Five ONE Championship Stars Who Retired In 2022

The year 2022 was another huge year for ONE Championship as the promotion introduced a number of new World Titles, filled up its submission grappling roster, and announced a swathe of massive new broadcast deals across the globe.

The ONE Championship also made it's US prime time debut with the introduction of ONE Fight Night or ONE on Prime Video events, which was hosted across venues for five shows in 2022.

The year also gave rise to a wave of new stars, but several beloved athletes also called time on their careers over the last 12 months.

Here we look at five superstars who hung up the gloves and reflect on their contribution to ONE:

Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke

After competing in 19 mixed martial arts bouts and an incredible 350 kickboxing and Muay Thai fights, Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke retired from combat sports with nothing left to prove after one final outing at ONE: BAD BLOOD in February.

The Thai legend made his ONE debut in 2014 and became a force in MMA. He climbed to the pinnacle of his new sport and captured the ONE Strawweight World Title at ONE: WARRIORS QUEST in 2015.

Although he lost the strap in his first official defense, Dejdamrong continued to be a strawweight mainstay for the next seven years, delivering thrilling performances every time he stepped into the Circle.

John Wayne Parr

Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr departed the sport with an incredible 99 Muay Thai and kickboxing wins to his name at ONE X in March. "The Gunslinger" thrilled fans across four decades with his all-action style and ever-endearing smile.

The former WMC Muay Thai World Champion signed with ONE in 2021 and capped off his career with two epic battles against fellow legends Eduard Folayang and Nieky Holzken.

While he wasn't able to bag his 100th career win, the Australian superstar took home a US$50,000 performance bonus courtesy of a fan vote in his final outing - a fitting way to bow out of the global spotlight.

Mehdi Zatout

Algerian striking standout Mehdi Zatout managed to end his storied career with one last win. The former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Title challenger called time after six outings in the Circle with a first-round knockout of Asa Ten Pow at ONE Fight Night 3: Lineker vs. Andrade in October.

After the fight, Zatout announced his intention to retire in order to spend more time with his family, and he bagged a US$50,000 bonus, courtesy of ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, for his final win.

Cosmo Alexandre

Brazilian knockout artist Cosmo Alexandre retired in fitting style at ONE Fight Night 4: Abbasov vs. Lee in November by scoring a knockout over Juan Cervantes.

"Good Boy" was never in a boring fight throughout his storied career, which featured him fighting in MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing. The 40-year-old's knockouts are legendary, and they'll live long in the highlight reels of ONE.

Brandon Vera

Brandon Vera is a true ONE Championship pioneer. After making his promotional debut in 2014, "The Truth" became the inaugural ONE Heavyweight World Champion a year later, and he reigned over the division for nearly six years.

A well-rounded athlete with fight-stopping power, Vera was adored by fans in both his homeland of The Philippines and the world over.

The 45-year-old called time after dropping a loss to Amir Aliakbari at the recently run ONE 164: Pacio vs. Brooks event, and he leaves as one of the Singapore-based promotion's biggest stars.

Source: Media Release