5 most intense and personal rivalries in ONE Championship history

Kevin Belingon (left) and Bibiano Fernandes (right) had one of the most storied rivalries in ONE Championship history. (Credits: @bibianofernandes via Instagram)
Kevin Belingon (left) and Bibiano Fernandes (right) had one of the most storied rivalries in ONE Championship history. (Credits: @bibianofernandes via Instagram)

#4. Angela Lee and Xiong Jing Nan battle for ONE Championship supremacy

This rivalry for the ONE Championship atomweight and strawweight belts between champions Angela Lee and Xiong Jing Nan is as intense as it is grand.

Their first fight took place at strawweight, with Xiong defending her championship against the atomweight champion Lee. The second one took place at atomweight, where Lee defended her turf against the invading Xiong.

The pair of fights between 'Unstoppable' and 'The Panda' feature some of the most high-level MMA you'll ever see. Both were at the top of the food chain for their respective ONE Championship weight classes.

The two are like mirror images of each other, style-wise. Lee is an excellent grappler while Xiong is a brutish striker. Watch ONE's recap of their rivalry here:

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Though there wasn't real bad blood between the two, this rivalry between Lee and Xiong was mostly fueled by their quest for greatness. Both were vying for a place in ONE Championship history by becoming the organization's first female double champ.

The greatness of the first fight and the stunning rematch deepened the rivalry even more. A third fight isn't on the horizon yet, but here's to hoping that it happens in 2022.


#3. Rodtang Jitmuangnon's Muay Thai wars against Jonathan Haggerty

If one looks at the way Rodtang fights, they would assume his opponents stole his lunch money.

The famed Muay Thai wrecking ball is intensity personified. It raised some eyebrows when then-champion Johnathan 'The General' Haggerty, after winning the belt, called out Rodtang as his next opponent. People thought it was bold for him to call out such a dangerous ONE Championship fighter.

In hindsight, the matchup was perfect. A tall, lanky technician with his clinical precision versus a short stocky brawler with his aggression and pressure. The first fight had a pace that can cause a heart attack just by watching it. The two threw everything they had at one another. Rodtang took the tightly contested fight via unanimous decision.

In the rematch, Rodtang did what he does best: pressure, pressure, pressure. Rodtang stalked Haggerty all throughout, while eating everything 'The General' threw at him. The ONE Championship king closed the show in the third round, knocking down Haggerty three times to earn the TKO victory.

Though the rivalry is at 2-0, both fighters are still in their early 20's and arguably still reaching their athletic prime. Fans might see these two go to war again in the ONE Championship Circle in the near future.

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Edited by Josh Evanoff