3 rising stars in ONE Championship you should definitely watch

ONE Championship is home to some of the biggest stars in the combat sports world. Since its inception in 2011, the promotion has given a home to MMA fighters, who stand alongside kickboxers and Muay Thai practitioners, as well as submission grapplers and even boxers to become the true home of martial arts.

Over the years, many superstars have risen through the ranks to become not just world-class athletes, but also world champions. Today, we look at three exciting ONE Championship up-and-coming talents on the verge of becoming the next big thing in the world of combat sports.

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#3. Nat ‘Wondergirl’ Jaroonsak

Practicing Muay Thai at an early age, Nat Jaroonsak, better known to combat sports enthusiasts as ‘Wondergirl’, was an uncharacteristically shy child. Picked on for her height and love for Muay Thai, Jaroonsak dove head-first into the sport and quickly rose through the ranks to become a two-time Thailand National Muay Thai Champion.

In 2020, Jaroonsak was signed by ONE Championship and made her debut at ONE: No Surrender III. ‘Wondergirl’ only needed 81 seconds to introduce herself to the world, defeating Brooke Farrel in impressive fashion.

After a successful run in Muay Thai, Jaroonsak followed in the footsteps of fellow Thai fighter Stamp Fairtex and made the transition to mixed martial arts.

At ONE 157 in May, Jaroonsak faced undefeated Indian fighter Zeba Bano. Expected to use her striking skills, Jaroonsak flipped the script by defeating Bano just 82 seconds into the contest via armbar. It was an incredible victory that had fans chomping at the bit to see ‘Wondergirl’ return to the ONE circle.

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#2. Victoria Lee

Victoria Lee is the younger sibling of former ONE lightweight world champion Christian Lee and reigning ONE women’s atomweight world champion Angela Lee. As a member of one of MMA’s royal families, Lee has some rather big shoes to fill. Thus far, Lee has risen to the occasion under the ONE Championship banner.

Prior to signing with the promotion, Lee earned a plethora of accolades. She is a two-time Hawaiian Pankration Junior World Champion, a Hawaii State Wrestling Champion, and an IMMAF Junior World Champion. Appropriately nicknamed ‘The Prodigy’, Lee is a submission machine, earning back-to-back victories via submission in her first two appearances in the ONE circle.

Not to be labeled a one-trick pony, Lee earned a third-straight victory at ONE: Revolution when she defeated Victoria Souza via third-round technical knockout. At just 18 years old, Lee has a wealth of potential and a killer instinct that is sure to make her a future world champion.

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#1 - Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida

Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida is the epitome of the phrase, 'the next big thing'. As a 17-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Almeida has more than 130 wins throughout his years as a BJJ competitor. In 2020, Almeida made the transition to mixed martial arts when he signed with ONE Championship.

Almeida made his ONE Championship debut in September 2021 at ONE: Revolution against Anderson ‘Braddock’ Silva. ‘Buchecha’ showcased his ground game, submitting Silva in less than three minutes via a north-south choke. Less than three months later, ‘Buchecha’ returned to the ONE circle again, making quick work of South Korean knockout artist Kang Ji Won at ONE: Winter Warriors and won via a rear-naked choke.

Through two bouts, Almeida looked unstoppable in the circle. That continued at ONE 158 when he defeated Simon Carson by technical knockout in less than half a round.

So far, ‘Buchecha’ has a 100% finish rate and has only spent a total of 7:46 minutes inside the ONE circle. Should his dominance continue, Almeida will be staring down the barrel of a ONE heavyweight world title shot sooner rather than later.