https://www.scmp.com/rss/324081/feed Nico is a production editor on the South China Morning Post’s sport desk, where he covers mixed martial arts (MMA) in Asia, as well as local sport in Hong Kong. He was previously a sports writer and editor for ESPN. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com All Martial Arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. “The Hitman” Liam Harrison expects to school John Lineker in their bantamweight Muay Thai fight in January. But the former ONE Championship title challenger knows “one slip” against “Hands of Stone” could spell doom in Bangkok. Harrison has been out of action since August 2022 after suffering a knee injury in the first round of his fight... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3243206/one-championship-liam-harrison-predicts-some-ridiculous-cte-going-john-lineker-fight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3243206/one-championship-liam-harrison-predicts-some-ridiculous-cte-going-john-lineker-fight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Nov 2023 06:31:25 +0000 All Martial Arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. It’s well known Rodtang Jitmuangnon is a keen football fan, and now he has received the ultimate collector’s item. Lionel Messi, Argentina’s World Cup winning superstar, sent ONE Championship’s flyweight Muay Thai king a signed shirt from his club team, Inter Miami. “I have waited for the jersey for a very long time,” Rodtang said in a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3242950/one-championships-rodtang-speechless-after-lionel-messi-sends-him-signed-football-shirt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3242950/one-championships-rodtang-speechless-after-lionel-messi-sends-him-signed-football-shirt?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2023 08:23:03 +0000 All Martial Arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong has said the turmoil surrounding Anissa Meksen and his martial arts promotion is now “water under the bridge”. The French-Algerian kickboxing star is set to fight for the interim atomweight title against Thailand’s Phetjeeja Ormeekhun on December 22 in Bangkok. But the 35-year-old appeared to be close... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3242893/one-championship-chatri-says-anissa-meksen-apologised-emotional-outbursts-and-false-accusations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3242893/one-championship-chatri-says-anissa-meksen-apologised-emotional-outbursts-and-false-accusations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Nov 2023 02:25:07 +0000 All Martial Arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Mixed martial arts will return to the forefront in ONE Championship next year, with more than 60 events set for 2024 including multiple new locations. Muay Thai took centre stage this year in the Asia-based martial arts promotion after the launch of the weekly ONE Friday Fights product at Lumpinee Stadium. That pushed MMA to the background,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3242862/one-championship-mma-back-full-force-2024-calendar-more-60-events-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3242862/one-championship-mma-back-full-force-2024-calendar-more-60-events-around-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Nov 2023 13:00:12 +0000 All Martial Arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Joshua Pacio will challenge Jarred Brooks for the ONE Championship strawweight MMA title in early 2024. Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong revealed the match-up during an interview with the Post this week. “The Monkey Good” swiped the belt from Pacio on the Filipino’s home turf in Manila last December, taking a dominant unanimous decision... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3242848/one-championship-joshua-pacio-vs-jarred-brooks-rematch-set-early-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3242848/one-championship-joshua-pacio-vs-jarred-brooks-rematch-set-early-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Nov 2023 05:19:24 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Hong Kong Muay Thai fighter Yu Yau-pui earned herself a US$100,000 main roster ONE Championship contract with her fifth straight ONE Friday Fights victory in Bangkok. The 30-year-old atomweight stopped WBC flyweight champion Zehra Dogan with a body-shot TKO in the second round at Lumpinee Stadium. Yu, who trains out of the KF1 gym in Fo... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3242798/one-championship-hong-kong-muay-thai-fighter-yu-yau-pui-earns-us100000-contract-tko?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3242798/one-championship-hong-kong-muay-thai-fighter-yu-yau-pui-earns-us100000-contract-tko?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Nov 2023 03:50:42 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Christian Lee will return to action in February for a ONE Championship title defence, CEO Chatri Sityodtong told the Post on Wednesday. “The Warrior” has not fought since his 18-year-old sister and fellow ONE fighter Victoria Lee took her own life last December. Lee’s older sister Angela Lee retired in September after vacating her... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3242495/one-championship-christian-lee-set-return-february-title-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3242495/one-championship-christian-lee-set-return-february-title-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Nov 2023 13:31:18 +0000 Chinese fans wearing Son Heung-min football jerseys were subjected to abuse as China lost 3-0 to South Korea in their Fifa World Cup qualifier. Tottenham superstar Son scored twice and then set up the other goal as the hosts were outclassed by Jurgen Klinsmann’s side on Tuesday night. The 31-year-old forward had been mobbed by home fans and given a hero’s welcome when he arrived at the airport with his international teammates in China this week. But video footage emerged on the Chinese social... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3242407/chinese-traitors-wearing-son-heung-min-shirts-mobbed-angry-home-fans-during-loss-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3242407/chinese-traitors-wearing-son-heung-min-shirts-mobbed-angry-home-fans-during-loss-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Nov 2023 05:00:10 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Superlek Kiatmookao will defend his ONE Championship flyweight kickboxing title against Elias Mahmoudi in January 13’s main event at Lumpinee Stadium. A ticket website leak for the ONE Fight Night 18 event in Bangkok hinted at Superlek’s next opponent earlier on Tuesday, before the Asian martial arts promotion confirmed the bout later. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3242345/one-championship-superleks-next-opponent-seemingly-revealed-ticket-website-leak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3242345/one-championship-superleks-next-opponent-seemingly-revealed-ticket-website-leak?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Nov 2023 11:00:49 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Nico Carrillo’s coach has predicted the Scottish prospect will make quick work of the legendary former champion Nong-O Hama at ONE Friday Fights 46 next month. JP Gallacher then wants a title shot against ONE Championship’s bantamweight Muay Thai king Jonathan Haggerty – who claimed the title from Nong-O in April with a first-round KO. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3242153/one-championship-nico-carrillo-just-needs-find-nong-os-chin-once-says-coach-then-we-move-haggerty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3242153/one-championship-nico-carrillo-just-needs-find-nong-os-chin-once-says-coach-then-we-move-haggerty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Nov 2023 07:17:19 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship has moved its debut event in Qatar to March, and will also return to Japan in early 2024. The Asia-based martial arts promotion’s CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, confirmed the news in a Facebook post on Sunday. Chatri also announced a return to Singapore – ONE Fight Night 19 – which is listed as taking place on February 17 on the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3242091/one-championship-moves-qatar-debut-confirms-japan-return-early-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3242091/one-championship-moves-qatar-debut-confirms-japan-return-early-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Nov 2023 13:07:33 +0000 If the packed turnout to see Gary Neville at a speaking event in Hong Kong on Friday was anything to go by, Manchester United remain a hugely popular club in the city. The former captain was here promoting his new luxury development, the W Residences Manchester, but potential buyers turned into star-struck fans as they lined up for selfies and autographs with him. United’s mass appeal still remains strong in Hong Kong, but for how much longer is anyone’s guess, as the English Premier League... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3242046/gary-neville-thinks-manchester-united-must-win-again-maintain-hong-kong-fan-base-and-fend-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3242046/gary-neville-thinks-manchester-united-must-win-again-maintain-hong-kong-fan-base-and-fend-rivals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Nov 2023 04:30:14 +0000 Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville insisted the club needs “disrupting” as he welcomed the impending arrival of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe. The Ineos chairman is set to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the struggling English giants and will reportedly inject £245 million (US$305 million) into upgrading infrastructure after a protracted takeover saga that started a year ago. The 71-year-old could have his work cut out, however, with Neville recently quipping United need “Daniel... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3242009/gary-neville-says-whole-manchester-united-needs-disrupting-jim-ratcliffe-arrival-looms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3242009/gary-neville-says-whole-manchester-united-needs-disrupting-jim-ratcliffe-arrival-looms?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Nov 2023 05:05:28 +0000 China’s men’s national football team got their Fifa World Cup qualifying campaign off to a fine start with a 2-1 away victory against Thailand on Thursday night. But there were unsavoury scenes at the final whistle at Rajamangala National Stadium in Bangkok, where China came from behind to take all three points in their group C encounter, as the second phase of Asian qualifying for the 2026 finals got under way. Sarach Yooyen had opened the scoring for the world No 112-ranked hosts from long... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3241883/chinese-fans-hit-projectiles-thailand-supporters-security-step-after-world-cup-qualifying-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3241883/chinese-fans-hit-projectiles-thailand-supporters-security-step-after-world-cup-qualifying-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Nov 2023 05:27:52 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Superlek Kiatmookao knows he has got a target on his back now after beating Rodtang Jitmuangnon – but also a number of big opportunities in ONE Championship. When it comes to his next fight, ONE’s flyweight kickboxing champion is not ruling out a rematch with his compatriot, who kept the flyweight Muay Thai belt after Superlek missed... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3241766/one-championship-superlek-open-takeru-fight-well-jonathan-haggerty-rematch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3241766/one-championship-superlek-open-takeru-fight-well-jonathan-haggerty-rematch?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Nov 2023 08:33:50 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Malaysian-American Muay Thai fighter Johan Ghazali has warned his rivals “it's the I’m only 17 era” after celebrating his birthday ahead of his ONE Championship main roster debut. Ghazali, then aged 16, became the youngest fighter to earn a multi-fight contract from ONE’s weekly Friday Fights cards at Lumpinee Stadium after a third knockout... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241599/one-championship-malaysian-muay-thai-fighter-johan-ghazali-set-big-league-debut-celebrates-17th?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241599/one-championship-malaysian-muay-thai-fighter-johan-ghazali-set-big-league-debut-celebrates-17th?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Nov 2023 04:38:51 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship has removed its lightweight MMA rankings from its website, with a return date for the division’s champion Christian Lee still uncertain. “The Warrior” (17-4) has not fought since the death of his 18-year-old sister Victoria Lee last December. His elder sister Angela Lee retired from fighting in September and vacated her... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3241581/one-championship-removes-its-lightweight-mma-rankings-christian-lee-return-date-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3241581/one-championship-removes-its-lightweight-mma-rankings-christian-lee-return-date-uncertain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Nov 2023 02:45:06 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Former ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai king Nong-O Hama is set to face Nico Carrillo at ONE Friday Fights 46 in Bangkok on December 22, sources told the Post. The bout, a potential title eliminator, will bolster a stacked year-end card at Lumpinee Stadium, which already boasts three title fights. Superbon will challenge Tawanchai... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241321/one-championship-nong-o-hama-set-fight-nico-carrillo-bangkok-source-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241321/one-championship-nong-o-hama-set-fight-nico-carrillo-bangkok-source-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Nov 2023 06:20:19 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship’s Rodtang Jitmuangnon was reportedly denied entry to Canada last week for a Muay Thai seminar tour because of a visa issue. The 26-year-old Thai – ONE’s flyweight Muay Thai champion – had landed at Toronto Pearson Airport on November 10, ahead of seven planned seminars at five different gyms in Toronto, Calgary and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241292/one-championships-rodtang-jitmuangnon-denied-entry-canada-seminar-tour-over-visa-issue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241292/one-championships-rodtang-jitmuangnon-denied-entry-canada-seminar-tour-over-visa-issue?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 13 Nov 2023 03:52:28 +0000 All Martial Arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The sky is the limit for Aliff Sor Dechapan, according to his coach, who has predicted the fighter will “100 per cent” win a world title in ONE Championship after earning a US$100,000 contract on Friday. The Thai-Malaysian stopped Peyman Zolfaghari in their 120lbs catchweight Muay Thai clash this weekend in Bangkok, also picking up a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241240/one-championship-malaysian-muay-thai-fighter-aliff-will-be-world-champion-100-cent-after-landing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241240/one-championship-malaysian-muay-thai-fighter-aliff-will-be-world-champion-100-cent-after-landing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Nov 2023 06:40:46 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Former ONE Championship lightweight Muay Thai title challenger Sinsamut Klinmee has backed Mehdi Zatout after he was suspended – and even suggested he will not fight without his coach in his corner. Venum Training Camp co-owner Zatout has been barred from all ONE events for six months after he and his fighter Alaverdi Ramazanov “bypassed... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241189/one-championship-sinsamut-klinmee-doesnt-want-fight-if-mehdi-zatout-still-suspended?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3241189/one-championship-sinsamut-klinmee-doesnt-want-fight-if-mehdi-zatout-still-suspended?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Nov 2023 08:14:06 +0000 Construction issues on the Central Harbourfront caused the first day of this weekend’s FIA World Rallycross Championship season finale in Hong Kong to be delayed, with the track having to be shortened by more than 400 metres. The action had been set to get under way with practice at 8.10am on Saturday morning, before the SuperPole at 10.05am and the first heat at 11.10am. But the 1.225km half-mud, half-tarmac track was still incomplete late on Friday night, when organisers sent an “urgent”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3241172/construction-issues-central-harbourfront-cause-delay-world-rallycross-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3241172/construction-issues-central-harbourfront-cause-delay-world-rallycross-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Nov 2023 01:27:08 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong is eyeing an audacious Wembley “mega fight” between Tawanchai PK Saenchai and Jonathan Haggerty. The two Muay Thai champs came face to face at ONE IGNITE, a business-to-business event hosted by the martial arts promotion in Bangkok on Wednesday afternoon. Haggerty, fresh from becoming a two-sport... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240927/one-championship-chatri-wants-tawanchai-vs-jonathan-haggerty-mega-fight-wembley-it-needs-happen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240927/one-championship-chatri-wants-tawanchai-vs-jonathan-haggerty-mega-fight-wembley-it-needs-happen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Nov 2023 03:03:10 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The gym owner and coach banned by ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong for six months has protested his innocence. Venum Training Camp chief Mehdi Zatout was barred from attending the promotion’s events after his fighter Alaverdi Ramazanov confronted Jonathan Haggerty in the ring following last Saturday’s ONE Fight Night 16 main... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240835/one-championship-mehdi-zatout-protests-six-month-ban-after-jonathan-haggerty-altercation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240835/one-championship-mehdi-zatout-protests-six-month-ban-after-jonathan-haggerty-altercation?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 14:34:29 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship two-sport king Jonathan Haggerty was involved in not one but two verbal altercations after his kickboxing title win in Bangkok last Saturday. Haggerty was confronted in the ring by former champion Alaverdi Ramazanov, in what was an unplanned segment that angered ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong to the point he banned... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240743/one-championship-felipe-lobo-warns-jonathan-haggerty-lets-see-what-happens-after-verbal-ring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240743/one-championship-felipe-lobo-warns-jonathan-haggerty-lets-see-what-happens-after-verbal-ring?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Nov 2023 05:35:46 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong wants to see a rematch between Zhang Peimian and Rui Botelho after a controversial split decision at the weekend. Former strawweight kickboxing title challenger Zhang demanded the promotion run it back after questioning his loss in Bangkok on Saturday morning. China’s “Fighting Rooster” was all set to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240632/one-championship-chatri-wants-zhang-peimian-vs-rui-botelho-rematch-questions-judges-decision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240632/one-championship-chatri-wants-zhang-peimian-vs-rui-botelho-rematch-questions-judges-decision?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Nov 2023 08:01:40 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New two-sport king Jonathan Haggerty revealed he plans to “stand at the top” in ONE Championship with Muay Thai superstars Rodtang Jitmuangnon, Superlek Kiatmookao and even Tawanchai PK Saenchai on his hit list. “The General” claimed the vacant ONE bantamweight kickboxing title with a stunning second-round TKO of Fabricio Andrade at ONE... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240582/one-championship-jonathan-haggerty-tells-rodtang-superlek-and-tawanchai-ill-take-your-heads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240582/one-championship-jonathan-haggerty-tells-rodtang-superlek-and-tawanchai-ill-take-your-heads?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Nov 2023 03:00:01 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship has rescheduled Tawanchai PK Saenchai’s Muay Thai title fight against Superbon Singha Mawynn for December 22, a source has told the Post. The highly anticipated bout will bolster a stacked year-end ONE Friday Fights 46 card at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. It was all set to headline ONE Fight Night 17 on Prime Video on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240475/one-championship-reschedules-tawanchai-vs-superbon-december-22-source-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240475/one-championship-reschedules-tawanchai-vs-superbon-december-22-source-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Nov 2023 06:43:07 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship featherweight Muay Thai champ Tawanchai PK Saenchai has been released from hospital, with talks under way to rebook his title fight against Superbon Singha Mawynn. The 24-year-old spent a week in hospital being treated for a “serious virus”, a source told the Post, and was released on Saturday. Tawanchai’s illness caused... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240428/one-championship-tawanchai-out-hospital-talks-rebook-superbon-title-fight-under-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240428/one-championship-tawanchai-out-hospital-talks-rebook-superbon-title-fight-under-way?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 17:03:27 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Anna “Supergirl” Jaroonsak apologised to ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong and her fans after “disappointing” them with a first-round KO loss on Saturday. The 19-year-old Thai was completely dismantled by Spain’s Cristina Morales at ONE Fight Night 16 in Bangkok. Cristina Morales stops Supergirl in the first round #ONEFightNight16... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240419/one-championship-supergirl-says-she-was-sick-getting-tkod-cristina-morales-fight-night-17?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240419/one-championship-supergirl-says-she-was-sick-getting-tkod-cristina-morales-fight-night-17?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 13:50:36 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Jonathan Haggerty confirmed he will chase Fabricio Andrade’s bantamweight MMA belt after knocking him out to become a two-sport title-holder in ONE Championship. Muay Thai king Haggerty won the vacant bantamweight kickboxing title with a slick second-round finish in the main event of ONE Fight Night 16 in Bangkok at Lumpinee Stadium. He... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240387/one-championship-jonathan-haggerty-likes-sound-andrades-mma-belt-will-prepare-ruotolo-brothers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240387/one-championship-jonathan-haggerty-likes-sound-andrades-mma-belt-will-prepare-ruotolo-brothers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Nov 2023 05:18:45 +0000 ONE Championship boss Chatri Sityodtong has banned coach Mehdi Zatout and fighter Alaverdi Ramazanov from attending events for 6 months after the latter climbed into the ring on Saturday to confront Jonathan Haggerty in Bangkok. Haggerty had just knocked out Fabricio Andrade in the main event of ONE Fight Night 16 to claim the vacant bantamweight kickboxing title and become a two-sport champ in the martial arts promotion. The 26-year-old Briton, who also holds the Muay Thai title in the same... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240344/one-championship-boss-chatri-bans-coach-fighter-6-months-after-jonathan-haggerty-altercation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240344/one-championship-boss-chatri-bans-coach-fighter-6-months-after-jonathan-haggerty-altercation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Nov 2023 08:11:30 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship featherweight Muay Thai champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai is out of December’s main event against Superbon Singha Mawynn, a source told the Post. The pair were set to headline ONE Fight Night 17 at Lumpinee Stadium on December 9 in Bangkok, but the 24-year-old Thai champion is in hospital with a “serious virus”. The source,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240335/tawanchai-out-vs-superbon-one-championship-rebook-muay-thai-title-fight-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3240335/tawanchai-out-vs-superbon-one-championship-rebook-muay-thai-title-fight-again?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Nov 2023 06:10:12 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Jonathan Haggerty is now a world champion in both Muay Thai and kickboxing. The British bantamweight won Muay Thai gold with a stunning knockout of Nong-O Hama earlier this year, and in the main event of Saturday’s ONE Fight Night 16 card in Bangkok, claimed the promotion’s vacant bantamweight kickboxing belt with a win over MMA champion... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240319/one-championship-fight-night-16-live-results-and-highlights-haggerty-and-andrade-battle-kickboxing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240319/one-championship-fight-night-16-live-results-and-highlights-haggerty-and-andrade-battle-kickboxing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Nov 2023 23:00:47 +0000 ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong caused quite the stir when he claimed his promotion was superior to the “sloppy, low-level striking” of the UFC last month. Now he has been backed by two of his biggest-name champions, Jonathan Haggerty and Fabricio Andrade, who will battle for the vacant bantamweight kickboxing title in Bangkok on Saturday morning. MMA champion Andrade gave short shrift to the idea his bantamweight counterpart in the UFC, Sean O’Malley, could hang with him in a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240180/haggerty-andrade-claim-superiority-over-ufcs-omalley-holloway-best-strikers-are-one-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240180/haggerty-andrade-claim-superiority-over-ufcs-omalley-holloway-best-strikers-are-one-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Nov 2023 03:55:52 +0000 Tye Ruotolo will finally have the opportunity to compete for a ONE Championship grappling title this Saturday – but calls for a mouthwatering match-up with Mikey Musumeci still persist. The rising American star will take on Russia’s Magomed Abdulkadirov in the co-main event of the ONE Fight Night 16 card in Bangkok’s famed Lumpinee Stadium, with the inaugural welterweight submission grappling title on the line. It is an opportunity he has desired since he arrived in ONE early last year,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/grappling/article/3240164/one-championship-tye-ruotolo-open-mikey-musumeci-match-admits-i-prefer-not?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/grappling/article/3240164/one-championship-tye-ruotolo-open-mikey-musumeci-match-admits-i-prefer-not?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Nov 2023 02:27:48 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. ONE Championship returns to action in Bangkok this weekend, but first all 20 fighters on the card had to weigh in on Thursday night in Bangkok. All eyes were on Jonathan Haggerty and Fabricio Andrade at the host Best Western Plus Wanda Grand Hotel, as they looked to make the ONE Fight Night 16 main event official. The vacant ONE... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240130/one-championship-fight-night-16-official-weigh-ins-and-hydration-test-results-and-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240130/one-championship-fight-night-16-official-weigh-ins-and-hydration-test-results-and-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Nov 2023 12:50:14 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. With the UFC finally heading back to China, one of ONE Championship’s biggest stars from the region is hoping the Singapore-based martial arts promotion can soon follow suit. The Las Vegas-based UFC announced a December return to Shanghai on Wednesday, after more than four years away. ONE has not been to the country since a November 2019... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240051/one-championships-meng-bo-wants-china-title-fight-or-zhang-weili-rematch-ufc-confirms-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3240051/one-championships-meng-bo-wants-china-title-fight-or-zhang-weili-rematch-ufc-confirms-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Nov 2023 05:26:47 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Anna “Supergirl” Jaroonsak is pleased Anissa Meksen has patched things up with ONE Championship – not least because she could now get her dream fight. The legendary French kickboxing veteran looked to be on her way out of the martial arts promotion this year amid a stand-off with matchmakers over the lack of a title opportunity. But Meksen... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240008/one-championship-supergirl-predicts-anissa-meksen-will-beat-phetjeeja-wants-fight-her-idol?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3240008/one-championship-supergirl-predicts-anissa-meksen-will-beat-phetjeeja-wants-fight-her-idol?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Nov 2023 14:26:46 +0000 All martial arts content – including ONE Championship coverage – has been made freely available. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. The bad blood continued to simmer between Fabricio Andrade and Jonathan Haggerty at Thursday’s ONE Fight Night 16 media day in Bangkok, ahead of their blockbuster main event title bout this weekend. A feud that was born in the backstage halls of Lumpinee Stadium in April will play out in the ring at the same venue seven months later on... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3239997/one-championship-jonathan-haggerty-fabricio-andrade-hotel-staredown-bad-blood-simmers-bangkok-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kickboxing/article/3239997/one-championship-jonathan-haggerty-fabricio-andrade-hotel-staredown-bad-blood-simmers-bangkok-title?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Nov 2023 12:51:48 +0000 Zheng Qinwen missed out on securing what would have been the biggest title of her career after a gruelling straight-sets loss to Beatriz Haddad Maia in the final of the year-end WTA Elite Trophy on Sunday. World No 18 Zheng went down 7-6, 7-6 after 2 hours and 51 minutes – the longest straight sets match of the WTA season – at the Hengqin Tennis Center in Zhuhai. Bidding for a third title of the season having also won silverware on home soil at the Zhengzhou Open this month, the 21-year-old... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3239596/zheng-qinwen-tried-my-best-gruelling-wta-elite-trophy-final-defeat-beatriz-haddad-maia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3239596/zheng-qinwen-tried-my-best-gruelling-wta-elite-trophy-final-defeat-beatriz-haddad-maia?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Oct 2023 12:42:12 +0000 Hong Kong tennis star Coleman Wong racked up his third win over a top 100 player in the space of a month as he powered into the final of an ATP Challenger tournament in Australia. The 19-year-old Wong beat third seed and world No 100 Taro Daniel of Japan in the semi-finals of the City of Playford Tennis International on Saturday, coming from a set down to win 4-6, 7-6, 7-5. “Another three hours match!” Wong wrote in an Instagram post after his win. “I’m really happy and honoured to be playing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3239530/unstoppable-coleman-wong-continues-rise-atp-rankings-hong-kong-tennis-star-powers-australia-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3239530/unstoppable-coleman-wong-continues-rise-atp-rankings-hong-kong-tennis-star-powers-australia-final?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Oct 2023 09:05:44 +0000 ONE Championship bantamweight Muay Thai champion Jonathan Haggerty expects to meet Superlek Kiatmookao in the ring again – and soon. The two fought in Bolton, England, outside the ONE promotional banner in 2018, but the fight ended on a doctor stoppage in the second round because of a bad cut around the Briton’s eye. Haggerty would go on the claim the ONE flyweight Muay Thai title in May 2019, but he relinquished the belt to Rodtang Jitmuangnon three months later, and failed in a bid to reclaim... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3239387/one-championship-jonathan-haggerty-insists-superlek-rematch-so-close-coming-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3239387/one-championship-jonathan-haggerty-insists-superlek-rematch-so-close-coming-together?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Oct 2023 05:28:51 +0000 Lionel Messi’s army of Chinese fans expressed dismay after Inter Miami announced a late reshuffle of its tour plans, amid confusion over when tickets would actually go on sale following a contradictory statement from the official organiser. Providing an updated schedule for their two-match China visit on Thursday, the Major League Soccer side confirmed a change of location for their first game on November 5. Despite an official announcement last week saying Miami and Messi would be playing at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3239296/lionel-messis-chinese-fans-upset-inter-miami-match-moves-location-amid-confusion-over-ticket-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3239296/lionel-messis-chinese-fans-upset-inter-miami-match-moves-location-amid-confusion-over-ticket-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2023 09:52:45 +0000 Fans on social media had some fun at the expense of Yao Ming after the NBA legend sat courtside for the Brooklyn Nets’ home game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Nets lost 114-113 at the Barclays Centre on Wednesday night, with Yao – who stands 2.29 metres (7ft 6in) tall – in the front row. Chinese Basketball Association president Yao, a former star with the Houston Rockets, was introduced to the crowd before tip-off and was shown on the giant screens at the arena. He received a warm welcome... https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3239239/unlucky-fans-pay-us4235-look-back-yao-mings-head-nba-legend-sits-courtside-brooklyn-nets-game?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/basketball/article/3239239/unlucky-fans-pay-us4235-look-back-yao-mings-head-nba-legend-sits-courtside-brooklyn-nets-game?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Oct 2023 04:51:15 +0000 Leylah Fernandez got back in the winner’s circle in Hong Kong after 19 months without a title – and now she has been tipped to make her major trophy breakthrough. The 21-year-old Canadian, partly of Filipino heritage, was a crowd favourite all week at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, where she beat Katerina Siniakova in a dramatic final on Sunday evening. It was sweet relief after two years of “ups and downs” following the 2021 US Open final she lost to Emma Raducanu, and Hong Kong Tennis... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3238347/leylah-fernandez-tipped-grand-slam-title-foul-mouthed-pep-talk-inspires-hong-kong-tennis-open-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3238347/leylah-fernandez-tipped-grand-slam-title-foul-mouthed-pep-talk-inspires-hong-kong-tennis-open-win?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2023 09:30:11 +0000 Tennis chief Philip Mok has called for the Prudential Hong Kong Open to be upgraded to a WTA 500 event, after the most successful edition of the tournament yet. A slow start in terms of attendance numbers – thanks in no small part to Typhoon Koinu wiping out the whole first day – suggested the WTA 250 event might struggle after five years away. But a bumper crowd turned up for the weekend at the Victoria Park Tennis Stadium, and were treated to a pair of fairy tale triumphs, capped off by Leylah... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3238293/hong-kong-tennis-open-puts-perfect-case-forward-upgrade-wta-500-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3238293/hong-kong-tennis-open-puts-perfect-case-forward-upgrade-wta-500-event?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:15 +0000 ONE Championship has finally rebooked the super fight everybody was hoping to see earlier this month. Tawanchai PK Saenchai will defend his ONE featherweight Muay Thai title against the former kickboxing king Superbon Singha Mawynn on December 9. The seismic title fight will emanate from the Thai capital’s famed Lumpinee Stadium, and serve as the main event of the ONE Fight Night 17 card. The two were set to headline October 7’s event at the same venue, but the 33-year-old Superbon was forced to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3238290/one-championship-rebooks-tawanchai-superbon-muay-thai-title-clash-fight-night-17-bangkok?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/muay-thai/article/3238290/one-championship-rebooks-tawanchai-superbon-muay-thai-title-clash-fight-night-17-bangkok?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2023 14:29:39 +0000 Chinese football fans were left despairing after the men’s national team were drawn in a “group of death” in the first round of the Asian World Cup qualifiers. China, No 80 in the Fifa world rankings, will play against South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore in group C. The top two teams will go through to a second Asian qualifying round. Aleksandar Jankovic’s side will start their campaign away to world No 112 Thailand on November 16, then host 25th-ranked South Korea five days later. March brings... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3238270/football-fans-glum-china-drawn-fifa-world-cup-2026-qualifying-group-death?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3238270/football-fans-glum-china-drawn-fifa-world-cup-2026-qualifying-group-death?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:04:00 +0000 Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong Chak-lam will play his first ATP tournament when the top men’s tennis tour returns to the city at the end of December after a 21-year absence. The city’s tennis chief Philip Mok Kwan-yat confirmed the 19-year-old’s inclusion to the Post after the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open, which concluded on Sunday. The women’s tournament – a WTA 250 event – made its comeback after five years away, with the singles title won by crowd favourite Leylah Fernandez at Victoria Park... https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3238233/coleman-wong-set-play-atp-hong-kong-tennis-open-tickets-go-sale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/tennis/article/3238233/coleman-wong-set-play-atp-hong-kong-tennis-open-tickets-go-sale?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2023 09:32:46 +0000