Are you wondering about the ONE Championship rules for each combat sport they promote?
In this article, we’ll examine the ONE Championship rules for MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling. We’ll also look at the ONE Championship rules which apply to all of its combat sports.
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ONE Championship Rules (For Each Combat Sport)
ONE Championship, Asia’s largest global sports media property, is renowned for its unique blend of Eastern tradition, global appeal, and Eastern and Western combat sports rules.
While it showcases various combat sports, each discipline has its distinct set of rules catering to its traditions, techniques, and intricacies.
Let’s delve into the specific rules governing each of these thrilling combat sports.
ONE Championship MMA Rules
ONE Championship uses the Global Mixed Martial Arts Rule Set.
This is essentially the Unified Rules of MMA (used in America, the UFC, and most of the West) with the addition of 12 to 6 elbows and knee strikes to the head of a grounded opponent.
Note: Soccer kicks were allowed since the promotion was founded in 2011 but were banned in 2016 after media pressure.
Length of Fights
- Non-title fights: 3 rounds of 5 minutes with 1-minute breaks between rounds
- Title fights: 5 rounds of 5 minutes with 1-minute breaks between rounds
How Fighters Win
ONE Championship MMA fighters can win via:
- Knockout (KO)
- Technical knockout (TKO): Referee, doctor, or corner stoppage
- Submission: physical or verbal tapout
- Technical submission: When a submission results in unconsciousness or broken/dislocated bones or joints
- Judges’ decision via scorecard: 3 judges score the fight in its entirety, not round-by-round
- Technical decision: When a bout is prematurely stopped due to injury from an accidental foul and a contestant is leading on the scorecards
- The athlete verbally requests a stoppage midround or during the break
- Disqualification: When an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate the contest, multiple fouls have been committed, and/or there’s a flagrant disregard for the rules and/or referee’s commands
ONE Judging Criteria for MMA
In order of importance, ONE Championship judges are looking for:
- Near-knockout/near-submission
- Damage (internal, accumulated, visible)
- Striking superiority, cage/ring generalship, ground control
- Earned takedowns or takedown defense
- Aggression (looking to push forward and win the fight)
Equipment
- Muay Thai shorts
- Mouthguard
- 4 oz MMA gloves
- Groinguard (optional for female athletes)
Grounded MMA Fighters
ONE Championship MMA fighters are considered grounded when they have any part of their body other than the soles of their feet touching the ground.
This may be:
- 1 or 2 hands touching the ground
- 1 or 2 knees touching the ground
- Their back, glutes, or stomach touching the ground
As mentioned above, knee strikes to the head of a grounded opponent are legal.
Fighters can also kick or stomp the body and legs of a grounded opponent.
ONE Championship Muay Thai Rules
ONE Championship uses the Global Muay Thai Rule Set.
The main difference to normal Muay Thai rules is ONE Championship Muay Thai fighters use 4 oz gloves instead of 8.
Length of Fights
- Non-title fights: 3 rounds of 3 minutes with 1-minute breaks between rounds
- Title fights: 5 rounds of 3 minutes with 1-minute breaks between rounds
How Fighters Win
ONE Championship Muay Thai fighters can win via:
- Knockout (KO): Via punch, kick, knee, elbow, or legal throw
- Technical knockout (TKO): Referee, doctor, or corner stoppage
- Technical knockout: 3 knockdowns in a round or 4 knockdowns in a fight
- The athlete verbally requests a stoppage
- Judges’ decision via scorecard (see below)
- Technical decision: When a bout is prematurely stopped due to injury from an accidental foul and a contestant is leading on the scorecards
- Disqualification: When an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate the contest, multiple fouls have been committed, and/or there’s a flagrant disregard for the rules and/or referee’s commands
Judges’ Scorecards
3 ringside judges score the bout round-by-round using the 10-Point-Must system. Victory is awarded by the judges’ majority decision.
If the points tally is equal, the judges use the ONE Judging Criteria to determine a winner.
The ONE Judging Criteria judges the following in order of importance:
- Knockdowns
- Damage (internal, accumulated, and visible)
- Number of landed strikes (blocked doesn’t count)
- Aggression and ring generalship (superior positioning)
ONE Championship Muay Thai Clinching Rules
ONE Championship Muay Thai fighters are allowed to clinch, but the referee breaks the clinch if there are 3 seconds of inactivity from both fighters.
To stay engaged in a Muay Thai clinch, ONE Championship fighters have to throw elbows and knees to show the referee they’re engaging.
ONE Championship Muay Thai fighters aren’t given much time in the clinch because ONE is trying to make their Muay Thai bouts more knockout-oriented, and knockouts are much more likely from a strike out of the clinch.
Muay Thai clinches can also slow down the pace of a fight and are used by some fighters to catch their breath. ONE Championship wants fast-paced fights full of striking action.
Equipment
- Muay Thai shorts
- Mouthguard
- 4 oz MMA gloves
- Groinguard (optional for female athletes)
- Ankle supports are allowed
- Pra Jiads are allowed (Muay Thai armband)
ONE Championship Kickboxing Rules
ONE Championship uses the Global Kickboxing Rule Set.
This states fighters competing at bantamweight (145 lbs / 65.8kg) or lighter wear 8-ounce boxing gloves.
Fighters competing at featherweight (155 lbs / 70.3kg) or heavier wear 10-ounce boxing gloves.
Length of Fights
- Non-title fights: 3 rounds of 3 minutes with 1-minute breaks between rounds
- Title fights: 5 rounds of 3 minutes with 1-minute breaks between rounds
How Fighters Win
ONE Championship kickboxers can win via:
- Knockout (KO): Via punch, kick, or knee
- Technical knockout (TKO): Referee, doctor, or corner stoppage
- Technical knockout: 3 knockdowns in a round or 4 knockdowns in a fight
- The athlete verbally requests a stoppage
- Judges’ decision via scorecard (see below)
- Technical decision: When a bout is prematurely stopped due to injury from an accidental foul and a contestant is leading on the scorecards
- Disqualification: When an injury sustained during competition as a result of an intentional foul is severe enough to terminate the contest, multiple fouls have been committed, and/or there’s a flagrant disregard for the rules and/or referee’s commands
Judges’ Scorecards
3 ringside judges score the bout round-by-round using the 10-Point-Must system. Victory is awarded by the judges’ majority decision.
If the points tally is equal, the judges use the ONE Judging Criteria to determine a winner.
The ONE Judging Criteria judges the following in order of importance:
- Knockdowns
- Damage (internal, accumulated, and visible)
- Number of landed strikes (blocked doesn’t count)
- Aggression and ring generalship (superior positioning)
Equipment
- Kickboxing shorts
- Mouthguard
- 8 or 10 oz boxing gloves depending on weight (see above)
- Groinguard (optional for female athletes)
- Ankle supports are allowed
ONE Championship Submission Grappling Rules
ONE Championship uses the Global Submission Grappling Rule Set.
This states ONE Championship submission grapplers must engage at all times. Pulling guard must only be done to attempt submissions and advance positions (offensively).
If a submission grappler isn’t engaging or progressing, the referee can give them a warning or yellow card.
If he gives either, the match is restarted from the standing position.
A yellow card cancels out 1 catch of the fighter who received it.
Length of Fights
- All fights are one 10-minute round
How Fighters Win
ONE Championship submission grapplers win via:
- Submission
- Verbal tapout
- Referee stoppage due to imminent danger
- Athlete’s cornerman requests a stoppage (throwing in the towel)
- Judges’ decision (see below)
Judges’ Scorecards
3 judges score the fight using the ONE Judging Criteria, which in order of importance is:
- Number of catches
- Aggression
Victory is given to the fighter with the most catches.
If the number of catches is even, the fighter who showed more aggression is given the win.
Note: A catch is the successful application of a submission hold where the opponent is caught in a position where they could potentially tap out.
Equipment
- Mouthguard
- Grappling shorts
- Rashguard
- Groin guards aren’t allowed
ONE Championship Rules for All Combat Sports
The following are ONE Championship rules which apply to all 4 of their combat sports.
ONE Championship Yellow Card Rules
The referee can award a yellow card to any fighter who’s stalling or disregarding rules.
They’re usually given after a caution and an official warning, which fighters receive for fouls or other violations.
Yellow cards result in a 10% deduction in the athlete’s prize money and each yellow card is a successive 10% deduction from the athlete’s earnings.
So, if a fighter gets 3 yellow cards, that’s a 30% deduction.
Deductions from yellow cards are added to the opponent’s purse.
ONE Championship Red Card Rules
Referees can give a fighter a red card to disqualify them.
This may be based on severe fouling, repetitive fouls, and deliberate fouls.
If an athlete is disqualified, ONE Championship deducts a minimum of 30% to a maximum of 100% of the athlete’s pay/purse.
Eddie Alvarez was infamously disqualified via a red card in his fight against Iuri Lapicus on April 7, 2021, for continuous strikes to the back of the head despite warnings from the referee.
5 days later, the bout was overruled to a no-contest. A ONE Championship panel believed the bout should’ve been stopped and a warning issued after the second strike to the back of the head.
Shinechagtaga Zoltsetseg was also given a red card on April 14, 2021, for kicking Yoshiki Nakahara in the face with a roundhouse kick while he was grounded.
Injury Time
If a ONE Championship fighter is injured from a foul, he/she has 5 minutes to recover.
If the fighter is unable to recover from the injury from the foul, the match will be ruled a disqualification, a no-contest, or go to the judges’ scorecards for a technical decision – at the referee’s discretion.
Fouls
- Biting is prohibited.
- Eye gouging isn’t allowed.
- Inserting fingers into orifices, including fish hooking and cuts, isn’t permitted.
- Headbutting isn’t allowed.
- Hair pulling is banned.
- Striking the groin isn’t permitted.
- Manipulating small joints is illegal (at least 3 digits must be controlled).
- Throat strikes aren’t allowed.
- Grabbing the trachea isn’t permitted.
- Actions like pinching, twisting, or clawing the skin aren’t allowed.
- Strikes to the back of the head, neck, or spine are banned.
- Striking an opponent under the care of a referee or doctor isn’t allowed.
- Striking between rounds or post-final bell isn’t permitted.
- Kicking the head of a downed opponent isn’t allowed.
- Stomping a grounded opponent’s head isn’t allowed.
- Throwing an opponent out or over the cage isn’t allowed.
- Dangerous throws, like spiking or pile-driving, are illegal.
- Inside glove grabbing isn’t allowed.
- Holding or grabbing an opponent’s shorts isn’t allowed.
- Holding onto the cage is forbidden.
- Spitting isn’t allowed.
- Wearing piercings, jewelry, or contacts during a bout is banned.
- Ignoring the referee’s instructions isn’t permitted.
- Avoiding contact, such as dropping the mouthguard or fleeing, is considered timidity.
- Corner interference, like distracting the referee, isn’t allowed.
- Only the official ONE Cutman can apply substances like Vaseline. Other substances on the body or face are banned.
- Using banned substances is illegal.
- Pouring water on an athlete isn’t permitted.
Equipment
- Mouthguard
- Groinguard (optional for female athletes)
- Gloves are provided by ONE Championship – athletes aren’t allowed to supply their own gloves
- Shorts mustn’t have exposed pockets or strings
- Legal shorts include: MMA Trunks, Spandex/Lycra shorts, board shorts
- Strapping of joints and neoprene knee and ankle supports aren’t allowed (ankle supports are allowed in Muay Thai and Kickboxing)
Hand Wraps and Vaseline
Approved tape and gauze are the only items allowed for use in wrapping hands.
Gauze can cover the hand and wrist, extending over the knuckles. Tape can be applied to the hand and wrist, but shouldn’t go beyond the knuckles.
The cutmen appointed by ONE Championship must apply hand wraps.
A fighter can choose their own person to wrap their hand, but it must be witnessed by the ONE Championship cutman.
The tape and gauze must be supplied by ONE Championship.
Vaseline is applied cageside to the facial area, above and around the eyes, only by the appointed ONE Championship cutman.
Cornermen aren’t allowed to apply vaseline to their fighters.
Overall
This has been the ONE Championship rules for every combat sport that the organization promotes, as well as the rules that apply across the sports.
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