7 Fighters ONE Fighting Championship Should Sign ASAP

7 Fighters ONE Fighting Championship Should Sign ASAP

Published on March 8, 2012 by The Coffee Boy in ONEFC, Opinion

7 Fighters ONE Fighting Championship Should Sign ASAP

Our ONE FC Insider The Coffee Boy Brings Us Another Very Interesting Article:

So far, One FC has done a pretty good job of bringing in talent. They have a good mix of new, up and coming fighters (such as Eduard Folayang, Zorobabel Moreira, Eddie Ng, and Eric Kelly), a few “big name” fighters who might not exactly be the best out there but still garner attention (such as Bob Sapp), and seasoned fighters who are expected to garner attention once they compete for the promotion (such asShinya Aoki and Renato Sobral).

A lot of these names actively excite fans of the ever-growing sport. Now the looming question: Who else should One FC sign? The promotion recently updated their website and it has the list of fighters currently signed to them. But who else should they bring in? Who else would the fans, such as myself, like to see? Let’s look at some fighters around the globe who would be a great addition to their roster.

1) Hector Lombard

The reigning Bellator and CFC Middleweight Champion is certainly no stranger to the mixed martial arts scene. This Cuban-Australian fighters fights out of the American Top Team, and is notable for his high-level Judo and heavy hands. His current record stands at 31 – 2 – 1 and 1 No Contest. He has 17 wins by KO/TKO and 7 by submission. He has only lost twice, and both of those came by decision.

While he has been criticized by some for allegedly “ducking” the UFC, Lombard has certainly put on good fights against many credible opponents including Trevor Prangley, Falaniko Vitale, and currentUFC contender Brian Ebersole. Signing Hector Lombard would certainly be a big boost for the promotion, and would be a challenge for current One FC middleweights Melvin Manhoef and Yoshiyuki Nakanishi.

2) Jay Silva

This Brazilian-Angolan fighter made his professional debut back in 2008 under Ring of Combat, submitting Mark DaPolito. He trains out of California and is associated with Reign MMA. While he had a short stint with the UFC, losing to CB Dolloway and Chris Leben, Silva has put on good fights and has finished the likes of Jaime Jara and former UFC contender Kendall Grove. He currently holds a professional record of 8 – 5. Jay Silva has loads of potential and would be a good addition to One FC’s ever-growing roster.

3) Jussier da Silva

My guess is that One FC would like to work on bringing in a good flyweight division. The smaller guys have proven over and over again that they are worth watching. They put on fast-paced, exciting fights. With the UFC finally including that division on their roster, you can imagine that they will be looking all over the world for talented flyweights. One FC will have to act fast, but of course, you get a lot of smaller fighters this side of the world, so expect to see a solid flyweight division. Now, on to Jussier da Silva.

This Brazilian mixed martial artist has a good record, standing at 12 wins with only 1 loss. He has fought in Brazil, the United States, and Japan, and has submitted 5 of his opponents, 4 of them by rear-naked choke. He trains at Nova União alongside UFC fighters Renan Barao and top 5 pound-for-pound champion Jose Aldo. Jussier da Silva would be an exciting potential signee, but One FC will have to act fast if they want to beat the UFC to a contract.

4) Takenori Sato

This 26-year-old Japanese fighter and current Pancrase Welterweight Champion has a record of 13 wins, 8 losses and 6 draws, and has been on a tear fighting mostly for Pancrase. 4 of his wins have come by KO/TKO, and 3 of them by submission. He has beaten the likes of Sojiro Orui, Yuta Nakamura, andHoon Kim. While Sato doesn’t possess the greatest record out there, he certainly comes to fight and has great potential to test the current welterweights in One FC such as Gregor Gracie, Yoshiyuki Yoshida, and Rodrigo Robeiro.

5) Dane Sayers

This Ultimate Fighter alum is an exciting and ever-improving fighter. He holds a professional record of 9 – 2, and of those 9 wins, he submitted 8 of them and finished 1 by TKO. He is known for his tight rear-naked chokes and guillotine submissions. He has fought in several divisions, and is scheduled to fightChris Hugh for the Impact Fighting Championship Middleweight title this year. He would be a great addition to the One FC roster as he is exciting, well rounded, and always puts on a good show.

6) Arnaud Lepont

Arnaud Lepont is a French mixed martial artist currently fighting out of Malaysia, training with the Muayfit fight team which includes Eric Kelly and Peter Davis. Holding a professional record of 7 wins and 1 loss, this fighter has never gone past the second round. Of his 7 wins, he has finished them by 5 of them by submission, 1 by a TKO, and one by DQ. He has fought in France, Germany, Belgium, and Thailand, and is currently fighting for the Thai promotion Dare, which is part of the One FC network.

Known for his aggressiveness, heavy strikes, and slick ground game, this fighter leaves it all in the cage. Signing him would be a real test for the One FC boys, and would bring out the very best of them. He’s still fresh and ever improving, and fight fans would always be in for a treat every card he’s on.

7) Fedor Emelianenko

Now now, I know what you’re thinking. But let me explain myself. “The Last Emperor” is arguably the most well-known heavyweight in the world, and was for years considered not only the greatest heavyweight ever, but possibly the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. While he did finally succumb to 3 losses, Emelianenko is back on track and beat Jeff Monson by decision, and then knocked out Japanese prospect Satoshi Ishii.

The Russian superstar is still a huge draw, and would be by far the biggest signee One FC could bring in. While I think he is in the last 1 or 2 years of his career, he could still put on some good fights, and no one can deny that he always comes to fight. He has knocked out Brett Rogers and Andrei Arlovski, submittedTim Sylvia, Mark Coleman, Mark Hunt, and Kevin Randleman, and has fought classic wars againstMirko Filipovic, and current UFC heavyweight fighter Antonio Rodrigo Noguiera.

Fedor Emelianenko would be hard to sign (remember Dana White trying to deal with M-1?), but with the right incentive (yes, money) and credible opponents, it could be done. Whether or not One FC plans on having a solid heavyweight division anytime soon shouldn’t get in the way of signing one of the biggest names and exciting fighters of all time. A big fight they could sell? Bring in Tim Sylvia to fight him, and One FC would walk away with a big fat payday.

*All records have been taken off of Sherdog.com