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Aside from bringing pulsating MMA action, ONE Championship is beloved around the world for putting the spotlight on all forms of martial arts.
The promotion successfully brought striking disciplines into the mainstream by opening the Circle for exclusive Muay Thai and kickboxing bouts. The largest martial arts organization in the world has also shown love for the grappling arts through its growing submission grappling scene.
Initially considered a niche sport, submission grappling has become a global phenomenon in recent years, thanks in large part to grappling-only tournaments all over the world.
When performed at the highest level, grappling-exclusive fights are a technical wonder featuring non-stop action and superhuman feats of grace and athleticism. ONE Championship recently started opening more divisions and awarding shiny world championship belts to its submission grappling stars.
But make no mistake about it, it’s already the most prestigious honor in the sport of grappling.
Here are five reasons why:
#5. ONE Championship offers bigger exposure on the global stage
As mentioned, submission grappling events previously took place on a smaller scale and were not easily accessible to the masses.
That all changed once ONE made it available to its massive global fanbase.
Apart from its strong foothold all over Asia, the promotion has gained an even wider audience in the Middle East through beIN Sports, in North America via Amazon Prime Video, and in South America via Globo’s Combate.
Through this, MMA purists will be able to witness the true beauty of submission grappling, which in turn brings in new fans and contributes to the growth of the sport.
With ONE Championship looking to have more events in the coming year and beyond, you can expect to see more frequent submission grappling contests featured in its fight cards.
While the prestigious ADCC World Championship is considered the Olympics of no-gi grappling, the spectacle only happens annually.
With ONE, however, high-level grappling will take place all year round.
#4. ONE Championship's dynamic roster of established and rising stars
What sets ONE Championship’s submission grappling scene apart is its diverse personnel. The Singapore-based organization already employs both the future and present superstars of the sport
ONE is home to the new generation of rising stars of the sport, including the Ruotolo brothers Kade and Tye, Mikey Musumeci, and Danielle Kelly.
Distinguished grapplers like Cleber Sousa, Tommy Langaker, and Tainan Dalpra, among others, also fight under the ONE banner.
Even established names like BJJ legend Andre Galvao compete inside the Circle.
Marcus ‘Buchecha’ Almeida currently participates in promotion’s MMA heavyweight division but could just as easily transition to submission grappling.
#3. ONE Championship’s simplified ruleset makes it easier for new fans to follow the sport
Retired MMA fighter turned analyst Chael Sonnen recently praised ONE for the simplicity of its rules and judging for its submission grappling matches.
To be fair, those who don’t follow the sport have little to no idea what’s on going on most of the time in an all-grappling bout.
During its initial inception, ONE followed the rules of traditional no-gi matches, where the fight was declared a draw after 12 minutes if neither combatant got a submission. This past April, ONE changed its regulations by allowing the grapplers to win by decision.
In the end, the fighter with the most “number of real submission attempts” will be declared the victor. Those who stall are also penalized to ensure that matches are fought at a fast pace.
Watch Chael Sonnen talk about ONE's innovative grappling rules below:
#2. ONE Championship brings together various grappling arts
While Brazilian jiu-jitsu is still the first discipline that comes to mind when it comes to submission grappling, ONE made sure that every style is well represented.
Fighters coming from wrestling, judo, pankration, and sambo backgrounds, among others, are all given equal opportunities to showcase the strength of their sport on the world stage.
For instance, ONE has stoked the fires of the heated BJJ vs Sambo rivalry by pitting some of the best fighters from both disciplines against one another.
Sambo specialists like Uali Kurzhev and Mariia Molchanova have been given platforms to promote the Russian sport through high-profile submission grappling contests.
Check out this amazing grappling war between Uali Kurzhev and Kade Ruotolo:
Moreover, guys like Murad Ramazanov and Saygid Izagakhmaev, who both come from Sambo backgrounds, are showing other standouts in the sport that they can also transition to MMA if they so choose.
#1. ONE Championsip makes sure grapplers are well compensated and amazing performances are incentivized
Submission grappling specialists were forced to transition to MMA simply because there was not much money to be made from the sport in the past.
ONE, however, changed that narrative by making sure grapplers received the hefty compensation they deserved. Newly crowned ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci recently thanked ONE for allowing him to compete in the sport that he loves while making a living out of it.
Furthermore, those who go above and beyond during their fights are further rewarded with cash incentives. Grapplers are also eligible to win the $50,000 performance bonus. Musumeci, the Ruotolos, Tommy Langaker, Rodrigo Marello, and Danielle Kelly all received extra cash for their amazing performances.
And of course, let’s not forget about ONE Championship’s iconic world title belts made from 26.4 pounds of precious gold.
It exudes class and embodies a fighter’s hard work and dedication to his craft. Who wouldn’t want to have that strap on their waist?
