The Top 5 Fights Of 2024 In ONE Championship
As 2024 comes to a close, the world’s largest martial arts organization looks back on another banner year of action filled with dramatic and entertaining fights.
From a monumental kickboxing clash that captivated fans around the world to furiously paced MMA scraps, ONE Championship delivered plenty of fireworks across the past 12 months.
As we turn the page to a new year, let’s take a closer look at five of the most electrifying fights in 2024.
#1 Superlek Goes To War With Takeru
In January at ONE 165, Japanese megastar Takeru “The Natural Born Crusher” Segawa made his hotly anticipated promotional debut against defending ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9 in front of a rapt audience at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.
While Takeru was originally slated to battle Thai fan favorite Rodtang Jitmuangnon that night, Superlek proved to be the perfect replacement, as the pair delivered thrilling, back-and-forth action from start to finish.
“The Kicking Machine” dominated the opening two frames, punishing the former K-1 Champion with thudding straight punches and pulverizing leg kicks that limited his foe’s otherwise speedy movement.
In a beautiful display of heart and durability, Takeru roared back in the third round with a savage flurry of punches that nearly put the titleholder on the canvas.
The final two rounds were packed with more frantic exchanges and drama, with both men digging deep in the home stretch.
In the end, Superlek was awarded the unanimous decision to retain his gold in this epic war that fans won’t soon forget.
#2 Haggerty Scores Epic Comeback KO Against Lobo
Brazilian knockout artist Felipe “Demolition Man” Lobo pushed then-reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Jonathan “The General” Haggerty to the absolute limit in his bid for the gold in February at ONE Fight Night 19.
Lobo came out guns blazing in the first frame with a ferocious boxing attack, stunning the British superstar with a knockdown late in the round.
That knockdown seemed to awaken a new beast in Haggerty, who took his aggression to a different level in the second stanza and sent “Demolition Man” crashing to the canvas with a devastating left hand.
Never one to go away easily, Lobo gamely returned to his feet and continued to fight until the bitter end.
Early in the third round, though, Haggerty stepped forward behind a jaw-shattering right hand to put the challenger down and out for the count, bringing an end to the Muay Thai thriller.
#3 Malykhin Makes History Against De Ridder
In the main event of ONE 166: Qatar this past March, Anatoly “Sladkiy” Malykhin achieved the previously unthinkable when he captured Reinier de Ridder’s ONE Middleweight MMA World Title to become a simultaneous three-division MMA World Champion.
Malykhin had defeated “The Dutch Knight” back in 2022 to claim the light heavyweight MMA crown, and while De Ridder showed improvements this time around, it still wasn’t enough to hand the Russian the first defeat of his career.
Indeed, De Ridder displayed improved stand-up in the bout’s opening minutes, even dropping “Sladkiy” with a picture-perfect jab. Malykhin remained undeterred, though, and was able to consistently back his foe into the Circle Wall, where he unleashed massive boxing combinations to the head and the body.
The Dutchman absorbed a great deal of punishment while constantly looking to bring the fight to the canvas, but by the third round, Malykhin’s ruthless body attacks had taken their toll.
Early in that third frame, Malykhin battered De Ridder with a final flurry of body strikes that left him unable to continue, officially making “Sladkiy” the ONE Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight MMA World Champion.
#4 Adiwang And Williams Throw Down
Fans expected an all-action scrap when Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang and “Mini T” Danial Williams locked horns in their strawweight MMA tilt at ONE Fight Night 19, and that’s exactly what they got.
Adiwang was firing on all cylinders from the opening bell, rocking the Thai-Australian brawler with a couple of haymakers in the first frame before continuing his relentless attack on the ground.
The Filipino continued to display an explosive and effective style of striking through the second frame as he battered his foe with big combinations.
The fighters would spend much of the third round grappling for position on the canvas, but in the final minute, Williams returned to his feet, landed a massive knee, and nearly scored what would have been an unfathomable comeback.
In the end, Adiwang survived to the final bell and took home the hard-fought unanimous decision victory to extend his winning streak to three and further cement himself as one of MMA’s most entertaining athletes.
#5 Tawanchai Edges Nattawut In Muay Thai Spectacle
In the main event of ONE 167 in June, Tawanchai PK Saenchai put his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title on the line in a rematch against his hard-hitting Thai compatriot “Smokin” Jo Nattawut.
While Tawanchai would emerge victorious that night, it was anything but easy.
The titleholder consistently found a home for his soul-stealing left kick throughout the first two rounds, but around the bout’s midpoint, Nattawut picked up his offense with crippling leg kicks and a massive right hand that caused some serious swelling on Tawanchai’s face.
The final two frames were fought entirely on heart and toughness.
“Smokin” Jo continued to press forward behind savage punches and damaging leg kicks, while the PK Saenchai man turned to his full arsenal of elbow strikes and punching combinations as the clash came to a close.
Ultimately, Tawanchai retained his featherweight Muay Thai crown by way of majority decision after five rounds of frantic action.
