<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11098421" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sage-northcutt">Sage Northcutt</keyword> ruled out of <keyword id="3170175" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="One-Championship">One Championship</keyword>'s April 28 event on US cable TV because of COVID.</li><li>It would have been the American fighter's first bout since a first-round knockout loss in 2019.</li><li>One founder <keyword id="3492993" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="chatri-sityodtong">Chatri Sityodtong</keyword> told Insider that the 25-year-old can still become a global mega star.</li></ul>American fighter Sage Northcutt has been ruled out of his <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/one-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Championship</a> bout this month because of lingering effects of the coronavirus, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/31242529/sources-sage-northcutt-one-championship-bout-vs-shinya-aoki-due-covid-19-effects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN reported this week</a>.The chiseled 25-year-old was supposed to fight <keyword id="11098422" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="shinya-aoki">Shinya Aoki</keyword> at the Singapore-based <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> firm's April 28 event on US cable network TNT, its fourth of the month.Aoki will still compete at the One on TNT show but will instead fight Eduard Folayang for the third time, the company tweeted Monday.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1381615590796853248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2021</a></blockquote>Northcutt, meanwhile, will be made to wait for his first contest in two years as he continues his recovery from COVID-19."Sage Northcutt is not cleared by his doctors to compete on April 28," One Championship confirmed in a statement."This is disappointing for One, Turner, but most importantly Sage and his family as they were looking forward to this and spent months preparing."Sage had COVID a few months ago and was doing his best to get himself in a good place but late last week the doctor, during his final checks, could not clear him."Northcutt was once considered one of the most exciting prospects in <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> when the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a> signed him as a teenager in 2015.He left the UFC in 2018 after six wins and two losses for the Las Vegas promotion.Northcutt then joined One Championship. He fought his only fight for Chatri Sityodtong's company in 2019, but was beaten by Cosmo Alexandre by first-round knockout in May of that year."Sage still has the potential," Sityodtong told Insider recently."He has all the likability in the world, he's an incredible martial artist, and I could see him being a mega global star with just a few marquee wins."

America's Sage Northcutt ruled out of first One Championship bout in 2 years after COVID complications

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12107766" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rodtang" source="Orion">Rodtang</keyword> is so good at <keyword id="12107767" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="muay-thai" source="Orion">Muay Thai</keyword> that he looks like a video game cheat code come to life.</li><li>The striker out-pointed <keyword id="12107768" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="one-championship" source="Orion">One Championship</keyword> newcomer Jacob Smith with ease Friday.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/muay-thai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Muay Thai</a> master <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/rodtang" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rodtang Jitmuangnon</a> left a <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/one-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Championship</a> newcomer Jacob Smith wearing a mask of blood after a grueling 15-minute match Friday.It was Rodtang's first bout since falling to American fighting superstar Demetrious Johnson in a landmark mixed rules contest earlier this year.In March, <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-demetrious-johnson-chokes-rodtang-unconscious-at-one-x-2022-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Johnson choked Rodtang unconscious in the second round</a> of a fight that pitted an <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> all-time great with a Muay Thai icon.But during the 13-bout ONE 157 fight card that took place May 20 inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Rodtang rebounded in style as he, once again, looked like a video game cheat code come to life.Showcasing his striking skillset, which included scything elbows, Rodtang cut Smith open, targeted his bloody nose, and ensured the distance fight was a brutal one for the Englishman.Rodtang fought with near-unrivaled tenacity and pace as he unleashed merciless damage to secure a One flyweight Muay Thai grand prix quarterfinal win.The victory was considered by One Championship organizers to be so awesome that the promotion rewarded Rodtang with a $50,000 bonus.Watch highlights of some of the action here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1527651912874532865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2022</a></blockquote>And here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1527655632924397568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2022</a></blockquote>Elsewhere on the card, Petchmorakot Petchyindee retained the One Muay Thai featherweight title with a split decision win over Jimmy Vienot.Joseph Lasiri forced a third-round retirement over Prajanchai P.K. Saenchai to win the One Muay Thai strawweight title.And American lightweight Kade Ruotolo out-pointed Shinya Aoki in a submission grappling match.One Championship returns to the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 3 for ONE 158.

Muay Thai cheat code Rodtang left a One Championship newcomer wearing a mask of blood

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12107765" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="demetrious-johnson" source="Orion">Demetrious Johnson</keyword> choked <keyword id="12107766" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rodtang" source="Orion">Rodtang</keyword> in <keyword id="12107768" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="one-championship" source="Orion">One Championship</keyword>'s landmark event.</li><li>The bout had great significance as it brought together an <keyword id="11922276" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma" source="Orion">MMA</keyword> legend and a Muay Thai icon.</li></ul>American fighting legend <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/demetrious-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Demetrious Johnson</a> sent Muay Thai expert <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/rodtang" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rodtang</a> to sleep in the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> rules round of a crossover bout Friday.Both fighters are experts in their chosen disciplines and were brought together by One Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong for a special rules contest that swung between MMA and Muay Thai rulesets for each round.It took place March 26 at a combat <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword> festival One X inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore, and brought together many big-name fighters in One's roster as the company celebrated its 10-year anniversary.Rodtang is renowned for his striking prowess and ability to absorb punishing blows as if they were nothing, thanks to hundreds of Muay Thai fights aged 24.It was little surprise therefore to see him assert an authority in the opening round when the fighters needed to adhere to Muay Thai rules.Johnson, though, survived and, in round two, was allowed to add ground game to the stand-up as MMA moves were permitted.And so when Rodtang threw a kick, Johnson saw an opportunity to shoot for a takedown, secure his opponent's back, and worked a rear-naked choke.As Rodtang refused to tap, Johnson sent him to sleep and released his grip when the fighter was unconscious.After regaining his senses, Rodtang and Johnson embraced each other.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—ᴛʜᴇᴀʀᴛᴏꜰᴡᴀʀ (@TheArtOfWar6) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1507732093979308035">March 26, 2022</a></blockquote><div type="image" title="Rodtang and Demetrious Johnson embraced each other after their fight." height="1000" width="1500" msid="90480112" hostid="261"></div>Elsewhere in the grand finale section of the event, Adriano Moraes submitted Yuya Wakamatsu with a guillotine choke to retain the One flyweight title.Yoshihiro Akiyama finished Shinya Aoki with punches in the second round of a Japanese MMA legends fight.And Angela Lee submitted Stamp Fairtex with a rear-naked choke to retain her One women's atomweight title.One Championship returns to the Singapore Indoor Stadium for a multi-discipline combat sports event April 22 with a card called "Reloaded."

An American fighting legend choked his opponent unconscious in a landmark One Championship bout

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> phenom <keyword id="9130294" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="christian-lee">Christian Lee</keyword> returns to pro fighting Wednesday against Timofey Nastyukhin.</li><li>The <keyword id="3170175" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="One-Championship">One Championship</keyword> lightweight titleholder defends his belt in an event on US cable network TNT.</li><li>Lee wants to win, fight Eddie Alvarez, clear out the division, then do the same at welterweight.</li></ul>MMA phenom <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/christian-lee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Lee</a> is dreaming of clearing out <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/one-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Championship</a>'s lightweight division, beating Eddie Alvarez, and then moving to welterweight so he can shoot for double champ status."I'd love to move up to welterweight and get a crack at that belt," the 22-year-old told Insider ahead of his 170-pound title defense against Timofey Nastyukhin on Wednesday.The fight tops the second of a four-event run for One Championship on US cable network TNT this month.One founder and CEO <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/chatri-sityodtong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chatri Sityodtong</a> told Insider last year that he has high hopes for Lee, and is so confident in the young champion's skillset that <a href="https://www.insider.com/khabib-nurmagomedov-challenged-to-a-fight-vs-christian-lee-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he'd even tip him to beat Khabib Nurmagomedov</a> in a cross-promotion bout.The way Lee talks, it seems like his hopes are as high as Sityodtong's as he said he's determined to secure a finish against Nastyukhin, target the best opponents in One Championship, and then do it all again at 185-pounds.<h2>Winning a championship aged 20</h2><div type="image" title="Christian Lee, One Championship" height="530" width="1000" msid="82071013" hostid="261"></div>Leading into Lee's first title fight in 2019, which was little more than three years after signing a One Championship contract, the fast-rising athlete said he always knew he was going to beat Shinya Aoki and make history.Victory over Aoki, the champion at the time, saw Lee become the youngest titleholder in the history of the Singapore-based company.The bout got off to a poor start for Lee as Aoki took him down and took control of his arm, but Lee didn't panic. "I still knew I wasn't giving up," he said."The second round was a second chance to implement my strategy, and I was able to do so and eventually get the knockout. I really felt like I was going to win that fight all along, even though I was in a bad position early on."Lee had his extended family there - grandparents included - and they all joined him to celebrate."My grandparents said they were so proud," he said of that night. "It was really cute to see how much my grandparents have learned about MMA because of my sister [atomweight champion Angela Lee], and my whole family and I."They watching fights these days, watching interviews, and trying to understand the whole process. They do love it and they're so supportive of the process, of me, my family, our careers."After that, I stayed in Singapore for a week, took a trip to Thailand to celebrate with my wife, and then we went back home [Hawaii]. The whole gym was happy, all students, friends. [Celebrations] just went on for weeks."<h2>Growing up in a house full of fighters</h2><div type="image" title="Angela Lee and Christian Lee" height="624" width="1250" msid="82071017" hostid="261"></div>Hand-to-hand combat runs deep in the Lee family.Lee's father Ken, a Hawaii-based Singaporean, holds black belts in Brazilian jiu jitsu, pankration, and taekwondo. His mother, Jewelz, is also a taekwondo black belt.The Lee parents practiced martial arts with their children every day when the kids returned home from school, and it saw the oldest, Angela Lee, quickly become a champion in One. Christian's success shortly followed."Looking back, I'm grateful I was pushed so hard by my parents," Christian said."We would go to school, come back right away and we'd be training from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and then fit in homework after that."It was busy, but I'm grateful I had that hard work instilled in me from a young age. It built a strong foundation for my character going into a fight career."It begs the question of whether sibling arguments ever turned into fights.Lee laughed, but said: "We did argue from time to time … but we would not get too physical. We were very close from a young age."For the most part we trained so much that if we got home and argued, the last thing we'd want was to do even more fighting!"We do still train together. Whenever I'm in camp or she's in camp we're always helping each other out, drilling and rolling."<h2>Lee wants a quick finish Wednesday against Nastyukhin</h2><div type="image" title="Christian Lee One Championship MMA" height="500" width="1000" msid="82071019" hostid="261"></div>Christian hasn't trained with his sister for a while because she's taken time away from the sport to become a mom.Angela announced her pregnancy in October 2020, and then gave birth last month - adding potentially another fighter to the growing family dynasty.Even without his sister around, Lee said he's still been training as hard as ever, and will be looking to meet fire with fire come fight night."I've been watching my opponent for quite some time now," he said of Nastyukhin. "I know he's a talented striker and he really pushes the fight early on, constantly looking for the knockout."I know he's dangerous, but the way I'm training and the game-plan I have laid out for this specific opponent, I know it's going to be a good fight for me."I plan on commanding range, striking first, and then from there, looking for a takedown, getting a TKO there or on the feet - by knockout or even submission."Victory would add another signature win to a body of work that already includes wins over Aoki, the former champ, and Saygid "Dagi" Arslanaliev, who was the No.1 contender.With Nastyukhin being the next in line, a matchup involving Eddie Alvarez is something Lee would push for later in the year."I would love to see a fight with him in the future because he's won the Bellator belt and he's won the UFC title."It would be a big fight to broaden the audience for One Championship, as he would bring in fans from the US with him."He continued: "I want to clear out the lightweight division. Shinya was the guy to beat, Dagi was the No.1 contender, and now Timofey is the next big threat. Then Eddie is the next big name to take out."Once I've cleared out the lightweight division I'd love to move up to welterweight, get a crack at that belt as well, and possibly become a double champ."I plan on moving up, and winning the welterweight title."Considering his confidence and how impressed Sityodtong is with Lee's abilities, it may not be long before he gets there.

22-year-old MMA phenom Christian Lee dreams of double champ status in One Championship

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9130294" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="christian-lee">Christian Lee</keyword>'s April 14 title defense against Timofey Nastyukhin will provide fireworks.</li><li>That's the opinion of <keyword id="3170175" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="One-Championship">One Championship</keyword> boss Chatri Sityodtong, the fight promoter.</li><li>Sityodtong tips Lee to become the No.1 fighter in the world someday.</li></ul><a href="https://www.insider.com/category/one-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Championship</a> boss <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/chatri-sityodtong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chatri Sityodtong</a> said his 22-year-old <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> phenom Christian Lee's upcoming 170-pound title defense on April 14 will be "a crazy war."Lee, the One champion at lightweight, fights Timofey Nastyukhin at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Wednesday at an event broadcast on US cable network TNT.The bout will be Lee's third defense of the championship belt he won after winning a second-round knockout over the Japanese grappling legend Shinya Aoki in 2019.Nastyukhin, meanwhile, is looking to extend a two-fight winning run after knocking out <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/eddie-alvarez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eddie Alvarez</a> in 2019 and out-pointing Pieter Buist last year.Speaking to Insider before the event, Sityodtong suggested that the main event fight will steal the show on Wednesday."It's going to be a crazy war because Nastyukhin knocked out Alvarez, and said he's going to knock out Christian Lee as well."Let's see what happens because there'll be two super-hungry lions in there, and it's going to be incredible to watch." Should Lee retain his title then a big One Championship bout involving Alvarez could be on the horizon, providing the star American fighter keeps on winning.Alvarez told Insider recently that <a href="https://www.insider.com/eddie-alvarez-hellbent-on-adding-one-championship-to-honors-roll-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he is hellbent on trouncing Sityodtong's lightweights</a> until he comes face-to-face with whoever is holding the title at the time.Sityodtong told Insider he knows both fighters want to scrap. "I know Christian Lee wants to fight <keyword id="3838313" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Eddie-Alvarez">Eddie Alvarez</keyword> and I know Eddie Alvarez wants to fight Christian Lee," he said."It would be the young lion against the veteran. I still think Eddie has a few years of good, high-performance left in him."He still feels his best years are ahead of him and reaching his prime right now. It's very exciting times."As for Lee, Sityodtong told Insider last year that he thinks so highly of his young champion that <a href="https://www.insider.com/khabib-nurmagomedov-challenged-to-a-fight-vs-christian-lee-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he'd be confident he could beat anyone in the 155-pound to 170-pound divisions, including the now-retired Khabib Nurmagomedov</a>.Since then, Lee has knocked out another opponent - Iuri Lapicus.So does Sityodtong think even more highly of Lee now? Does he expect Lee to become a future No.1 in the sport?"Yes, yes, yes," he said."I believe Christian Lee is already one of the pound-for-pound best. He's definitely the best lightweight world champion out there right now, definitely. He can smoke any lightweight in the world."

One Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong says Christian Lee's title defense will be 'one crazy war'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9130294" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="christian-lee">Christian Lee</keyword> scored a 73-second knockout win in a title fight broadcast Wednesday.</li><li>The fight itself took place April 7, but the results were kept secret for the benefit of US cable TV.</li><li>Victory propels Lee, a 22-year-old from Hawaii, closer to becoming a true superstar.</li></ul>A 22-year-old fighter called <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/christian-lee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Christian Lee</a> just destroyed a title challenger in 73 seconds, cementing his place as one of the likely <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> superstars of the future.The <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/one-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Championship</a> lightweight ruler retained the 170-pound title after finishing the ranked contender Timofey Nastyukhin midway through the opening round of a card broadcast Wednesday on TNT.The bout itself took place April 7 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, but the results were kept secret for the benefit of the tape-delayed event this week on US cable TV.Lee shot for a double-leg takedown during the early stages of the contest, but Nastyukhin thwarted the youngster's attempt to take the fight to the canvas by staying on his feet.They then exchanged strikes with Nastyukhin targeting Lee's leg with a kick that sent the champion's limb in the opposite direction, before throwing a right hand over the top.The challenger's increased comfort level in the bout worked against him, though, as Lee cracked him with an expert check-hook that floored Nastyukhin.Lee then pounced on his opponent and wailed shot after shot onto Nastyukhin - many of them right hands, and 14 of them unanswered - until the referee had seen enough. He intervened to hand the champ another win.It was all over.Watch the onslaught right here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1382525040067940352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2021</a></blockquote>"Timofey likes to go in there and go for the knockout, so our game plan was based on that," said Lee after his win was announced. "Speed and accuracy beats power - so that's what happened tonight."Victory advanced Lee's pro <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> record to 15 wins (10 knockouts, four submissions, and one decision) against three losses.He remains the youngest champion in One history, and extended his record of most company wins (15) and most finishes (14).By finishing Nastyukhin after beating Iuri Lapicus, Saygid "Dagi" Arslanaliev, and Shinya Aoki, Lee has defeated four of the top five competitors in One's lightweight division.The fighter remains on course to be One's marquee champion, and should a mega-match involving the former UFC king <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/eddie-alvarez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eddie Alvarez</a> materialize, he could secure crossover appeal with another thumping win.One boss Chatri Sityodtong is among those with extremely high hopes for Lee."I believe Christian Lee is already one of the pound-for-pound best," <a href="https://www.insider.com/christian-lee-fight-will-be-a-crazy-war-one-championship-2021-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sityodtong recently told Insider</a>. "He's definitely the best lightweight world champion out there right now. He can smoke any lightweight in the world."<h2>Lee's win wasn't the only significant one on the night</h2><div type="image" title="One Championship One on TNT 2" height="833" width="1250" msid="82082699" hostid="261"></div>Though all five of the fights that took place at the One on TNT 2 event finished with a stoppage, the match that resonated the most on the preliminary card was Wang Shuo's third-round win over Kim Kyu Sung.An elbow strike was the catalyst for the beginning of the end for Kim. Wang cracked the South Korean so hard and so accurately that he crumpled into a heap on the floor.From there, the Chinese athlete hit him with five unanswered blows to secure the win.Watch the bludgeoning right here:<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1382504730174185472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2021</a></blockquote>With the victory, Wang - nicknamed 'Little Whirlwind' - advanced his pro MMA record to 12 wins (six knockouts, one submission, and five decisions) against four losses.Elsewhere on the card, American women's atomweight fighter Janet Todd defeated Norway's Anne Line Hogstad with a kick to the body in the third round of a Muay Thai match.One has another tape-delayed event Wednesday, April 21 - the third in a series of four events on TNT.

22-year-old Christian Lee destroyed a title challenger in 73 seconds and cemented his spot as an MMA superstar in the making

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3838313" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Eddie-Alvarez">Eddie Alvarez</keyword> returns to <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> April 7 for a <keyword id="3170175" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="One-Championship">One Championship</keyword> lightweight bout against Iuri Lapicus.</li><li>Alvarez told Insider that he will put Iuri Lapicus "through the fire" when they meet.</li><li>This is because he's determined to add One's belt to the UFC and Bellator titles he has already won.</li></ul>Star American fighter <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/eddie-alvarez" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eddie Alvarez</a> is hellbent on trouncing his <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/one-championship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Championship</a> opponents until he adds another title to his hulking honors roll."I don't see anybody getting in my way at 170-pounds," Alvarez told Insider during a recent Zoom call.Alvarez, 37, is one of the most decorated mixed martial artists competing today. He is a former <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/ufc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC</a> champion and a former two-time <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a> champion.Additionally, with notable victories over Shinya Aoki, Michael Chandler, Anthony Pettis, Rafael dos Anjos, and Justin Gaethje, he has already forged a remarkable legacy in fighting.He's not done yet, and wants to become the only combat athlete to win titles in the UFC, Bellator, and One Championship.Alvarez talked to Insider from behind a desk inside the office of his North Hampton, Philadelphia home, where he has reserved a space on the shelves behind him for a One Championship title he has vowed to win.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-Al Dawson (@AlanDawsonSport) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1364968147619631105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2021</a></blockquote>In a wide-ranging discussion, Alvarez spoke about <a href="https://www.insider.com/poiriers-kicks-will-come-again-in-mcgregor-trilogy-alvarez-says-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Conor McGregor's prospective trilogy</a> with Dustin Poirier, how <a href="https://www.insider.com/michael-chandler-can-win-ufc-title-fight-eddie-alvarez-said-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">his fellow American fighter Michael Chandler could win the UFC title</a>, and how MMA provided transferrable skills to pandemic life.<h2>Life is best when you maintain a positive outlook, Alvarez said</h2>Alvarez has been competing in pro MMA since 2003. After an eight-fight run with the UFC, he left the Las Vegas-based company to sign a deal with One Championship in Singapore.He is 1-1 in the promotion so far, losing to Timofey Nastyukhin in March 2019 before submitting Eduard Folayeng with a rear-naked choke little more than four months later.Alvarez did not compete in 2020. His April 7 fight against Iuri Lapicus, which will be broadcast in the US on TNT and B/R Live, is his first match in the pandemic-era.He told Insider that MMA gave him a good foundation for dealing with the mental strains of the pandemic."I'm a martial artist in and out [of the cage], and I believe that when bad things happen in life you pivot, you adjust, and you keep a good attitude."If you do those three things with any kind of adversity in your life, I believe you'll do well," said Alvarez. "A positive perspective can have a profound effect on your life."With my family we pivoted, we adjusted, and we kept a good attitude throughout 2020 in the pandemic. We got the pool guy to open the pool up, I got it heated because it was a little bit early and we enjoyed ourselves and our home."Life as a fighter can often mean time away from where you live, either for training camps in other locations, or fight events in major combat cities.Alvarez, for instance, has competed in Atlantic City, Boston, and Las Vegas in the US, Costa Rica, Canada, Russia, Japan, and the Philippines. On April 7 he competes in Singapore for the first time.The pandemic, though, allowed him much-needed time at home."I bought a big, beautiful home and sometimes I'm not even in it because I'm training, and we don't have a chance to enjoy the rewards of the work we've put in."Me and my wife got a chance to sit back and enjoy our family," he said. "We stopped and smelled the roses."<h2>It's strap season for belt-collecting combat star Eddie Alvarez</h2><div type="image" title="Eddie Alvarez One Championship" height="1333" width="2000" msid="81791458" hostid="261"></div>When Insider spoke to Alvarez, he had not yet left the US for his bout at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang.But he had started his camp, which he said was excellent, and added that he was striving for as punch-perfect a performance as possible."I've not been doing anything too special as we're honing in on having good, solid fundamentals, and making sure we're clean and not making mistakes."I'm preparing myself to get ready for a championship fight. Having championship fights are about making fewer mistakes. It's not about being overly offensive. It's about mitigating risk. That's where we're at," Alvarez said.He fights Iuri Lapicus, a Moldovan submission specialist with a pro MMA record of 14 wins (four knockouts and 10 submissions), who is looking to rebound from his sole loss to the current champ Christian Lee in October."I know [Lapicus has] got a strong judo background and he prefers to grapple, but that's my strong suit," Alvarez said. "I'm an All-American wrestler. I've wrestled a large part of my High School career."I know he prefers to go there but he trains with [elite kickboxer] Giorgio Petrosyan - one of the best striking coaches in the world, so I'll sure he'll be prepared on that front, too. I'm looking forward to an excellent fight."Lapicus has never once gone the distance in a fight. His loss against Lee in October came by knockout, and all his victories have come by knockout or submission.Will this fight go the same way? "Maybe so but I'm in no rush. I'll get the job done, either way," said Alvarez."We can go for a high pace, or we can take our time. He can choose his route of destruction. I don't discriminate."It will be my hand that's raised at the end of the night and I'll be moving on. I think he's a formidable opponent with a great record, but I don't think he's been through the heat just yet and we're going to put him through fire."<h2>Alvarez has the One Championship title in his crosshairs</h2><div type="image" title="Christian Lee at One Championship" height="1331" width="2000" msid="81791463" hostid="261"></div>Victory over Lapicus would advance Alvarez's pro MMA record to 31 wins against seven losses with a two wins against one loss record in One.He told us that the competition level in the Asian organization is "incredible," adding: "Especially the competition at the welterweight division which is a buzzsaw at One Championship. There's killer, after killer, after killer."The weight classes in One differ to those in American MMA. The lightweight division limit at One is 170-pounds, rather than the 155-pound cut-off at the UFC or Bellator.This means Alvarez is technically competing at welterweight. "I think I'm a little undersized for this division," he said."So I have to use other attributes like my speed and footwork to gain an advantage against these guys, but I see it as a challenge and I don't see anybody getting in my way. I'm looking forward to the competition."He finished by remarking that one goal at One Championship motivates him to more than any other - winning another belt."I've got an empty shelf here and that's reserved for the One belt," he said. "Where that shelf is empty, that's where the belt is going. Then we'll have all the titles."That belt currently belongs to Christian Lee, a 22-year-old fighting phenom who One Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong waves lyrical about.Sityodtong told Insider last year that Lee was already so good he'd be confident that <a href="https://www.insider.com/khabib-nurmagomedov-challenged-to-a-fight-vs-christian-lee-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the fighter could beat any 155-pound to 170-pound athlete on the planet - including Khabib Nurmagomedov</a>.A future match-up between Alvarez and Lee is a foregone conclusion providing the youngster keeps the belt, Alvarez said."If that belt stays around his waist then we will be fighting," he said."Every organization I've ever fought for, I have held their world title. And One will be no different. If he's the world champion, then I'll be seeing him very soon."

Eddie Alvarez is hellbent on trouncing One Championship fighters until he adds another title to his honor roll

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5be05a8cd1e8441db03f822e-1328/who%20is%20tenshin%20nasukawa%20and%20what%20is%20rizin.png" border="0" alt="Who is Tenshin Nasukawa and what is Rizin" data-mce-source="YouTube / RIZIN FIGHTING FEDERATION Official" data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKkh6k9IQZg"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKkh6k9IQZg">YouTube / RIZIN FIGHTING FEDERATION Official</a>Rizin press conference.</img></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Floyd Mayweather has announced his comeback.</li><li>The American boxer, unbeaten in 50 professional bouts, has struck a deal with the mixed martial arts firm Rizin.</li><li>Mayweather will compete against a fighter half his age, the undefeated kickboxer and mixed martial artist Tenshin Nasukawa.</li><li>The show takes place at the 37,000-capacity Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31.</li><li>Here's everything you need to know.</li></ul>Floyd Mayweather is coming out of retirement to fight once again.The American boxer, unbeaten in 50 professional bouts, has been linked with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/floyd-mayweather-announces-manny-pacquiao-rematch-on-instagram-2018-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a rematch against Manny Pacquiao</a> as well as&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/khabib-nurmagomedov-wants-to-fight-floyd-mayweather-in-moscow-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a boxing rules contest against the UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in Russia</a>.But Mayweather stunned the fight game by attending a press conference on Sunday where it was announced <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/floyd-mayweather-mma-2018-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he will fight 20-year-old kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa at Rizin 14</a>.Here's everything you need to know about Tenshin Nasukawa, Rizin, and the shock fight scheduled to take place at the 37,000-capacity Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan on December 31.<h2>I know the UFC, but what is Rizin?</h2>Rizin Fighting Federation is a young mixed martial arts firm in Japan. It was set up by Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the former president of Pride Fighting Championship in 2015, and has organised 15 shows to date.Rizin has focused on "Grand Prix" events where athletes are drawn into a knockout-style bracket, where the winner stays on to compete in another fight, sometimes on the same night, until a last-man standing - the grand prix winner - is eventually declared.However, a lot of shows follow the more traditional format of a set number of individual fights, fought between two combatants. Its next show, called "Rizin 14 - Saitama," is one of those events - and Mayweather will headline it.Prominent Rizin athletes includes the Brazillian jiu-jitsu hall-of-fame member Gabrielle Garcia, the former DREAM and ONE lightweight champion Shinya Aoki, and the former PRIDE heavyweight king Fedor Emilianenko, <a href="http://www.espn.co.uk/mma/story/_/id/23316763/is-fedor-emelianenko-best-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considered the greatest heavyweight in mixed martial arts history</a>.But a show featuring Mayweather tops anything Rizin has ever accomplished before - not least because they have managed to lure the unbeaten prizefighter to Japan, but because they now have a show that will be watched around the world, on one of the biggest fight nights in Asia.Fight promoter Sakakibara confirmed the event on <a href="https://twitter.com/nobu_sakakibara/status/1059348674877153280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>. He said: "Imagine these two fighting each other on NYE in the RIZIN ring!"Tickets for the Saitama show on New Year's Even will range between $70 and $250 and will be "sold out fast," <a href="https://twitter.com/BrMassami/status/1059406078658535425" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to </a><a href="https://twitter.com/BrMassami/status/1059406078658535425" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bruno Massami, the MMA news editor of the Brazilian media company Gazeta Esportiva</a>.<h2>Who is Tenshin Nasukawa and is he any good?</h2>Tenshin Nasukawa was not even born when Floyd Mayweather made his debut as a professional boxer in 1996. Nasukawa, born two years later in 1998, is 20 years old and half the age of Mayweather, who turns 42 in February 2019.Despite Nasukawa's age, he remains one of the best up-and-coming talents in Asian mixed martial arts. He fought 104 amateur fights by the age of 18, <a href="http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/news/10-ug-questions-with-tenshin-nasukawa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">winning an incredible 99 times</a>. As a pro, he has entered 27 kickboxing bouts, winning all, 20 of them by knockout. He has also won every single one of his four mixed martial arts fights.Nasukawa, just like Mayweather, is used to winning. But that's not all. "He's young, very strong, very fast, and he's undefeated," Mayweather said,&#xa0;<a href="https://mmajunkie.com/2018/11/floyd-mayweather-rizin-ff-announce-fight-vs-tenshin-nasukawa-japan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to MMAFighting.com</a>. "It's obvious he's doing something right to be where he's at. So I'm proud of him."On being offered a fight against Mayweather, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/46094398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the BBC reports that Nasukawa was surprised</a>. "It was a surprise offer but I accepted without hesitation. It's the biggest moment in my life and I want to be the man who changes history. I'll do that with these fists, with one punch… just watch."<h2>Will the fight be MMA rules or boxing rules?</h2>Right now, that is unclear.What is clear is that there is a very noticeable height and weight difference between the 5-foot-8 Mayweather, who tends to compete around the 147-pound to 154-pound weight category, and 5-foot-5 Nasukawa, who last fought in the flyweight (57kg/125 pound) division as recently as September 30."As far as the rule set and the weight and the rules, we still have some work cut out for us," <a href="https://mmajunkie.com/2018/11/floyd-mayweather-rizin-ff-announce-fight-vs-tenshin-nasukawa-japan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rizin boss Sakikibara said, according to MMAJunkie.com</a>. "But it will be a great fight that everybody will be so excited to see. I'm so happy that Mr. Nasukawa accepted this offer in a flash."The BBC also reported that according to Mayweather, the weight division and the rules and regulations would all be discussed <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/46094398" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"within the next couple of weeks."</a>However, John Morgan, the lead reporter for MMAJunkie.com, <a href="https://twitter.com/MMAjunkieJohn/status/1059301715168481280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a> that the fight could be restricted to "three, three-minute rounds."Morgan said: "Pure hearsay at this point, but I was told from a reliable source that the current plan for Mayweather on NYE isn't MMA, but specific rules not known yet. However, it would be an exhibition of three three-minute rounds."Massami, meanwhile, expects a <a href="https://twitter.com/BrMassami/status/1059424100915937280" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"standup bout with kicks."</a>A variation of a kickboxing bout could be what materialises, as Mayweather himself said the bout is "special" and he would be "giving the people something they've never seen before," <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/floyd-mayweather-will-laughing-way-bank-new-years-eve-fight-japan-053812863.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to a statement via Kevin Iole on Yahoo Sports</a>.<h2>Should I care about this fight?</h2><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5bc9c6a7ead52d27c01a0a52-2000/floyd%20mayweather.jpg" border="0" alt="Floyd Mayweather" data-mce-source="Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images" data-link="https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/floyd-mayweather-jr-enters-the-ring-alongside-singer-justin-news-photo/180593560"><a href="https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/floyd-mayweather-jr-enters-the-ring-alongside-singer-justin-news-photo/180593560">Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images</a>Floyd Mayweather.</img></div></div></div>Probably.If it's an actual fight, it could be interesting. Mayweather, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-50-best-selling-pay-per-view-events-boxing-ufc-wrestling-tv-history-2017-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">boxing's biggest ever pay-per-view attraction</a>, has never ventured outside of his sport, so if the rules include one kick, let alone all permitted kicks in kickboxing, then Mayweather enters unchartered territory against an undefeated Japanese fighter, in Japan, who is half his age.But there are many unknowns. If ever you read the words "exhibition fight" then you can safely presume that means "glorified spar" - which is not worth a box office fee.And Iole believes it could be even weirder than an exhibition fight. "We don't know if it's a real fight or something scripted like pro wrestling," <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/floyd-mayweather-will-laughing-way-bank-new-years-eve-fight-japan-053812863.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he said</a>.Regardless, Mayweather has made a cameo appearance at a pro wrestling event before when he found a way to "win" against the Big Show, a huge man who is 16 inches taller than he is, at WrestleMania XXIV in 2008.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-50-best-selling-pay-per-view-events-boxing-ufc-wrestling-tv-history-2017-8#39-wrestlemania-xxiv-1058-million-ppv-buys-16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">That event still generated over one million PPV buys</a>.No matter what the rules of this fight are, or if this is even a fight at all, one thing is for sure - Mayweather will make money and will be headline news the next day.<h2>How much money will Mayweather earn?</h2>Mayweather, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/floyd-mayweather-now-a-billionaire-2017-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as he will tell you himself, is a billionaire</a> and became boxing's first billion-dollar fighter, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/08/26/how-floyd-mayweather-became-boxings-1-billion-man/#8a0fe9a7d5ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Forbes</a>.It is therefore unlikely that Mayweather would get out of bed, let alone fight, for a considerable sum of money."Bank on this: Mayweather is going to be paid, and handsomely," <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/floyd-mayweather-will-laughing-way-bank-new-years-eve-fight-japan-053812863.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iole said on Yahoo Sports</a>. "No one said how much Mayweather will make, but you can bet he wouldn't have taken the bout had he not been guaranteed a nine-figure paycheck."What this means is simple. Mayweather could be looking at another $100 million paycheck.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ziPfZXQ0mgc" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">この2人が大晦日のRIZINのリングで対峙します！想像してみて下さい。Imagine these 2 fighting each other on NYE in the RIZIN ring! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/rizinff?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#rizinff</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mayweather?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mayweather</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tmt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tmt</a> <a href="https://t.co/whSDcxY8Ub">pic.twitter.com/whSDcxY8Ub</a>- NOBUYUKI SAKAKIBARA (@nobu_sakakibara) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1059348674877153280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div> <iframe src="//instagram.com/p/BpyCaoFhH0q/embed/" width="540" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true"> </iframe></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Pure hearsay at this point, but I was told from a reliable source that the current plan for Mayweather on NYE isn't MMA, but specific rules not known yet. However, it would be an exhibition of three, three-minute rounds.- John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1059301715168481280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2018</a></blockquote><script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-wwe-wrestlers-learn-to-fight-at-ny-wrestling-school-2018-10">Inside an intense training session where aspiring WWE wrestlers learn how to fight</a></h3> <div> <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/ooglD7xi-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script> </div> </div>

You Searched For "shinya aoki" and got 8 results

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22-year-old Christian Lee destroyed a title challenger in 73 seconds and cemented his spot as an MMA superstar in the making

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Eddie Alvarez is hellbent on trouncing One Championship fighters until he adds another title to his honor roll

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Everything we know so far about Floyd Mayweather's extraordinary move to MMA firm Rizin, where he'll fight Tenshin Nasukawa in Japan

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