FOX Sports Asia profiles the most prestigious prize in MMA – the ONE World Championship title.
Every martial arts athlete aspires to become world champion, not just to be recognised as the best in class, but to receive the perks and trinkets that come along with holding a prestigious title. Among the most coveted is, of course, the prestigious championship belt. In martial arts, there is no prize more valuable than the ONE Championship title.
The ONE Championship belt is a symbolic ornament of honor and glory. Weighing more than seven kilograms, the jewel-encrusted silver and gold-plated belt is mounted by hand on a thick natural leather strap that is locked together securely with 10 steel studs.
The pair of warring lions that frame the centrepiece ONE Championship logo represents royalty and prestige, and it is complimented by a crown motif at the belt’s apex. Two blood-red rubies are placed in the eyes of the lions, while two secondary plates added eminent value to the handmade masterpiece as it is studded with 52 crystals on each side.
Needless to say, it is beautiful prize, and one that is the perfectly suited for its holder.
Yet beyond the intricately crafted piece of hardware itself lies a much deeper significance. Holding the belt in possession means the champion is the best in the world in his field and this effectively makes the belt worth more than its components.
In 2018, ONE Championship has announced the establishment of the ONE Super Series, at the same time launching Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series.
With the ONE Warrior Series, ONE has placed the emphasis on discovering fresh young talent – martial artists who have the potential to become the next global superstars.
With the ONE Super Series, the promotion aims to showcase the beauty of Asia’s striking arts such as Muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, taekwondo, Kung Fu, wushu, sanda, silat, lethwei, and more.
Along with matches officiated under ONE’s unique Global Rule Set, the promotion now tackles all spectrums of the competition landscape. Because ONE now encompasses all martial arts, this effectively makes the ONE Championship belt the most valuable prize in all of martial arts.
With world-class athletes representing not just Asia, but also the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, ONE has widened its global footprint to 1.7 billion viewers on any given night in over 136 countries around the world. The belt, which has often been referred to as the richest prize in combat sports, becomes representative of the true value of martial arts.
ONE currently has world champions in 10 divisions, represented by eight elite global athletes. When ONE Warrior Series and ONE Super Series champions are inaugurated, ONE will then have the largest collection of world champions in martial arts history for a single promotion.
As the talent continues to rise and flourish in Asia, the competitive landscape gets tighter. As it stands, ONE already boasts of the most talent-rich roster in all of martial arts. And with its continued development of local homegrown martial arts superheroes, ONE has become a promotion that only organises bouts between top competitors.
