5 ONE Championship stars as Pokemon

#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.