2017: ONE Championship Stars Illuminate Asia News

2017: ONE Championship Stars Illuminate Asia News

2017: ONE Championship’s Unforgettable Year

The Year of Big Wins

  • Martin “The Situ‑Asian” Nguyen* stole the spotlight.
  • Knockout of the Year – An instant‑finish against Eduard “Landslide” Folayang on the punching‑back‑kick counter.
  • Warrior of the Year – A fearless all‑round performance that made people think “Why did this guy even exist before now?”
  • Nguyen went from taunting Kazunori Yokota to snatching the featherweight belt from Marat Gafurov, then nailed a champion‑level KO of Folayang, becoming the first person to hold two weight‑class titles in ONE.
    His next big move? Facing Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes in a bid to claim a hat‑trick of three belts. That’s some serious ambition!

  • Golden Moments for Brazilian BJJ Master Alex Silva

  • Submission of the Year – The double‑quick armbar that sent Hayato Suzuki to a nap of defeat.
  • Straw‑weight World Champion – A total‑all‑round performance that earned him the title.
  • Silva pulled jaw‑dropping submissions and turned grand‑masters into early‑career losers. Now he’s crowned, so the next tests are whether he can keep his belt against a growing list of challengers in 2018.

  • Aung La N Sang: Myanmar’s First-Wave World Champ

  • Battle of the Champions – Take‑down the Vitaly Bigdash in a match deemed ONE Bout of the Year.
  • Open‑Weight Showdown – Submitted Alain Ngalani in a grittier bout that brought the house down.
  • There’s speculation about a trilogy with Bigdash – will the Burmese Python keep the throne?

  • Heart, Hustle, and Comebacks

  • Zebazdian Kadestam “The Bandit” – Recovered from a full‑on striking assault and snapped victory against Luis Santos.
  • Kotetsu Boku – Starke comeback in his 40s, beating Eric Kelly.
  • Jomary Torres – Debuted with a high‑flying win over Rika Ishige.
  • Roy Doliguez – Turned tables on Yago Bryan, proving age is no barometer for skill.
  • These fighters proved that the cage demands more than just technique—it calls for fire in your chest and a laser focus on the journey.

  • Next‑Gen Shining Through

  • Sagetdao Petpayathai – Transitioned from Muay Thai to cage seamlessly, clinching the Breakthrough Star award.
  • Miao Jie (“Supermom”) and Chen Lei (“Rock Man”) – Showed personality and skill, promising a fresh wave of talent.
  • Hitting the 24‑event calendar in 2018, fans should keep an eye on these rising stars; they’re primed to shake the division and maybe rewrite history.

  • Bottom Line

    2017 reshaped ONE Championship with legendary KO’s, multi‑title feats, emotional comebacks, and a new crop of talent ready to roar. The next chapter promises to take the excitement to even greater heights. Stay tuned— the best is yet to come!