4, surrendering his welterweight crown in the process. Lee recovered from a harrowing exchange in the first round that saw his Kyrgyzstani adversary exhaust himself in a bid to finish. He slowly but surely shifted momentum across the next 10 minutes, setting the table for the decisive sequence. Lee hammered away at Absolute Championship Berkut alum’s base with kicks, fired off elbow strikes to the head in the clinch and secured a takedown. By then, Abbasov was ripe for the picking. Lee achieved full mount with virtually no resistance and let fly with ground-and-pound until the job was done.

5. Size Matters

Anatoliy Malykhin moved to 11-0, dethroned the Reinier de Ridder in an epic beatdown and claimed possession of the undisputed One Championship light heavyweight crown in the ONE on Prime Video 5 headliner on Dec. 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Philippines. De Ridder succumbed to punches 4:35 into Round 1. Malykhin—already the interim ONE heavyweight champion—was utterly merciless with his attack. He cut off takedowns from de Ridder with surprising ease and assaulted him with an unending barrage of power punches to the head and body. Late in the first round, Malykhin floored the Combat Brothers rep with a right hook and followed him to the canvas, where he separated “The Dutch Knight” from his senses with brutal hammerfists. It was a star-making performance from the undefeated 34-year-old Russian and one that figures to unlock far greater earning potential moving forward.