What Is ONE Championship?
ONE Championship (officially ONE Championship Holdings) is a Singapore-based martial arts promotion founded in 2011. It has grown into one of the most prominent combat sports organizations in the world, with a particularly strong foothold across Southeast Asia, where martial arts traditions like Muay Thai, Kickboxing, and Silat are deeply embedded in culture.
Unlike organizations that focus on a single discipline, ONE Championship is a multi-sport platform. A single event card can feature MMA bouts, Muay Thai title fights, Kickboxing matches, and submission grappling — sometimes with world championship stakes across all of them.
Disciplines Featured Under the ONE Banner
- MMA (Mixed Martial Arts): Full-contact fighting allowing striking and grappling, with unified rules.
- Muay Thai: Bouts contested under traditional Muay Thai rules, including elbows and clinch knees.
- Kickboxing: Stand-up striking without clinch work or sweeps, often scored for clean knockdown finishes.
- Submission Grappling: No-gi grappling competitions where submissions are the primary goal.
Understanding the ONE Championship Weight Classes
ONE Championship uses a unique weight class system based on walk-around weight (the fighter's natural weight between camps) rather than a pre-fight weigh-in weight. This was introduced to reduce dangerous weight-cutting practices common in other organizations.
| Division | Walk-Around Weight Limit |
|---|---|
| Atomweight | Up to 52 kg (115 lbs) |
| Strawweight | Up to 56 kg (125 lbs) |
| Flyweight | Up to 61 kg (135 lbs) |
| Bantamweight | Up to 65 kg (145 lbs) |
| Featherweight | Up to 70 kg (155 lbs) |
| Lightweight | Up to 77.1 kg (170 lbs) |
| Welterweight | Up to 83.9 kg (185 lbs) |
| Middleweight | Up to 93 kg (205 lbs) |
| Light Heavyweight | Up to 102.1 kg (225 lbs) |
| Heavyweight | Up to 120 kg (265 lbs) |
How Events Are Structured
ONE Championship events are typically divided into two parts:
- Prelims (ONE Warrior Series or undercard): Emerging and ranked fighters compete. This is where many fighters build records before earning main card spots.
- Main Card: Established contenders and world championship fights. Title bouts are typically five rounds; non-title fights are three rounds.
Where to Watch ONE Championship
ONE Championship distributes its content across several platforms depending on your region:
- ONE+ (App and Web): The organization's own streaming platform offers free access to a large library of past events and some live programming.
- Amazon Prime Video: In certain markets, ONE Championship has broadcast deals with Prime Video for live events.
- Regional TV partners: Across Southeast Asia, ONE events air on major national broadcasters in countries like Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Singapore.
Why ONE Championship Matters for Southeast Asian Martial Arts
ONE Championship has been instrumental in elevating Southeast Asian fighters to global recognition. Thai Muay Thai fighters, Filipino MMA competitors, Indonesian grapplers, and Malaysian strikers have all found a high-profile platform here. For fans of martial arts with Southeast Asian roots, this organization is essential viewing.