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It's that time of year again at ONE Championship when we look back at the awesome 12 months of fighting we've had. Despite the obvious setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, ONE managed to come up with great cards that featured remarkable fights.
Though countless fighters rose to the occasion, regardless of the world's restrictions, there are those who did better than most. There are fighters who made 2021 their year and have the results to prove it.
Fighters like Stamp Fairtex, who came a long way from just being a kickboxer to owning the atomweight MMA ranks in 2021.
Today we list 5 ONE Championship fighters who outdid their peers and rose above the rest in the crazy, topsy-turvy year of 2021. We judge them by the level of their competition and the domination with which they won their fights. With that said, let's get on with the list.
#5. Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida - ONE Championship heavyweight
Though he only has 2 fights in his career so far (both fought this year), Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida has more than lived up to the hype behind him. The said hype came in the form of 13 Brazilian jiu-jitsu world titles and over 120 wins in submission grappling.
In just two fights and a little over 5 minutes inside the cage, 'Buchecha' showed the world how to seamlessly translate legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills to MMA. The submission icon utterly dismantled both Anderson 'Braddock' Silva and Kang Ji Won.
His ONE Championship fights didn't even look like fights. They were basically contests for his opponents on who could last longer before getting inevitably submitted.
Both of Buchecha's opponents couldn't do anything significant on their feet and once the fight hit the ground, they went straight into panic mode.
We can't blame them as a 13-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion is trying to strangle the life out of them on the ground. It's like swimming in the middle of a raging sea. You can struggle all you want but, in the end, you'll drown.
With a pair of dominant wins in 2021, 'Buchecha' looks promising in his early MMA career. Perhaps we'll see more of this domination in 2022 and even a shot at the ONE Championship heavyweight title.
#4. Janet Todd - ONE Championship atomweight kickboxing champion
Hailing from Lawndale, CA, the highly touted Janet 'JT' Todd broke into the ONE Championship cage like a bull in a China shop. The American kickboxer won ONE Championship's atomweight belt within a year of debuting in the promotion.
Lauded for being one of the most complete Muay Thai and kickboxing fighters today, Todd is remarkable in almost every aspect of the game. She is also extremely fast and can release blinding combinations when you blink.
In 2021, Todd fought twice and both outings were masterclasses in kickboxing. Fighting both bouts under Muay Thai rules, Todd dominated Alma Juniku and Anne Liner Hogstad.
Juniku and Hogstad couldn't make a dent on Todd as the American world champion was on another level. Her fast combinations, coupled with her ingenious sense of distance, allowed Todd to land hard shots at will before sliding out of harm's way.
Just look at this nifty jab/ left body kick combination. You can literally hear the air get sucked out of Hogstad:
With her pair of dominant wins in 2021, Todd has great momentum coming into 2022. Look to see her defend her kickboxing title at least once next year, and perhaps fight for the Muay Thai belt as well.
#3. Superbon Banchamek - ONE Championship featherweight kickboxing world champion
Yes, Superbon Banchamek only fought once this year. Yes, he has also fought less than two rounds in 2021. Knowing what he achieved within those three and a half minutes, however, makes Superbon a legit contender for 'Fighter of the Year'.
Simply put, Superbon did the seemingly impossible. He knocked out Giorgio 'The Doctor' Petrosyan. The brutality of the knockout, how Superbon did it and who he did it to are almost too incredible to comprehend.
Petrosyan is often considered the greatest kickboxer of all time. His level of greatness is similar to Floyd Mayweather, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan in their respective sports.
Superbon blasted him with a head-kick from hell that shut his lights off immediately. It's legit one of the most shocking moments in ONE Championship this year, if not ever.
Superbon's lone achievement in 2021 secures him firmly on our list. Considering that it's only his second fight in ONE Championship and it's for the world title makes it all the more special.
#2. Stamp Fairtex - ONE Championship atomweight World Grand Prix champion
It's crazy to think that just 3 years ago, ONE Championship atomweight MMA fighter Stamp Fairtex was just known as a gifted Muay Thai fighter. Knowing what she's achieved since transitioning to MMA, however, you'd think she'd been doing it all her life.
The Muay Thai legend-in-the-making had one of the best years in ONE Championship, ever. Stamp plowed through her competition en route to winning ONE Championship's 2021 atomweight Grand Prix tournament.
Who she had to face and how she beat them made all her bouts in 2021 even more rewarding.
In the tournament's opening round, Stamp avenged her only MMA loss to submission specialist Alyona Rassohyna. She then out-classed Julie Mezabarba in the semi-finals.
Leading up to the final bout against wrestling prodigy Ritu Phogat, Stamp had already made leaps and bounds with her grappling game.
Phogat, a former world champion in wrestling, was seen as a massive test for Stamp. Fighters and pundits were predicting that for Stamp to win, she'd have to keep the fight on the feet like her life depended on it.
In a stunning turn of events, the former ONE kickboxing and Muay Thai champion locked in a deep triangle choke which she then transitioned to an armbar. Phogat had no choice but to tap.
Just like that, Stamp capped off her 2021 with a Grand Prix silver belt and a shot at atomweight champion Angela 'Unstoppable' Lee in 2022.
#1. Ok Rae Yoon - ONE Championship lightweight world champion
The Korean fighting sensation Ok Rae Yoon not only had an awesome 2021, he also had perhaps the best freshman year in ONE Championship history. Imagine debuting in one of the premier MMA organizations in the world and winning its championship in the same year. It's nuts.
After impressing everyone in his ONE debut against former featherweight champ Marat 'Cobra' Gafurov, Ok fought his next bout just 21 days later.
In his second fight, Ok faced MMA legend and former UFC lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez with less than a month to prepare. Despite this, Ok showed Alvarez that there are levels to this game and he's on a different one. He won the bout via a clear unanimous decision.
Putting a stamp on his successful 2021 campaign, Ok beat dominant lightweight champion Christian 'The Warrior' Lee for the belt. Though their bout was razor-close with Ok getting hurt multiple times, he managed to secure a decision win.
A rematch is imminent in 2022 to determine who truly deserves ONE Championship's lightweight throne. With his three incredible wins plus the lightweight belt around his waist, however, Ok definitely deserves ONE Championship's fighter of the year award.
