5 American Fighters Who Are Dominating In ONE Championship Right Now
ONE Championship is home to elite martial artists from around the globe, and the promotion’s American stars certainly rate among the best.
The United States has a long and rich history in combat sports, and the nation’s athletes have access to some of the leading training facilities and coaches, so it’s no wonder they’ve achieved great success.
And now that ONE Championship has signed a new five-year deal with Amazon Prime Video Sports to air at least 12 events annually in North American primetime, those athletes will get the chance to showcase their skills in front of a home audience on a massive platform.
With the groundbreaking broadcast deal beginning later this year, here are five American stars who are dominating right now.
ONE Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee
Angela Lee is a Singaporean-American who’s dominated the atomweight division since 2016, winning the inaugural belt and successfully defending it five times against tough challengers.
Known for her incredible ground game, the Hawaii resident has tapped out eight opponents in her 11 career wins, utilizing a wide array of finishes, such as rear-naked chokes, twisters, armbars, and neck cranks.
Known as “Unstoppable,” Lee is also famed for her durability. She’s shown incredible heart to bounce back from difficult spots, including her latest World Title victory over Thai star Stamp Fairtex at ONE X in March.
Lee is now a mother with even more motivation, so fans can expect more dazzling performances in the coming year.
Teen Phenom Victoria Lee
Following in her big sister’s footsteps is Victoria Lee. The 18-year-old MMA phenom has an aggressive grappling style that features plenty of similarities to Angela’s.
Victoria only debuted as a professional in February 2021, but she’s already raced to a perfect 3-0 record and will be able to focus on training full-time after recently graduating from high school.
The rising atomweight is nicknamed “The Prodigy,” and she’s backed up the hype with a trio of stoppage wins. Plus, there’s a long way to go before she’s anywhere near her peak.
ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le
Thanh Le has been on a phenomenal tear since he entered The Home of Martial Arts.
The Vietnamese-American has registered five straights knockout wins in the Circle, including a successful defense of his ONE Featherweight World Title in March.
Starting out in taekwondo under the tutelage of his father, Le’s movement and kicks reflect his background, but he also has fierce power in his hands.
Rounding out his game with elite grapplers, the Louisiana resident is now a BJJ black belt who will be hard to topple from his current spot.
Up next, he’ll defend his featherweight gold for the second time against Chinese powerhouse Tang Kai at ONE 160 on August 26.
ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Janet Todd
While the MMA exports from the U.S. have certainly had the biggest impact, California’s Janet Todd shows that America also features elite talent in the striking arts.
The ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion has won six straight fights since a loss in her promotional debut, looking better than ever with every outing.
That run of success includes a victory over Stamp Fairtex to claim the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Title and a pair of recent wins in Muay Thai.
Next, “JT” will face Lara Fernandez for the ONE Interim Atomweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE 159 on July 22 as she tries to become a rare double-champ in ONE.
Top-Ranked Strawweight Contender Jarred Brooks
Indiana native Jarred Brooks garnered MMA experience around the world before he signed with ONE Championship last year.
Since then, he’s dominated a trio of top-five strawweight contenders to claim the #1 ranking and earn the next shot at ONE Strawweight World Championship against Joshua Pacio.
“The Monkey God” is a relentless wrestler and grappler who gets in his opponents’ faces, drills them into the canvas, and pummels them until he opens up a finish or dominates on the scorecards.
The brash American believes he will claim the gold, and so far, it’s hard to argue with his confidence.
