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2021 has been a great year for ONE Championship. Producing more than 30 events this calendar year, the Asian promotion is almost back to normalcy. With the devastating presence of a global pandemic destroying most livelihoods around the world, ONE kept things going for the fight industry in Asia.
Firmly believing in the idea that we are one human race, ONE Championship advocates a united front against the virus and all the political machinations that came with it.
This simple, yet powerful video released near the onset of COVID-19 encapsulates what ONE stands for:
For ONE, 2020 was mostly dedicated to surviving the onslaught of COVID-19 while still maintaining jobs for its fighters and professionals. 2021, however, was geared towards bringing back more fights for the fans.
To never give up and keep the spirit of martial arts and combat sports alive.
As we turn the page towards 2022, ONE Championship is bound for bigger things. With an undeniably memorable 2021 despite the setbacks of the pandemic, 2022 looks bright for the Singapore-based organization. Great things will start coming back while new greater opportunities still abound.
Today, we list down some bold and brave predictions for ONE Championship in 2022.
#5. ONE Championship will welcome live crowds again
2021 saw all of ONE's major events happening inside the famed Singapore indoor stadium, with no crowds saved for a handful of backstage crew members and analysis teams.
The UFC led the charge in bringing the sport back safely in 2020 and everyone else, including ONE Championship, followed suit. In 2021, the American organization outdid itself again by spearheading the return of live crowds.
UFC 261, which was initially planned to be in Singapore and then Las Vegas, was ultimately held in Jacksonville, Florida in front of 15,000 roaring fans.
With COVID-19 protocols still varying per country, the UFC opted to conduct all of its 2021 events on US soil, except for Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
This will likely change in 2022 as vaccines are steadily being administered around the globe and governments are slowly opening up.
We wouldn't be surprised to see ONE Championship venturing around Asia again once borders are lifted in 2022 and protocols ease out. Here's to hoping it safely happens next year.
#4. ONE Championship will welcome more fighters from other organizations
With the successful ONE Championship debut of former UFC and Bellator fighter Jarred 'The Monkey God' Brooks and the incredible run of John 'Hands of Stone' Lineker, ONE is becoming a destination for talented free agents.
ONE Championship has become a major mover in the fight business with the acquisition of world-class athletes from different combat sports. World champion kickboxers, submission grapplers and MMA fighters are finding ONE Championship a viable choice to further their careers.
Even one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Demetrious Johnson, chose to fight in ONE Championship, despite having a legendary run in the UFC.
It's already a foregone conclusion that the UFC does not hold a monopoly when it comes to having the best fighters in the world. We wouldn't be surprised to see more former and current world champions jumping ship to ONE Championship in 2022.
#3. ONE Championship will open a new female weight class
Acquiring more fighters could mean the possibility of opening a new female weight class for ONE Championship. At the moment, ONE has female weight classes at 115 pounds and 125 pounds, for both MMA and kickboxing.
Opening a 135-pound or 145-pound female weight class could be huge for ONE Championship as there's a wealth of talent in that division across the globe.
Just last September, ONE did something unprecedented by producing an all-female card in ONE Championship: Empower.
This shows how ONE Championship gives paramount importance towards its female fighters. By expanding their roster, the organization will attract more athletes. With more fighters, more champions will arise and more champions means more fans.
It's a win for both the organization and for the sport as a whole.
#2. ONE Championship double champ Reinier de Ridder will become the first triple-weight champion in MMA history
ONE Championship's only double champ Reinier 'The Dutch Knight' de Ridder might achieve the unachievable by winning a third belt in 2022.
At the moment, MMA hasn't seen a triple-champ yet and 'The Dutch Knight' might become the first. The undefeated middleweight and light heavyweight champion has repeatedly expressed his aspirations of conquering another weight class in ONE.
The only question is, which weight class will it be? It's either welterweight or heavyweight. If de Ridder chooses welterweight, that's 185 pounds. If heavyweight, that's a whopping 265-pound weight limit.
Looking closely at the weight classes, de Ridder currently rules ONE's 205 and 225-pound weight divisions. Earning his place on the welterweight throne would mean 'The Dutch Knight' will be a champion in weight classes across 40 pounds. If he decides to go heavyweight, that's a mind-blowing 60 pounds.
To put this in perspective, boxing's record for most weight class titles belongs to Manny Pacquiao, who has eight. That's from weight classes between 112 pounds and 154 pounds; a 42-pound difference.
What de Ridder is looking to accomplish is nothing short of historic and if he is successful, it may never be done again. Something tells us that he might just do it in 2022.
#1. ONE Championship will have its first major event on US soil
In 2021, ONE Championship broke new ground with its TV deal with American television network TNT. On April 7, ONE debuted on US TV with ONE on TNT.
The show made waves across the combat sports world. One of the highlights of the event saw former UFC champion and MMA great Demetrious Johnson get knocked out by ONE flyweight king Adriano Moraes.
The show has sprung three more events and is not looking to stop any time soon. More and more ONE Championship is entering the American mainstream media and is garnering more fans from the west.
With its partnership with RUF Nation, an Arizona-based MMA promotion, ONE Championship has been garnering fans from the US through small shows. Add this to the TNT deal and we might see a resurgence of Asian MMA in the US.
In 2006, Japanese MMA giant Pride Fighting Championship tried to break through the US market with Pride 32 and 33 but ultimately closed its operations a year later.
ONE Championship might try to outdo its Asian MMA forefather and conduct its first show on US soil in 2022. It already has a following in the US anyway. With most states in America open to live shows and gatherings, this is not far from being possible.
