Ranking Top 10 American ONE Championship Fighters Ahead of 2021 Season
Last year, we took a crack at ranking the top U.S.-based competitors at ONE Championship. After an intriguing 2020 that saw stars continue to emerge, we're back to revise our original ranking. How does ONE's young core of promising Americans compare to some of the promotion's biggest stars?
Let's find out.
10. Brandon Vera
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Age: 43
Division: Heavyweight
Record: 16-8
2020 Ranking: 6 (down four spots)
Vera hasn't fought since last year's rankings and falls four spots to No. 10 because of his inactivity and the emergence of a few other American fighters.
However, he's still the ONE heavyweight world champion and deserves to be on the list for that alone. Vera is expected to defend his title against another former UFC fighter in Arjan Bhullar at some point in 2021. Vera is 4-0 in ONE's heavyweight division and has been the champion since 2015.
9. Lowen Tynanes
Age: 30
Division: Lightweight
Record: 10-1
2020 Ranking: N/R
Despite losing his lone match of 2020 by a razor-thin decision to former ONE featherweight champion Marat Gafurov, we're going to give Tynanes a spot in the rankings for his 10-match winning streak he had going into the loss and a 6-1 record at ONE.
A win over Gafurov could've propelled the Hawaiian into the lightweight rankings after being out almost two years with an autoimmune disease, but perhaps the loss is now added motivation for him to continue competing regularly and maintain fighting shape. A win or two in 2021 would bring him right back into the discussion for lightweight contenders.
8. James Nakashima
Age: 32
Division: Lightweight
Record: 12-1
2020 Ranking: 7 (down one spot)
Nakashima is another ONE American who entered 2020 undefeated and finished it with a blemish on their record, but there's plenty of reason to believe he could be a ONE champion someday.
He had his first title shot with the promotion last November, losing to welterweight champion Kiamrian Abbasov by fourth-round TKO despite likely winning the first three rounds. Nakashima is a wrestling standout out of the University of Nebraska, and he has shown in his two years at ONE that he's among the top wrestlers the company has to offer.
With his loss to Abbasov, Nakashima decided to drop down to the lightweight division for the first time and compete against the legendary Shinya Aoki on Jan. 22. A win over the No. 4-ranked Aoki would see Nakashima enter the rankings and put him in line for another title opportunity.
7. Janet Todd
Age: 35
Division: Atomweight
Record: 36-11
2020 Ranking: 5 (down two spots)
The ONE atomweight kickboxing world champion hasn't competed since our rankings from last year, so it was always going to be tough for her to remain in our top five. However, Todd's four-fight win streak topped off with a title win over Stamp Fairtex can't be denied as one of the bigger accomplishments by an American in the promotion's history.
Let's see what's next in the cards for Todd.
6. Garry Tonon
Age: 29
Division: Featherweight
Record: 6-0
2020 Ranking: 9 (up three spots)
"Thanh Le, I'm coming for you. I'm coming for the gold you hold around your waist. It's mine."
That's the message Tonon sent after his win over top featherweight contender Koyomi Matsushima in December, making it clear that he has his eyes on the division's champion. Now ranked third in the featherweight rankings behind former champion Martin Nguyen and current lightweight champion Christian Lee, Tonon is in good company.
Although he'll likely have to wait before earning a shot at the title, the jiu-jitsu phenom is in a very good spot heading into 2021.
5. Eddie Alvarez
Age: 37
Division: Lightweight
Record: 30-7
2020 Ranking: 4 (down one spot)
It's unfortunate for Alvarez, now 37 years old, to have gone 18 months without competing. As he nears the tail-end of his career, Alvarez would love to become the first person to earn gold in the UFC, Bellator and ONE. To do that though, he'll need to gain momentum and earn one or two more victories before challenging Christian Lee.
Nolan King of MMA Junkie (h/t Tom Taylor of BJPenn.com) reported that he could face contenders Iuri Lapicus in April, while Saygid Arslanaliev is another possible contender. Either would certainly be another great win on his decorated resume.
4. Thanh Le
Age: 35
Division: Featherweight
Record: 12-2
2020 Ranking: 8 (up four spots)
In terms of improvement from last year's rankings, no one raised their stock more than Thanh Le. He was the only American to win two matches in 2020, defeating top contender Ryogo Takahashi before earning a title shot against Nguyen.
He then became the first person to knock out Nguyen, earning the featherweight world championship after their Match of the Year at ONE.
Thanh Le is quickly becoming a fan favorite, and for good reason. Whether it's a rematch against Nguyen or title defenses against Christian Lee or Tonon, that excitement is only going to grow.
3. Angela Lee
Age: 24
Division: Atomweight
Record: 10-2
2020 Ranking: 3 (same spot)
Although she didn't compete in 2020 because of travel restrictions and pregnancy, Lee is still the ONE atomweight world champion and the most decorated female fighter in ONE history. She's been a champion for nearly five years and defended her title four times.
When Lee returns, she'll have an atomweight world grand prix winner waiting to challenge her next.
2. Christian Lee
Age: 22
Division: Lightweight
Record: 14-3
2020 Ranking: 2 (same spot)
If you haven't been paying attention to Christian Lee, you should probably start. He's quietly been the most dominant fighter on ONE's roster.
At just 22 years old, Lee has wins over Aoki, Arslanaliev and Lapicus. Effectively cleaning out the lightweight division as its champion, Lee has considered returning to the featherweight division in an attempt to become a two-division titleholder. That could set up mouthwatering matchups with Le, Tonon or perhaps a trilogy bout with Nguyen.
Regardless of what's next for Lee, he likely has a long and storied career ahead of him.
1. Demetrious Johnson
Age: 34
Division: Flyweight
Record: 30-3
2020 Ranking: 1 (same spot)
Was there really any doubt? Although Demetrious Johnson didn't compete in 2020, there's simply no reason to knock him off the top spot when ranking ONE's top Americans. Not only is he the best pound-for-pound athlete at ONE, he may also be the greatest MMA fighter to ever do it.
His most recent accomplishment came when he won the ONE flyweight world grand prix. Next, he'll face flyweight champion Adriano Moraes in a match that's been in the works for nearly a year now. If Mighty Mouse wins, he'll become the first person to win titles at UFC and ONE.
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