The Most Prolific Knockout Artists In ONE History
ONE Championship is the place for the world’s most exciting martial arts action, and that is no surprise given the number of knockout artists in its ranks.
Competing in a sport that incorporates so many styles of combat – as well as small gloves – the mixed martial artists on the global stage have a ton of tools at their disposal to finish a match, and some athletes have shown a rare ability to take full advantage of that.
#5 Kevin Belingon – 6 KOs
A trio of true veterans of The Home Of Martial Arts share fifth place on the list of all-time knockout leaders, and all three have distinct ways of giving the judges a break on event night.
Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon’s striking proficiency comes from his wushu background, and he used it to start picking up wins at the highest level way back in October 2012 when he stopped Yusup Saadulaev with punches.
The Team Lakay representative is perhaps best known for his spectacular kicking arsenal, but it was his blistering hand speed that was the downfall of many of his other opponents – including Toni “Dynamite” Tauru and Reece “Lightning” Mclaren, who fell in the first round.
However, the former ONE Bantamweight World Champion’s signature stoppage came at home in the Philippines when a spinning back kick sent Andrew Leone flying across the ring at ONE: HEROES OF HONOR.
#5 Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke – 6 KOs
As a multiple-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion, it is no surprise that “Kru Rong” Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke has used his skills in “the art of eight limbs” to claim most of his mixed martial arts wins via KO.
The veteran competitor from Evolve has adapted well to the intricacies of his new sport to claim a few wins by submission, too, but his most spectacular results in the Circle have still come when he has let his punches, kicks, elbows, and knees fly.
In fact, the former ONE Strawweight World Champion’s incredible knees have played a huge part in five of his victories, proving that even at the age of 41, it is unwise to mess with “Kru Rong” in the clinch.
#5 Aung La N Sang – 6 KOs
When Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang first arrived on the global stage, he was more of a submission specialist, but since he hooked up with Henri Hooft at Hard Knocks 365, he has become a bonafide knockout artist.
The Myanmar hero won the ONE Light Heavyweight World Title and strengthened his grip on the middleweight belt with highlight-reel endings to his last five outings.
“The Burmese Python’s” streak began with a head kick that felled Alexandre “Bebezao” Machado, but he let his fists do the talking after that. The most spectacular finish might have been the 2018 knockout of the year that finished Ken Hasegawa, but there was no greater demonstration of his awesome power than the way he dismantled ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera at ONE: CENTURY.
#3 Phoe Thaw – 7 KOs
Phoe “Bushido” Thaw always seems to be in a hurry to leave the Circle.
All but one of his professional mixed martial arts bouts have ended in the first round thanks to his fearless aggression that was honed in his national sport of lethwei.
The man from Myanmar’s punching power is too much for many featherweights to handle, but he will be best remembered for his front kick knockout of Sor Sey, which is likely to be a fixture on ONE showreels for years to come.
#3 Martin Nguyen – 7 KOs
ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen is tied with Phoe Thaw, though the Vietnamese-Australian maintains that he is not a striking specialist.
Though Nguyen insists he is an all-rounder thanks to his beginnings as a grappler, he has his knockout power to thank for his success at the top of his division for the past four years, which included unforgettable finishes to win the belt against Marat “Cobra” Gafurov and defend it against Narantungalag “Tungaa” Jadambaa.
Plus, the force in his fists is so great, it is still effective against bigger opponents – as he showed when he won the ONE Lightweight World Title in 2017.
#1 Amir Khan – 8 KOs
Singapore’s Amir Khan took just two minutes and 25 seconds to win his first ONE Championship match with punches and he carried on in that vein until he became one of the lightweight division’s elite names.
Whether he is standing and trading with his opponents or tangling with them on the ground, the last thing they want to do is absorb one of the strikes he has honed with some of the greatest Muay Thai competitors of all time at Evolve.
Most of his opponents have failed to do so, which is why he is tied at the top as ONE’s all-time KO leader.
#1 Christian Lee – 8 KOs
Christian “The Warrior” Lee joined the world’s largest martial arts organization little more than a year after Khan and has gradually caught up to his training partner at Evolve by consistently taking out his rivals.
The Singaporean superstar has proven himself to be the most dangerous practitioner of ground and pound in ONE history since his first appearance as a 17-year-old thanks to his ability to dominate position and then unleash punches and elbows.
However, his greatest moment as an athlete came when he stood up against Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki and let his hands loose to win the ONE Lightweight World Title.
Read more: Top Flying Knee Knockouts In ONE Championship History
