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There’s nothing like a good old rivalry in combat sports, and ONE Championship has had its fair share of those over the years.
While all fighters are competitive by nature, heated rivalries add another element of excitement, especially when they bring out the best between two individuals.
It gets even more intriguing when each fighter gets the better of the other, and the rivalry turns into a series of multiple fights.
Of course, the occasional bad blood adds more drama, while narratives of redemption, revenge, and vindication always make these conflicts a must-watch.
With that said, let’s have a look at three of the biggest rivalries in ONE Championship.
#3. ONE Championship legends Eduard Folayang and Shinya Aoki
Eduard Folayang and Shinya Aoki’s names will forever be intertwined in the annals of history.
The pair of former ONE Championship lightweight world champions have developed a healthy rivalry over years after three exciting meetings inside the Circle.
It all began at ONE: Defending Honor back in 2016, when the Team Lakay star emerged as the number one contender for the dominant world champion’s lightweight throne.
After being outclassed on the ground in the first two rounds, Folayang shocked the world in the third round when he knocked out the Japanese legend to claim the belt.
Three years later, Aoki got even at ONE: A New Era in 2019, when he took away Folayang’s 170-pound world title via arm-triangle choke in round 1.
Their paths crossed once more at ONE on TNT 4 in 2021. The result was the same, as the grappling ace once again asserted his dominance on the ground and submitted Folayang with an armbar.
Aoki, of course, is notorious for his feisty personality and has been known to bicker with his past opponents.
However, the 39-year-old has nothing but respect for his Filipino rival. The feeling is mutual for Folayang, who has also grown quite fond of Aoki.
In fact, the two recently reunited in Folayang’s hometown in the mountains of Baguio in the Philippines, where Aoki came over to train with Team Lakay.
The Japanese superstar even shared his desire to have a “retirement match” with Folayang somewhere down the line.
If that’s the case, a fourth fight between these two icons will indeed be the perfect send-off to their respective legendary careers in ONE Championship.
#2. Fabricio Andrade and John Lineker
To be fair, Fabricio Andrade and John Lineker have only fought once so far. However, the sheer animosity they have for one another already burns in comparison to some of the biggest rivalries in ONE Championship.
After the controversial ending to their first match at ONE on Prime Video 3 last year, the pair of Brazilian heavy hitters are slated for a do-over in the main event of ONE Fight Night 7 on February 24.
The full card will emanate from the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and is available to stream free of charge for Amazon Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
As Andrade rose atop the bantamweight ranks, he remained vocal about his desire to become the first fighter to knock out Lineker.
‘Wonder Boy’ was on the verge of delivering on his promise after stunning ‘Hands of Stone’ with his signature knee to the body in their first match.
The 25-year-old instinctively threw a second one to end the fight, but his strike inadvertently hit Lineker’s groin area and shattered his cup.
Neither man walked away with the bantamweight world title that night after the match was ruled a no-contest.
Andrade’s contempt for Lineker only grew after that fateful encounter. The former ONE Championship bantamweight king, for his part, has opted not to engage in verbal warfare.
Still, Lineker has a lot to prove in the rematch and would love to end this rivalry once and for all by using his ‘Hands of Stone’.
ONE Fight Night 7 is live and free in North America with Amazon Prime.
#1. Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes
The first two matches between ONE championship superstars Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes are truly what poetic justice is all about.
‘Mighty Mouse’, of course, justified his claim as one of the greatest fighters of all time by smoking the competition when he first joined ONE in 2019.
‘DJ’ was on a surefire path for gold, up until Moraes spoiled those plans with a vicious knee heard around the world at ONE on TNT 1 in 2021.
After dropping the seemingly-invincible American with a pinpoint uppercut, ‘Mikinho’ registered the biggest win of his career by drilling his left knee to his downed opponent’s face – which is legal under ONE Championship’s global mixed martial arts ruleset.
A year later, Johnson had the opportunity to claim the world title once more against Moraes at ONE on Prime Video 1.
The Brazilian was once again getting the better of his rival in the first three rounds, up until the tides turned in Johnson’s favor in round 4.
After stunning Moraes with a laser right straight, Johnson stalked Moraes who was backpedaling into the circle wall.
As Moraes lost his balance, ‘DJ’ came soaring in with an incredible flying knee that hit the world champion straight in the jaw.
That was all she wrote, as Johnson added a ONE flyweight world title to his legendary resume.
With each owning a knockout over the other, Johnson and Moraes will be running it back for the third and perhaps final time.
The stakes cannot be any higher at ONE Fight Night 10, which will mark the promotion’s on-site United States debut at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
While this rivalry is as intense as they come, Johnson and Moraes have developed a mutual respect and admiration for one another.
This is indeed the biggest rivalry in ONE Championship history and we all can’t wait to see its conclusion at ONE Fight Night 10.
