5 reasons to watch ONE: Winter Warriors

ONE Championship has fought through all obstacles to bring its fans the high-quality martial arts competition they know and love. Despite strict COVID-19 regulations in Asia, 2021 was a success. ONE was able to host many memorable open and closed-door events at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Although the atmosphere brought about by a sold-out arena filled to the rafters with fans has been sorely missed during its closed-door operations, the energy generated inside the Circle has been palpable from start to finish and has never lacked excitement.

However, the work isn’t done yet for the combat sports industry titan. The organization will conclude the fourth quarter of the year with its ONE: Winter Warriors event series, the first of which takes place this Friday, December 3.

The series features a world title fight, the epic conclusion of the historic ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix, multiple battles between top contenders and exciting promotional debuts. Each card in the series features a combination of mixed martial arts, kickboxing and Muay Thai bouts, the signature trait that has aided ONE in standing out among its competitors.

ONE: Winter Warriors this Friday night will be aired live and it’s a show fans will certainly not want to miss. Here are five reasons to watch ONE: Winter Warriors.

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#5. Rising ONE heavyweight contenders clash

Could Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida and Kang Ji Won be any more different?

Almeida, a 17-time grappling world champion, is widely considered to be the greatest heavyweight Brazilian jiu-jitsu player in the disciplines’ storied history. He made his highly anticipated MMA debut in December, slicing through the opposition quickly before securing a rare north-south choke in under three minutes.

Meanwhile, South Korea’s Kang Ji Won has somehow managed to fly under the radar. The 26-year-old is as heavy-handed as they come.

Nobody has been able to solve the puzzle that is the 'Mighty Warrior'. Five have tried, five have woken up staring at the lights. That’s correct, in five fights, Kang has knocked out each of his opponents. All have fallen in the first round, too.

In his ONE Championship debut, Kang took on Medhi Barghi. The Iranian athlete was able to survive until the 4:50 mark of the first round. Shockingly, this is the longest anyone has lasted opposite Kang before being put away.

#4. ONE lightweight contenders lock horns in action-packed rematch

When No.3-ranked lightweight Dagi Arslanaliev and No.5-ranked lightweight Timofey Nastyukhin met in the ONE Circle back in 2018, the action was relatively short-lived. Prior to the two-minute mark of the first round, Dagi connected on a sequence of punches en route to putting Nastyukhin away early.

The brief battle between the two lightweight contenders was over before it began, leaving with it the aura of unfinished business. Three years later, the two are slated to meet again inside the ONE Circle.

Since they last fought each other, Dagi has won two of three, earning two knockouts to his credit. Similarly, Nastyukhin has also won two of three since losing to Dagi.

The matchup is exciting even without considering the relevant storylines. Dagi boasts a 100 percent finishing rate with six knockouts and a pair of submissions. Nastyukhin, meanwhile, finished 11 of his 14 victories, seven by way of knockout.

Whichever way you slice it, this rematch is all but guaranteed to produce fireworks.

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#3. A Chinese superstar makes highly anticipated ONE debut

Not only is Qiu Jianliang an international star, he is also a renaissance man in the world of combat sports.

The 31-year-old was forged by the ancient art of Wushu, a discipline he desires to showcase on the global stage with ONE Championship. So much so that his goal is to be known as the 'Wushu Preacher', spreading the word of the Chinese martial art that has served as his fighting base since his father instilled it in him at a young age.

Qiu also holds a masters degree in Sports Management from the University of Loughborough in England. He is bi-lingual, a member of the Chinese National Muay Thai Team, has close to two-million followers on Douyin (Chinese TikTok) and holds a professional kickboxing and Muay Thai record of 51-7.

To describe Qiu as interesting would be an understatement.

#2. ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion Regian Eersel meets a dangerous new challenger

Riding a 17-fight winning streak that dates back to 2016, Surinamese-Dutch kickboxer and reigning ONE lightweight kickboxing world champion Regian ‘The Immortal’ Eersel aims to successfully defend his world title for the third time.

Eersel has never lost under the ONE Championship banner, a mark he aims to maintain come Friday. He will meet Russian sensation Islam Murtazaev, a knockout artist fighting out of Moscow and looking to make a name for himself by beating one of the pound-for-pound striking titans.

Prior to signing with ONE, Murtazaev built a resume littered with spectacular knockouts. Even so, days ago Eersel relayed a snide remark, claiming he knew nothing of Murtazaev. So while the bad blood may not be boiling, it’s definitely at a steady simmer.

The main event is a striking connoisseur's dream, the solidified star taking on the rising challenger, all with the ONE lightweight kickboxing world title on the line. It’s the absolute highest level of striking, presented on the global stage.

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#1. Ritu Phogat and Stamp Fairtex conclude ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix

Last September at ONE: Empower, the opening round of the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix commenced. The historic tournament brought together eight of the world’s best atomweight fighters, all vying for a chance to win the prestigious silver belt and the opportunity to challenge reigning ONE women’s atomweight world champion ‘Unstoppable’ Angela Lee for the title.

Only two women remain, No.2-ranked atomweight and former ONE atomweight kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion Stamp Fairtex of Thailand and No. 4-ranked atomweight, Indian wrestling champion Ritu ‘The Indian Tigress’ Phogat.

With Lee watching intently from her home in Hawaii, a new challenger to her atomweight throne will rise. The Singaporean-American superstar is expected to return to action in early 2022, with the new mother taking on the winner of the tournament.

For the two ONE athletes stepping into the Circle to determine a winner on Friday, the stakes have never been higher.