Sherdog’s Top 10: Regional MMA Promotions

Shinya Aoki brought his submission wizardry to One Championship. | Photo Courtesy: One Championship

6. One Championship

With the recently renamed One Championship, we reach the first truly regional promotion -- as in, representing one particular region of the globe -- on this list. Under the leadership of CEO Victor Cui, who had a deep background in sports media, One Championship launched to great fanfare and high expectations in July 2011. With a savvy figurehead, a solid TV deal in place from the outset and deep pockets, it looked to be a big thing in a market devoid of high-quality MMA.

Singapore is the promotion’s physical and spiritual home, and its close connections to Evolve MMA have provided some of its best fighters over the years. One Championship operates throughout Southeast Asia, however, and has run shows in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and even Cambodia. After running a few events stocked largely with expensive name fighters from overseas, it stepped back and focused on developing local talent in its various markets. Only time will tell whether these efforts will truly bear fruit, but early returns are promising.

Despite that emphasis on utilizing local fighters, One Championship still has the resources to bring in exceptional fighters from around the world. Former Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren is the best known of these international talents, but flyweight kingpin Adriano Moraes, bantamweight titleholder Bibiano Fernandes and lightweight boss Shinya Aoki are world-class fighters in their own right. When a name fighter comes onto the open market, One Championship has become a threat to make a real offer.

The promotion’s unique ruleset makes its combination of world-class talent and local interest even more compelling. Knees to the head on the ground and soccer kicks, combined with a cage and elbows, give One Championship the most permissive rules in the world, and the fights themselves rarely disappoint. In all, the organization offers good violence, excellent fighters and a unique view into a part of the world to which other MMA promotions rarely venture.

Number 5 » There is less scope to be a big-time show, but it is still putting on excellent, well-matched fights. The experience of watching the organization’s events is itself worth noting: Celebrity ring girls, great entrances and crazy violence are the norm and give a fantastic flavor of Brazilian wildness to go along with the fights.