5 Lessons Learned From ONE FC 19

ONE FC is now the most dominant MMA promotion in Asia, and has begun importing a number of western stars into its ranks, a move that puts pressure on the UFC and its plan to move into Asian markets like China, Japan, and Singapore. James McSweeny, Roger Huerta, and former Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren now call the promotion home, and with Rich Franklin taking a job as ONE FC's Vice President, you can expect them to have additional sway with western fighters, as well as considerable influence on local talents in the region. ONE FC 19 was a big show for promotion, maybe its biggest to date. Airing on the Fight Network and other cable providers as well as online, the event, entitled "Reign of Champions," saw three title bouts in addition to appearances by McSweeny and Huerta (who once graced the cover of Sports Illustrated). Notable names on the card besides those two included the undefeated Askren, Koji Oishi, and ONE FC lightweight champ and long-time MMA vet Shina Aoki. Despite having only co-main event billing, it was really the Askren show, though several other fights were worth paying attention to. Below are the main card results: LW Shinya Aoki defeated Kamal Shalorus via Submission (rear-naked choke) (Round 1 - 2:15) WW Ben Askren defeated Nobutatsu Suzuki via TKO (punches) (Round 1 - 1:24) FW Jadamba Narantungalag defeated Koji Oishi via unanimous decision LW Roger Huerta defeated Christian Holley via TKO (punches) (Round 1 - 3:13) LHW James McSweeney defeated Cristiano Kaminishi via KO (punch & soccer kick) (Round 1 - 1:17) FW Herbert Burns defeated Hiroshige Tanaka via unanimous decision So lets take a look at five lessons learned from ONE FC 19: Reign of Champions.