Since the creation of ONE Championship, the promotion has revolutionized the world of martial arts, providing a platform for athletes from all over the world to showcase their skills on the world stage.
Over the years, several martial artists have risen to fame, defying obstacles and winning 26 pounds of gold at an astonishingly young age.
Let's take a closer look at six notable athletes who made history by becoming world champions early in their careers.
Smila Sandel: 17 years old
Smila “The Hurricane” Sandel made history by becoming the youngest ever to win a world title in ONE.
Achieving this milestone at just 17 years old, she defeated Jackie Buntan in five rounds at ONE 156 in April 2022 to earn a clear unanimous decision and become the inaugural ONE Women's Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion.
The Swedish prodigy further solidified her status by defeating Atomweight Muay Thai Queen Alicia Helen Rodriguez with a 3rd round TKO at ONE Fight Night 14 in September 2023 to defend her title.
Next up, she will look to extend her reign of terror even further in her highly anticipated matchup with Natalya “Karelian Lynx” Dyatchkova in the main event of ONE Fight Night 22 on May 3rd.
Ty Ruotolo: 20 years old
Ty Ruotolo has taken ONE by storm since joining in 2022, posting six consecutive wins.
The 20-year-old American phenom defeats Magomed Abdulkadyrov by unanimous decision at ONE Fight Night 16 in November 2023, earning him the distinction of being the first-ever ONE Welterweight Submission Grappling World Champion did.
His dominance in the division continued with a recent victory over Isaac Michel at ONE Fight Night 21.
Cade Ruotolo: 19 years old
Kade Ruotolo, along with her twin brother Ty, have enjoyed a remarkable career in the world's largest martial arts organization.
With six appearances already under his belt, Athos Jiu-Jitsu's accomplishments consistently show why he is one of the most feared grapplers on the planet today.
Ruotolo, 19, reached new heights in October 2022 when he won the inaugural ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Championship against Uari Kurzhev at ONE on Prime Video 3.
Since then, he has made three triumphant defenses of the throne.
But on June 7th at ONE 167, Cade will step out of his comfort zone and test his mettle under MMA rules against Blake Cooper in a lightweight showdown.
Stamp Fairtex: 21 years old
Stamp Fairtex is arguably the most decorated athlete to ever grace martial arts' ultimate proving ground.
Her road to stardom began in October 2018 at ONE: Kingdom of Heroes when she defeated Chuan Kai Ting by unanimous decision to win the ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Title at the age of 21. .
The Thai megastar then upped the stakes just four months later at ONE: CALL TO GREATNESS by defeating Janet Todd in a grueling five-round match for the inaugural ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Championship.
She furthered her status by winning the ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Grand Prix title against Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat in the tournament finals of ONE: WINTER WARRIORS in December 2021. Ta.
Her pioneering trajectory continued as she defeated Ham So Hee at ONE Fight Night 14 in September 2023 to capture the vacant ONE Women's Atomweight MMA World Championship, making her the first tri-sport world champion in history. did.
Looking ahead, Stamp faces a difficult road in 2024. She will compete for the title against Dennis “The Menace” Zamboanga at ONE 167 and will take on “The Panda” Xiong Jingnan’s strawweight MMA belt on September 6th at ONE 168: Denver.
Christian Lee: 20 years old
Just one month shy of his 21st birthday, Christian “The Warrior” Lee achieved a major milestone in his professional career at ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON in May 2019.
He shocked the world by defeating the legendary Shinya Aoki “Hikan Judan” and winning the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title with a two-round stoppage.
The Singaporean-American sensation continued his winning momentum on his way to winning the ONE Lightweight MMA World Grand Prix Silver Belt with Dagi Arslanaliev at ONE: CENTURY PART I five months later.
Additionally, Lee rose to prominence in mixed sports in November 2022 when he defeated Kiamryan “Brazen” Abbasov for the ONE Welterweight MMA World Championship by fourth-round TKO on ONE on Prime Video 4.
Angela Lee: 19 years old
'Unstoppable' Angela Lee accomplished what seemed impossible at a young age, becoming the first-ever ONE Women's Atomweight MMA World Champion at the age of 19.
Her breakthrough victory came after she outpointed May “VV” Yamaguchi in five intense rounds at ONE: ASCENT TO POWER in May 2016.
She then went on to make history as the longest championship reign in the promotion, lasting 2,703 days while defending the title five times.
Lee bid a heartfelt and emotional farewell to the sport during ONE Fight Night 14, relinquishing his title as champion and joining Fight, the mental health nonprofit he founded in honor of his late sister Victoria Lee. I focused on the story.
