5 Reasons To Watch The Historic ONE X Card Live On 26 March
After many months of anticipation, ONE Championship’s epic 10-year anniversary show is almost here.
This Saturday, 26 March, ONE X will air live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium, and the massive three-part extravaganza features just about everything in the world of combat sports.
Whether it’s a clash for gold, a tournament final, a mixed-rules fight, or legends facing off, fans will be witnessing one of the biggest events in martial arts history.
There are endless reasons to catch all the action, and here, we’ve picked out five of them.
Stamp Fairtex Vs. Angela Lee Caps Off 5 World Title Fights
Nothing makes history quite like a World Championship showdown, which means a lot of it will be made this Saturday.
A total of five World Titles will be contested throughout the day, with golden belts being awarded across mixed martial arts, Muay Thai, and kickboxing.
In the headline attraction of ONE X: Grand Finale, dominant ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee makes her long-awaited return and defends the throne against ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix Champion Stamp Fairtex.
“Unstoppable” has been sidelined for over two years due to pregnancy and motherhood, and she’ll be looking to regain the form that made her one of the biggest superstars in the organization.
It won’t be easy against Stamp, a former ONE Atomweight Kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion who’s looking to become the promotion’s first three-sport queen.
Ultimately, this matchup will pit Lee’s wealth of MMA experience against the challenger’s ever-improving skill set.
Also on the Grand Finale card, ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes will defend his strap against Yuya Wakamatsu, who won five straight bouts to earn this shot.
And Superbon Singha Mawynn will look to follow his shocking KO of Giorgio Petrosyan with a successful ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Title defense against old tormentor Marat Grigorian.
Before that, ONE X: Part II will be headlined by a ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title contest between striking legend Nong-O Gaiyanghadao and rising star Felipe Lobo.
And in the co-main event of Part II, knockout artist Capitan Petchyindee will defend his ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title against exciting challenger Hiroki Akimoto.
No matter what goes down in all of these matchups, it’s clear fans are in for a wild ride.
A Muay Thai Vs. MMA Super-Fight
Any historic event needs a unique twist, and Saturday’s special rules super-fight between MMA GOAT Demetrious Johnson and Muay Thai megastar Rodtang Jitmuangnon will deliver the goods.
Across four rounds of action, the flyweights will alternate between their favored rule sets, beginning with all-striking Muay Thai in the first.
That should hand the initial advantage to Rodtang, one of the most exhilarating, aggressive stand-up fighters on the planet.
It remains to be seen how DJ handles the first three minutes – whether he comes forward or dances around the Circle – but if this match reaches the second round, it will enter his world.
The American is a 12-time MMA World Champion, and his grappling will test Rodtang in ways we’ve never seen.
This super-fight was one of the original bouts announced for ONE X, and it will undoubtedly captivate the martial arts world this weekend.
Legends Grace The Stage (And Hang Up Their Gloves)
Some of the longest-running stars in martial arts will enter the Circle this Saturday, as they settle a feud, try a new sport, and ride off into the sunset.
On the ONE X: Grand Finale card, Japanese legends Shinya Aoki and Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama face off in a hotly anticipated lightweight MMA contest. It’s a matchup Aoki has craved for a long time, even calling out “Sexyama” with harsh words at a “Road to ONE” event last year.
The former ONE Lightweight World Champion is not a fan of Akiyama’s flashy persona and claims that he’s more interested in popularity than fighting. Meanwhile, “Sexyama” has grown tired of his rival’s talk, firing back with sharp words of his own.
Inside the Circle, 38-year-old Aoki is one of the best grapplers in history and remains one of the most dangerous contenders in the lightweight division. And 46-year-old Akiyama has claimed prestigious accolades in both judo and MMA while becoming a pop-culture sensation.
Also on the Grand Finale card is Australian Muay Thai pioneer John Wayne Parr, who will square off with another former ONE Lightweight World Champion in Eduard Folayang.
This is Parr’s final Muay Thai fight, and he’ll be looking to end a storied career with his 100th win.
On the other side, the Filipino icon will aim to spoil the retirement party as he brings his famed striking arsenal from MMA into his professional Muay Thai debut.
“The Gunslinger” has admitted that he expects an emotional evening, but he’ll need to stay composed against the wushu specialist from Team Lakay.
And if “Landslide” beats the Muay Thai legend at his own sport, he might just test himself further in ONE’s all-striking league.
A Pair Of Submission Grappling Matches
As part of a card that features the full spectrum of martial arts, a quartet of ground wizards will square off in submission grappling matches during ONE X: Part I.
In the first battle, new signing Danielle Kelly will bring a ton of hype into her ONE Championship debut.
The 26-year-old BJJ black belt joined the organization to compete in both grappling and MMA, but she’ll begin with her bread and butter in Saturday’s contest.
The American phenom will be up against veteran Mei Yamaguchi, a two-time ONE Women’s Atomweight World Title challenger who pushed Lee to the limit in both meetings.
The 39-year-old Yamaguchi owns a BJJ black belt of her own, which has contributed to nine submission victories in her MMA career.
Soon after, two-sport ONE World Champion Reinier de Ridder will take on a different type of challenge when he welcomes BJJ great Andre Galvao to ONE Championship.
De Ridder is undefeated in mixed martial arts, and he called out “Deco” for this grappling match after his most recent World Title defense last month.
But while “The Dutch Knight” has racked up 10 submission wins in the all-encompassing sport, it remains to be seen if he can hang with the seven-time BJJ World Champion on the ground.
A High-Stakes Kickboxing Grand Prix Final
A pair of star strikers will headline ONE X: Part I, as Thai superstar Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong and Azerbaijani-Belarusian Chingiz Allazov compete in the ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Grand Prix Championship Final.
Sitthichai is an eight-time Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion, while Allazov has claimed a pair of K-1 Kickboxing Titles. Both men would love to add the tournament’s silver belt to their trophy case.
Just as important, the winner of this eight-man tournament will earn the next shot at either Superbon or Grigorian after their World Title matchup later in the day.
ONE’s featherweight kickboxing division is one of the most stacked groups in all of combat sports, and this battle is a chance for one contender to separate themselves on the biggest stage of all.
