ONE Championship rankings: women’s pound for pound MMA, April 2023
ONE Championship
  • In our new series of ONE rankings, we take a look at the top 10 women’s MMA fighters across all weight divisions
  • Here are our selections, including strawweight champ Xiong Jingnan, atomweight champ Angela Lee, and top contender Ham Seo-hee

ONE Championship only has two women’s mixed martial arts divisions – atomweight and strawweight – but both weight classes are home to some world class talent.

The promotion’s 115-pound atomweight division is particularly stacked, as the home of high level talents like Ham Seo-hee, Stamp Fairtex, Tiffany Teo, and of course, long reigning champion Angela Lee.

The strawweight division, which is capped at 125 pounds, is a little less crowded, but is ruled by Xiong Jingnan, who has asserted herself as not only one of the best fighters in ONE, but in the world.

In the second of a series of new ONE Championship rankings by the Post, we will take a look at the top 10 MMA fighters across the promotion’s two women’s weight classes.

Xiong Jingnan celebrates as Angela Lee looks on dejectedly when the decision is read out at ONE on Prime Video 2.

1. Xiong Jingnan (18-2) – ONE strawweight MMA champ Xiong Jingnan, from China, has only lost once in ONE, when she dropped down to atomweight to challenge Angela Lee for a second title in 2019.

Outside that loss – a fifth-round submission – the 35-year-old “Panda” has been absolutely dominant, and has even defended her strawweight belt with two wins over Lee. She does not have a fight booked at the moment, but has not fought since she defeated Lee for a second time in September, and should be ready soon.

Angela Lee walks out to defend her atomweight MMA title against Stamp Fairtex at ONE X in Singapore.

2. Angela Lee (11-3) – Outside two failed bids to swipe Xiong Jingnan’s strawweight belt, and a forgettable decision loss to Michelle Nicolini, also at strawweight, Angela Lee has lived up to her “Unstoppable” nickname in ONE.

The 26-year-old Canadian-American has spent her entire career with the promotion, and in 2016, became its inaugural strawweight champ with a decision defeat of Mei Yamaguchi.

She has since defended her belt five times, most notably against Xiong and Stamp Fairtex, but is unlikely to fight any time soon after her sister Victoria, also a ONE fighter, died at 18 last December.

Referee Herb Dean raises Ham Seo-hee’s hand after her decision win over Itsuki Hirata at Fight Night 8 in Singapore.

3. Ham Seo-hee (26-8) – South Korea’s Ham Seo-hee is one of the most experienced mixed martial artists on the ONE roster, but she is still in the prime of her fighting life.

In fact, after a pair of decision wins over Denice Zamboanga and a decision over Itsuki Hirata in her first three ONE fights, the 36-year-old is now set for a crack at the atomweight title.

The only question is if she will challenge Angela Lee, who has taken an indefinite leave, or fight another contender like Stamp Fairtex for an interim title.

Stamp Fairtex poses for the camera after a unanimous-decision victory over fellow atomweight MMA contender Jihin Radzuan.

4. Stamp Fairtex (9-2) – Thailand’s Stamp is a former champ in both kickboxing and Muay Thai, but is now one of the top contenders in ONE’s crowded atomweight MMA division.

The 25-year-old lost her first bid at the title last year, tapping out to an Angela Lee rear-naked choke, but will most likely earn another title shot if she gets by Alyse Anderson at ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5 in Denver, Colorado – ONE’s US debut.

That could mean a rematch with Lee, but will more likely result in a fight with Ham Seo-hee with an interim belt on the line.

Tiffany Teo of Singapore celebrates a submission victory over Ritu Phogat at ONE 161.

5. Tiffany Teo (11-2) – Singapore’s “No Chill” is one of the more experienced female mixed martial artists on the ONE roster, and after a solid strawweight run that saw her contend for the title twice, she has found new life at atomweight.

After a submission win over Meng Bo in her final strawweight fight, the 33-year-old dropped down a weight class and submitted wrestling champion Ritu Phogat in her debut in the division. She does not have a fight booked currently, but is clearly one of the top contenders for the title.

Denice Zamboanga prepares for a fight in the ONE Championship Circle.

6. Denice Zamboanga (11-2) – “The Menace” from the Philippines has been in atomweight title contention since she defeated Japanese MMA veteran Mei Yamaguchi in her second ONE fight in 2020.

A pair of decision losses to Ham Seo-hee hurt the 26-year-old grappler’s standing a bit, but she rebounded in her last fight, showing improved stand-up en route to a decision win over Chinese kickboxer Lin Heqin.

She is set to meet Brazil’s Julie Mezabarba at ONE Fight Night 9 on April 22 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Meng Bo celebrates her win over Jenelyn Olsim in the Philippines.

7. Meng Bo (20-6) – One of Meng Bo’s main claims to fame is a 2013 win over future UFC champ Zhang Weili, but there is a lot more to the Chinese fighter’s resume than that. The 26-year-old has looked great in ONE, competing at both atomweight and strawweight.

She is set to fight Brazilian knockout puncher Dayane Cardoso at ONE Fight Night 9 on April 22 in Bangkok, Thailand, when she will look to build on the momentum of a quick KO of Jenelyn Olsim last December. If she wins, a crack at strawweight champion Xiong Jingnan could be next.

Malaysian atomweight Jihin Radzuan prepares for a fight. Photo: ONE Championship.

8. Jihin Radzuan (8-3) – Malaysia’s “Shadowcat” suffered a decision loss to Stamp Fairtex in her last fight, but the 24-year-old remains one of the top talents at atomweight.

She was riding three consecutive wins before running into the Thai, beating Bi Nguyen, Mei Yamaguchi, and most notably, fellow contender Itsuki Hirata who had never been beaten before. She does not have a fight booked presently, but should be ready soon, having not fought since she met Stamp in September.

Itsuki Hirata prepares to fight Ham Seo-hee at ONE Fight Night 8. Photos: ONE Championship.

9. Itsuki Hirata (6-2) – Popular Japanese atomweight “Android 18” lost a decision to Ham Seo-hee at ONE Fight Night 8 in March. The loss definitely hurt her standing in the division, but the 24-year-old is buoyed by recent victories over Lin Heqin and Alyse Anderson – both solid foes.

Another win will put her right back in title contention at atomweight, but she has also mentioned a move up to strawweight, having struggled with ONE’s weight and hydration testing system in the past.

Dayane Cardoso walks out for a fight with Ayaka Miura.

10. Dayane Cardoso (9-1-1) – Brazilian strawweight Dayane Cardoso has only fought once in ONE, scoring a second-round TKO over Japanese contender Ayaka Miura last April – and that win came after Miura injured her shoulder.

Still, it was an impressive victory for the 26-year-old, who has now won six straight fights – and five of those by stoppage. She is set to take on Meng Bo at ONE Fight Night 9 on April 22 in Bangkok, Thailand, and could earn a crack at champion Xiong Jingnan with an impressive win.

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