What Next for 3 of the Biggest Winners at ONE X?

ONE X, ONE Championship’s 10-year anniversary showpiece, went exactly as planned. The three-part fight card last Saturday, 26 March, was high-octane from start to finish.

There were plenty of moments that left fans on the edge of their seats as soon as the star-studded event got underway. From some fancy knockouts, tightly-contested grappling battles to a couple of World Title-winning submissions on the main card.

Not to mention a standing ovation from the crowd inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium as they waved goodbye to Muay Thai legend John Wayne “The Gunslinger” Parr.

Top 3 Winners at ONE X

We take a quick look at some of the biggest winners from that special night in ‘The Lion City’, and provide a glimpse at what they should expect to face next when they return to the Circle.

#1 Tang Kai vs Thanh Le

In the lead-up to this featherweight tilt, South Korea’s “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong told everyone that he views Chinese martial artist Tang Kai as a ‘warm-up fight’ before he takes on ONE Featherweight World Champion Thanh Le.

Things did not go quite as planned for “The Fighting God”, though. He was put to sleep by a devastating cross-hook combination at 2:07 of the opening canto. Both fighters did well in the stand-up department, but Tang’s precision and power eventually got the better of Kim.

Also Read – Thanh Le Retains His Featherweight Title With a Dominant First Round Finish Against Garry Tonon at ONE: LIGHTS OUT

Tang, who did share his desire to compete for the divisional gold, might have earned a shot at the American-Vietnamese following his highlight-reel win. The triumph extended his winning streak to nine in a row.

A rematch on the horizon

#2 Demetrious Johnson vs Adriano Moraes

The 12-time flyweight Mixed Martial Arts World Champion executed his game plan to perfection as he submitted Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon in the second frame of their special rules fight on ONE X: Grand Finale.

It was not a straightforward win for Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, as he had to hang on with the best striker in the opening three minutes, which was contested under Muay Thai rules.

However, once the tide switched back into his favor, it didn’t take him long to seal one of his most memorable victories on the global stage. He shot for a takedown, hung on to the Thai athlete’s back, and dropped him to the canvas before sinking in the match-winning rear-naked choke.

The win could have just placed the MMA GOAT as the favorite to tango with ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “MIkinho” Moraes. The latter defended his gold with a sublime performance against Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu, just before Johnson’s special rules tilt.

“Mighty Mouse” is looking to even the scores against Moraes, and a five-round World Title tilt seems inevitable given their impressive outings on the 10-year anniversary event.

Who’s next for ‘Unstoppable’?

#3 Angela Lee

“Unstoppable” Angela Lee reminded everyone why she’s truly unstoppable in the women’s stacked atomweight division with another stellar display at The Home of Martial Arts.

The United MMA and Evolve MMA standout took out ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix Champion Stamp Fairtex with a rear-naked choke at 4:50 of the second stanza to maintain her status as the ONE Atomweight World Champion.

A match that could likely await her next is a meeting against Ham Seo Hee. The South Korean veteran, too, picked up a win at ONE X. She took home a unanimous decision win at the expense of Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga.

Lee and Ham are very well-rounded in all aspects of MMA, so fans can expect a barnburner if the world’s largest martial arts organization pits them in a five-round World Title tilt next.

Also Read – WATCH:- Angela Lee Returns in Style After Two Years off With a Second Round Submission Win Over Stamp Fairtex at ONE X