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, ON🉐E 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 , Japanese megastar made his hotly anticipated promotional debut against defending ONE Flyweight Kickboxin💎g World Champion in front of a rapt audience at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena.
While Takeru was originally slated to battle Thai fan favorite that n♊ight, Superlek proved to be the perfectജ replacement, as the pair delivered thrilling, back-and-forth action from start to finish.
“The Kicking Machine” dominated the openi🅰ng two frames, punishing the former K-1 Champion with thud꧋ding 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 𒅌the canvas.
The final two round🎃s 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 ꦓwon’t soon forge🌠t.
#2 Haggerty Scores Epic Comeback KO Against Lobo
Brazilian knockout artist pushed then-reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion to the absolute limit in his bid forꦇ the gold in February at .
Lobo came out guns blazing in the first frame with a ferocious boxing attack, stunning the British superstar with a knockdow❀n late in the rounꦗd.
That knockdown seemed to awaken a new beast in Haggerty, who took his aggression to a different level in the second stanza a✤nd✤ 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 continu🧜ed 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 M♉uay Thai thrill🅺er.
#3 Malykhin Makes History Against De Ridder
In the main event of this past March, achieved the previously unthinkable when he captured ONE Middleweight MMA Wor🦩ld Title to become a simultaneous📖 three-division MMA World Champion.
Malykhin had defea⛎ted “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” ꦚwith a picture-perfect jab. Malykhin remained undeterred, though, an💞d 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 the꧒ canvas, but by the third round, Malykhin’s ruthless body attacks had taken their t♌oll.
Early in that third frame, Malykhin battered De Ridder with a final f🤡lurry of body strikes that left him unable to continue, offꦺicially 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 and locked horns in their strawweight MMA tilt at ONE Fight Night 19, and that’s exactly what thꦯey got.
Adiwang was firing on all cylinders from the opening bell, rocking the Thai-Australian brawlerꦓ with a couple of haymakers in the first f𝓀rame before continuing his relentless attack on the ground.
The Fil🐠ipino continued to display an explosive and effective style of striking through the secon🎀d frame as he battered his foe with big combinations.
Th📖e 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 in June, put his ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Title on the line in a rematch against🔯 his hard-hitting Thai compatri🅷ot .
While Tawanchai would e🍨merge 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 t💫he bout’s midpoint, Nattawut picked up his offense with crippl♐ing leg kicks and a massive right hand that caused some serious swelling on Tawanchai’s face.
The final two fra🍌mes were foughtꦰ entirely on heart and toughness.
“Smokin” Jo continued to press forward behind savage punches and damaging leg kicks, while the PK Saenchai man turne☂d to his full arsenal of elbow strikes and punching combinations as the clash came to a close.
Ultimately, Tawancha𒊎i retained his featherweight Muay Thai crown by way of majority decision after five rounds of frantic action.
