5 ONE Championship stars as Pokemon

With the highly-anticipated release of the new Pokemon "Brilliant Diamond" and "Pokemon Shining Pearl" video games, talk surrounding the popular franchise has been abundant.

As those who have indulged in the world of Pokemon know, one of the main features of the video games is the battle mechanics, pitting various Pokemon head-to-head or in team battles to determine who is the superior combatant.

Nowadays, with the popularity of competitive gaming on the rise, Pokemon battles require ample knowledge and strategy to achieve victory at a high level. This creates plenty of parallels to be drawn between the world of Pokemon and the world of martial arts.

There are even a handful of Pokemon designed to mirror specific martial arts or martial artists, like Urshifu representing the ancient Chinese art of Wushu or Hitmonchan designed with Jackie Chan in mind. The list goes on.

ONE Championship released a Pokemon-themed graphic on its social media channels matching some of its biggest stars with their corresponding Pokemon.

We’re here to break down why each athlete and Pokemon were chosen to partner up, and what exactly makes them suitable matches. Here are five ONE Championship stars as Pokemon.

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#5. Rodtang Jitmuangnon / Pokemon: “Blaziken”

Consider ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang ‘The Iron Man’ Jitmuangnon and Blaziken as the easiest match to decipher on this list.

Blaziken underwent a bit of a makeover in generation six when the mega evolution mechanic was added to Pokemon's battle feature. A noticeable change was made to Blaziken’s sprite in which Mega Blaziken assumed a Muay Thai stance.

With its front leg in a lifted checking position and hands held high, complete with flames on its arms to represent the traditional Pra Jiad armbands worn by Nak Muays, the resemblance is uncanny.

Blaziken has the ability to become stronger as the battle wages on with its 'Speed Boost' ability. Similarly, Rodtang has long been known to start off slow and pick up the intensity as his fights go on. And of course, with Blaziken’s signature move being the “Blaze Kick,” how could he not be matched up with ONE Championship’s pound-for-pound striking king Rodtang?

#4. Reinier de Ridder / Pokemon: “Throh”

While Throh isn’t much of a household name compared to many of its Pokemon contemporaries, it doesn’t take a lot of research to decipher its martial arts origin. Known as the “Judo Pokémon,” Throh is designed to resemble a judoka, or someone who trains judo, a martial art in which the goal is to throw one’s opponent, hence the Pokemon’s name.

Throh equates to "throw." Similarly, ONE middleweight and light heavyweight world champion, 'The Dutch Knight' Reinier de Ridder, loves to throw his opponents to the ground using techniques borrowed from judo.

Additionally, in the world of Pokemon, Throh are born wearing judo gi. Reinier de Ridder, in a similar fashion, began training judo at the age of five.

The difference? De Ridder is a well-rounded mixed martial artist with a vast repertoire of weapons, and is not exclusively a judoka. Still, Throh remains the obvious choice to represent the two-division world champ.

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#3. Aung La Nsang / Pokemon: “Sandaconda”

Fondly referred to by fans as ‘The Burmese Python,’ Aung La Nsang’s Pokemon representative had to fit the bill. Without a doubt, no Pokemon did so better than Sandaconda, the ‘Sand Snake’ Pokemon.

But the similarities aren’t solely in the title. Much like Aung La Nsang, Sandaconda features a hard-hitting physical attack repertoire with a high attack stat of 107. It's earthquake and sand tomb moves send shockwaves through its opponents, akin to the spectacular striking repertoire boasted by Myanmar’s Aung La Nsang. Two snakes, two hard-hitters.

For those wondering why a more popular snake-Pokemon like Arbok was not chosen, this is surely due to a real-life Burmese Python’s chosen method of attack being constriction, and not injecting venom.

Sandaconda is modeled after an anaconda, which also uses constriction to subdue its prey. It may not be perfect, but Aung La Nsang and Sandaconda make for quite the imposing duo.

#2. Demetrious Johnson / Pokemon: “Pikachu”

The mixed martial arts legend known as ‘Mighty Mouse’ is the only athlete qualified to partner up with the face of the Pokemon franchise. Pikachu has endeared himself to Pokemon fans around the world since the series debuted in 1997.

The ‘Electric Mouse’ Pokemon has consistently overcome the odds, defeating opponents who appear bigger and stronger than him on countless occasions, year after year. The same can be said about Demetrious Johnson, a man who many consider to be one of mixed martial arts’ greatest of all time.

Johnson is living proof that size doesn’t determine one’s ability to hold their own in hand-to-hand combat. And with a record of 30-4-1, with five knockouts and 12 submissions to his name, Johnson’s resume even surpasses that of Pikachu, who has a 61% win-rate throughout the Pokémon series. Not to mention, watching either of these two in battle could be described as electric.

It’s an easy fit -- Demetrious Johnson as Pikachu.

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#1. Xiong Jing Nan / Pokemon: “Pangoro”

Another slam dunk, one of the most underrated fighters on the planet meets one of the most underrated Pokemon.

Pangoro is a fighting-type Pokemon designed to look like a panda. Interestingly, Chinese superstar and reigning ONE women’s strawweight world champion Xiong Jing Nan is an MMA fighter whose nickname is ‘The Panda.’ That makes this a more than obvious pairing. Furthermore, their fighting styles are eerily similar as well.

Feared for its powerful physical attacks, Pangoro perfectly mirrors the devastating striking utilized by Xiong Jing Nan. With 10 of Xiong’s 16 wins coming by way of knockout, it’s no secret that the Chinese athlete favors her sharp striking.

Similarly, Pangoro takes care of business using its ridiculous attack stat of 124, and a move comprising of powerful punches. Talk about a perfect match.