5 more special bouts we want to see in ONE Championship
Ever since ONE Championship announced Demetrious Johnson versus Rodtang Jitmuangnon for ONE X, special bouts have become a hot topic. ONE X is, of course, the promotion's historic 10th-anniversary event, which celebrates a decade of exciting martial arts. Having special bouts is also ONE Championship's way to honor the Asian martial arts tradition.
With the popularity of individual martial arts steadily increasing, an organization like ONE has an advantage over its contemporaries. Its roster currently features athletes from the world of kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Muay Thai. In the past, ONE has also held submission grappling matches, and even a world championship boxing match. The organization certainly takes their tagline of 'The Home of Martial Arts' very seriously.
With the variety of martial arts on-hand in ONE, these special bouts can easily be put together.
More importantly, this creates endless opportunities for dream matchups. As more of these special bouts become popular, some interesting special bout ideas come to mind.
Here are five incredible special bouts that fans would surely love to see, and that ONE Championship can definitely deliver.
#5. John Wayne Parr vs. Dan Hardy
Rule Set: Muay Thai
Dan Hardy has said he wants this fight, and John Wayne Parr is always down for a scrap, so why not?
Hardy, 39, was last seen in competition back in 2012 with the UFC, winning a unanimous decision against Amir Sadollah. Since then, he's had a falling out with the promotion, and left the UFC in 2020.
Hardy has also gone on to become a highly regarded martial arts analyst, hosting a YouTube Channel and making some stops as a color commentator along the way.
He has become close to the ONE Championship organization, and previously singled out the idea of competing in a caged Muay Thai fight as one of interest.
Australia’s John Wayne Parr is admittedly in the twilight of his illustrious career, having turned 45 in July. However, he’s yet to lose the desire to compete. A legend in the striking arts, John Wayne Parr basically invented caged Muay Thai which has become immensely popular in the modern day.
Booking such a special bout makes sense from both sides. The younger Hardy returns to action by stepping into John Wayne Parr’s world, and it could prove to be a feel-good showcase for both men. Neither fighter knows how to back down, which would produce an absolute banger for the fans.