The ONE Lightweight MMA World Championship has always been one of the hardest belts to hold. Since the division\u2019s launch in 2011, it has changed hands through seismic upsets and rivalries that defined eras.<\/p>\n
No World Champion has reigned unchallenged for long, a testament to a division packed with warriors. Each era has seen titleholders rise and fall in dramatic fashion, reinforcing why lightweight is hailed as one of the most unforgiving and talent-rich weight classes in the world\u2019s largest martial arts organization.<\/p>\n
Now, as reigning two-division ONE MMA World Champion Christian \u201cThe Warrior\u201d Lee<\/a> prepares to defend his lightweight crown in a rematch against Alibeg Rasulov<\/a> at ONE 173: Superbon vs. Noiri<\/a> in Tokyo\u2019s Ariake Arena on November 16, the division\u2019s legacy feels heavier than ever.<\/p>\n Lee and Rasulov\u2019s initial clash ended abruptly. An accidental eye poke left Rasulov unable to continue, forcing the bout to be called a no contest. With so much unfinished business between them, it\u2019s the right time to retrace the roller coaster history of the ONE Lightweight MMA World Title.<\/p>\n The Birth Of A Division: Boku Vs. Aoki<\/p>\n The division\u2019s first World Champion was crowned in 2012 when former Shooto Champion Kotetsu \u201cNo Face\u201d Boku<\/a> stunned Zorobabel Moreira at ONE: RISE OF KINGS<\/a>. Boku\u2019s boxing carried him to a third-round TKO, making him the inaugural titleholder.<\/p>\n But his reign lasted only half a year. In April 2013, Shinya \u201cTobikan Judan\u201d Aoki<\/a> took the belt. Known for suffocating jiu-jitsu, the Japanese icon ran through challengers like Kamal Shalorus and Koji Ando, cementing himself as the face of the division.<\/p>\n His grip on the gold, however, lasted until a Filipino challenger rewrote the story.<\/p>\n Folayang\u2019s Rise And Fall<\/p>\n In November 2016, Eduard \u201cLandslide\u201d Folayang<\/a> met Aoki at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR<\/a> in Singapore. Aoki\u2019s ground game looked threatening early, but Folayang weathered the storm and then flipped the script in round three. He poured on strikes until the referee waved it off.<\/p>\n Folayang\u2019s upset over Aoki didn\u2019t just give him a belt \u2013 it made him a national sporting icon and turned Team Lakay, his gym at the time, into a household name the world could no longer overlook.<\/p>\n He went on to defend the World Title against Ev Ting<\/a> at ONE: KINGS OF DESTINY<\/a> in Manila, but the fairy tale didn\u2019t last. By the end of 2017, his reign had already slipped away.<\/p>\n Nguyen\u2019s Double-Gold Era<\/p>\n It was Martin \u201cThe Situ-Asian\u201d Nguyen<\/a> who brought Folayang\u2019s first reign to a sudden halt.<\/p>\n After storming through the featherweight ranks and dethroning Marat \u201cCobra\u201d Gafurov<\/a> to take that belt, Nguyen set his sights on lightweight gold. At ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD<\/a> in November 2017, he delivered again, connecting with his trademark overhand right in round two to silence Folayang and shock Manila\u2019s Mall of Asia Arena.<\/p>\n That punch made the Vietnamese-Australian ONE\u2019s first-ever two-division MMA World Champion, holding the featherweight and lightweight belts.<\/p>\n It was a historic achievement, but injuries cut his reign short. He eventually vacated the belt to focus on defending at featherweight, leaving the division wide open once more.<\/p>\n Folayang And Aoki\u2019s Second Runs<\/p>\n With the throne vacant, Folayang climbed back into contention. Two wins set him up for another World Title shot, and at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS<\/a> in November 2018, he outworked Amir Khan<\/a> to reclaim the gold in front of his compatriots in Manila.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Aoki was carving his own path back to the top, steamrolling Rasul Yakhyaev<\/a>, Shannon Wiratchai<\/a>, and Ting \u2013 all by first-round finishes. <\/p>\n The Japanese icon\u2019s resurgence led to another crack at Folayang, and he made the most of it.<\/p>\n At ONE: A NEW ERA<\/a> in March 2019, he submitted the Filipino hero with an arm-triangle choke in round one, reclaiming the lightweight crown in front of his home fans in Tokyo. It was his second reign \u2013 short-lived, as has so often been the case in this dynamic division.<\/p>\n Lee\u2019s Ascension<\/p>\n At ONE: ENTER THE DRAGON<\/a> in May 2019, the 20-year-old Lee met Aoki. The Japanese veteran nearly ended their bout early with an armbar, but Lee wriggled free and came roaring back in the second stanza to turn the fight around.<\/p>\n With the TKO victory, the Singaporean-American was crowned the youngest male MMA World Champion in ONE history.<\/p>\n Later that year, Lee stepped in on short notice at ONE: CENTURY<\/a> to face Dagi Arslanaliev<\/a> in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Championship Final.<\/p>\n Despite the circumstances and Dagi\u2019s reputation as one of the division\u2019s most dangerous finishers, Lee put on a masterful performance and earned a unanimous decision win, adding the tournament silver belt to his resume.<\/p>\n Winning the Grand Prix confirmed Lee\u2019s status as the man to beat, and he carried that momentum back into his World Title defenses. In October 2020, he stopped the late Iuri Lapicus in under three minutes, and the following April, he defeated Russian finisher Timofey Nastyukhin<\/a> in the opening round.<\/p>\n The combination of knockout power and submission threats made Lee a nightmare matchup. He pushed further by moving up to welterweight, grabbing gold there as well and strengthening his case as one of the most naturally gifted fighters of his era.<\/p>\n But as always in this division, no reign lasts forever.<\/p>\n Ok Disrupts Reign Of \u2018The Warrior\u2019<\/p>\n South Korean star Ok Rae Yoon<\/a> entered ONE without much fanfare, but he quickly built a resume by beating former featherweight king Gafurov and MMA legend Eddie \u201cThe Underground King\u201d Alvarez<\/a>. By September 2021, he had earned his shot at Lee\u2019s crown at ONE: REVOLUTION<\/a>.<\/p>\n Over five taxing rounds, Ok stuffed Lee\u2019s takedowns, countered his offense, and kept a steady pace that never dipped. When the scorecards came back in his favor, he had ended Lee\u2019s reign \u2013 and kicked off one of the most talked-about debates in ONE history.<\/p>\n