ONE Championship’s all-conquering Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren has built a remarkable legacy in a field that demands constant evolution from its athletes.

Askren brings the curtain down on his stellar martial arts career on Friday, 24 November, when he takes on Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in the main event of ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT in Singapore. 

The American was in retrospective mood when we spoke to him ahead of his final battle before hanging up the gloves for good.

“Life is a competition,” he told us. “Everything in life is a competition.”

When it comes to being successful in competition, Askren has been there and done that.

A two-time NCAA Division I Champion for the University of Missouri and a US team member at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Askren has been operating at the very apex of his chosen vocation since his early 20s.

Over a stellar sporting career, he’s learned that the skills and attributes he’s picked up along the way aren’t limited to the sporting realm. Far from it, in fact.

“All skills are transferable,” he explained. “Work ethic, discipline, persistence, ingenuity — all those skills are directly transferable. I transferred them from wrestling to martial arts, and I am currently transferring them to the rest of my life. I try to compete at everything I do in life.”

Now 33 years of age, Askren heads into his final martial arts bout with an umblemished 18-bout professional record, with the defining highlight being the ONE Welterweight World Title, a championship he’ll defend for the final time in his second home of Singapore, where he trains at the acclaimed Evolve MMA.

While Askren is winding down his competitive career inside the cage, he certainly isn’t planning on walking away from martial arts completely after his final bout. He already has the Askren Wrestling Academy, a venture launched with his younger brother and fellow NCAA Division I champion Max, to offer an elite grappling school for the nation’s best wrestlers.

It’s proved a roaring success. This past year, the school’s three locations helped to produce six high school state champions, 14 youth state champions, and three top-four finishes in one of the most challenging tournaments in the US.

“There are so many kids who do not believe in themselves, whether it is in their ability to win, their ability to work hard, or their abilities to overcome difficulties or adversity,” Askren says.

“So when they finally believe in themselves and realise they are strong enough to do it, that is what I get the most satisfaction out of.”

Askren is also using the experiences and lessons picked up over his own remarkable career to advise and support aspiring martial artists, as well as mentor and guide young athletes who are looking to embark on their own careers in competitive martial arts.

“There are so many athletes who, once they get done with their athletic career, have absolutely no idea what they want to do in their life. And I mean none,” Askren explains.

“I tell anyone who listens to me, when you think you have about two or three years left, when you start seeing the end, then start figuring out what you are going to do in your life.

“For a lot of people, it is teaching jiu-jitsu, wrestling, or kickboxing. That is probably a good option for a lot of people. There are lots of things people can do, but you have to have something you want to do and are willing to go after following your athletic career.”

Askren has always been an athlete who has taken an intelligent approach to his career, and as he prepares to make the walk to the ONE Championship cage for the last time, one thing is sure.

It won’t be the last time we see or hear from the man they call “Funky,” as he is set to take up an executive position in ONE Championship. Whatever the role entails, it’s a sure bet he’ll continue his lifelong pursuit of excellence in it.

Sometimes you can’t choose when your opportunities arrive. You just have to grab them when they arise. 

That’s exactly what Gina Iniong did, as she chose to step in on short notice and face Mei Yamaguchi at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT on Friday, 24 November.

The pair will do battle in the ONE Championship cage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, with the prize being a likely world title shot for the winner. 

Indeed, Yamaguchi was originally scheduled to face ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee at the event. But after Lee was involved in a car accident, the Singaporean superstar was ruled out of the event, leaving a space on the card.

The ONE matchmakers put a call in to Iniong’s coach, Team Lakay’s Mark Sangiao, who broke the news to the Filipino striker, telling her that she had a huge opportunity to catapult herself to the front of the atomweight queue.

“Coach Mark broke the news to me, and told me that I had the chance to face Yamaguchi next in Singapore,” the 28-year-old explained.

“‘Seize the moment’, he told me, casually. I agreed, and Coach Mark said this was a huge opportunity for me.”

Conditions are still optimal for Iniong, despite stepping back into the ONE Championship cage just two weeks after her last bout. But her performance in that contest, a dominant second-round TKO finish of Priscilla Hertati Lumbangaol in Manila at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD, showed that she is in prime form – arguably, the best of her career.

“I was not hurt. After the bout, I felt great. There are no injuries, and thankfully, I did not get hit a whole lot, so I am still fresh,” said Iniong.

“Taking this bout on short notice should be no problem for me, since I am still on weight and still in competition shape.”

Iniong’s confidence stems not only from her recent performance, but also from the knowledge that she’s faced – and beaten – Yamaguchi before. The pair met back in March 2014, when Iniong edged a split decision after three competitive rounds.

“She has improved a lot since the last time I shared the cage with her,” Iniong admitted.

“She has amazing stamina, endurance, and techniques. She is a complete martial artist.

“All martial artists, as long as they are consistent with training, can improve their skills. Yamaguchi has definitely gotten much better over the past three years.”

Now, with both athletes significantly improved from their meeting back then, Iniong remains optimistic that her evolved skillset can eclipse that of her opponent, even coming in at short notice.

“I am not underestimating Yamaguchi by any means,” she said.

“To do so would be a terrible mistake, even if I am familiar with her style. Having faced her before does not matter now. This is a completely different matchup.

“If I can beat Yamaguchi, I hope to get a shot at the title, but that is up to ONE Championship. I am willing to do whatever is necessary, and if that means I need to keep winning, then I will keep winning.”

While some athletes would hesitate at such a huge opportunity being presented on short notice, Iniong is determined to grab the chance, and turn it into a title shot against Lee early in 2018.

Some may view such an opportunity as a free swing, but Iniong is treating it as if it’s the only opportunity she’s going to get, as she looks to move herself into title contention. To her, this is a bout that she simply must win.

“This bout is really important to me, to my career,” Iniong explained.

“I am driven by my goal to become champion. Since joining ONE Championship, I have had my eye on facing Angela Lee, and I would not be deserving of a shot at the title if I cannot defeat Mei Yamaguchi. I have to win on Friday night.”

Mei Yamaguchi’s shot at ONE world championship gold may have been put on the back burner, but she still has something to gain after being handed a new opponent for her bout at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT.

Yamaguchi was scheduled to challenge Singapore’s Angela Lee for the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Championship on 24 November at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, but an accident meant Lee was ruled out of the event.

Thankfully, the World Champion escaped with superficial injuries, but it also meant Yamaguchi’s chance at championship gold was taken off the table for this event.

“I was told that Angela was in a car accident. I was surprised, but was so glad that she was okay,” said the 34-year-old Japanese contender.

“Then, I tried to keep concentrating on my training because I believed that ONE was looking for another opponent.”

Indeed they were, and when the came back to Yamaguchi with the name of her new opponent, she was happy and motivated to continue her training ahead of the event.

That’s because Yamaguchi was matched against Gina “Conviction” Iniong, who defeated Yamaguchi by split decision after three competitive rounds at a regional event back in 2014.

It means that Yamaguchi has gone from preparing for one rematch to training for another, having lost to both Lee and Iniong earlier in her career. As a result, the motivation to avenge a previous defeat remains constant, despite the change of opponent.

“I was glad that Gina answered ‘yes’ to the match on the Singapore card with me,” she admitted.

“I have always looked for a chance for revenge. This is the perfect moment.

“My image of the last match was Gina getting some points with her boxing, and me with my ground game.

“It was back and forth, but all of my team thought I won.”

Both athletes have progressed significantly since their first meeting, and with Lee ruled out for the short term, this newly-arranged bout effectively represents a world title eliminator, with both women in prime position to challenge for the belt.

“Gina has a really good right hand she throws, and she is strong and physical,” Yamaguchi said.

“I am better with the ground game and improved more in my boxing skills compared to our previous match.

“She competed against a good kickboxer recently, was controlling her opponent well on the ground, and was really aggressive. She looked like she won without taking much damage.”

While Yamaguchi admits her opponent has improved her skills, she says the matchup will not stand in her way of her ultimate aim of challenging – and defeating – Lee in the rematch she’d originally prepared for.

“My story will not end here,” she declared.

For Adrian Pang, competing inside the ONE Championship cage is about more than simply winning a world title – it’s about proving he can still throw down with the best in the world.

Pang takes on rising star Amir Khan at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT, and is looking to gatecrash the lightweight world title picture after a rollercoaster career spanning 34 bouts and multiple championships in a host of promotions.

The ONE Lightweight World Title would bring the sort of stardom Pang could only have dreamt of as a youngster growing up in poverty in Papua New Guinea.

“We did not have much. But when you do not have much, then you do not know what you are missing out on,” he said.

“We were properly poor, and if you saw the house we lived in, it looked like a shanty house. But my dad, he is now one of the most successful men in Papua New Guinea, and he is my inspiration.”

Pang’s father James was a successful windsurfer and yachtsman, winning national titles. He competed internationally for Papua New Guinea, and was a source of great inspiration to young Adrian growing up.

“I used to always watch him and want be like him,” he admitted. “I wanted to be champion in something one day. I just did not know what it was going to be.”

While Pang didn’t retrace his father’s footsteps in water sports, he found a sporting avenue of his own. It all started when he, his brother, and his friends started watching Bruce Lee movies on video.

“We watched kung fu movies out of Hong Kong, and my friends and I tried to ‘Bruce Lee’ the crap out of each other,” he laughed.

“I think it was because he was Chinese martial artist who did kung fu, which we could relate to.

“He was one of the first martial artists that could combine styles together, and that is what appealed to me. He would box and kick, and have his bit of wrestling.

“It was not movies where it is like, ‘I do not know if this would actually work.’ He was a real, genuine martial artist that brought people together, and found out what works for one person may not work for somebody else, and I really like that philosophy.”

Pang and his brother moved to Australia to live with his mother, and within two years he was training in kung fu. By the time he hit 23, his martial arts passion switched gears when he discovered the legendary Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills of Royce Gracie. 

Pang then started cross-training in different martial arts disciplines, jumping into the cage for his first professional bout in November 2001.

Initally, he worked a second job as a joiner alongside his martial arts career, and used a AUD$50,000 loan from his father to equip a shed with all the tools he needed to make a success of his day job.

As his successes inside the cage started to rack up, he gradually gravitated towards martial arts as his main source of income, and eventually shut down his joinery and converted it to a yoga studio, with a pair of gyms behind it, becoming a landlord in the process.

Add that to his highly-successful Integrated MMA gym, and Pang could leave a comfortable life indeed, all without having to step into the cage. 

However, his focus is fixed on world championship success, and he has a tough test ahead of him in the form of Khan, a young in-form finisher who has already amassed the most knockouts and finishes in ONE history.

Pang’s long 34-bout career has thrown up a lifetime of competitive experience for the Aussie, who says he’s ready to prove that he’s still world championship calibre at the age of 40.

“It is not about the fame or anything like that,” he said.

“It is more about proving myself, and I still think I’ve got it.”

Vietnam-based Frenchman Arnaud Lepont is ready to return to the ONE Championship cage after two years away.

“The Game” makes his comeback on Friday, 24 November, against Filipino Richard ‘Notorious’ Corminal, in a lightweight battle between striker and submission artist at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT in Singapore.

Despite his lengthy absence, Lepont says he’s ready to jump back into action, with only the usual pre-bout nerves to deal with before taking on his opponent.

“My only concern is the pressure of the big event. Being at home in your own cage is different from being in front of the crowd,” said the 37-year-old.

“Managing nerves is part of the game. You can lose the match before you start. It is a mind game, and that is what I working on.”

Lepont’s character gained notoriety for his brash, outspoken approach to the cage, but his last appearance gave him something of an attitude adjustment, as he explained ahead of his ONE Championship return.

“That was a bad experience,” he said of his September 2015 TKO loss to Vincent Latoel.

“I was not even in that match. I was passive. I was watching that match.

“It is OK to talk, but you also need to show valour and respect.”

That loss prompted Lepont to step away from active competition, as he instead concentrated his efforts into the management of one of the biggest martial arts gyms in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City.

Being around aspiring young competitors on a daily basis meant the competitive bug soon returned, and Lepont turned his attention back to the cage once again.

“Because you are there training, you are learning new skills,” he explained.

“You are getting older, but you learn to compete in a different way.”

As a youngster, Lepont suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), and his father enrolled him in a local karate school to help the youngster cope with his condition and teach him discipline.

He soon expanded his martial arts horizons, and years later, eventually found himself competing in loosely regulated martial arts matches in bars across Central Europe.

“Guys were smoking cigarettes and throwing their beer at you if you did not go to the floor, or if you are not putting on a show,” he recalled.

“They only had two sets of gloves and when you were done, you passed them on to the next guy.”

He later quit his lucrative banking job to concentrate on competitive martial arts full-time, found a home in Vietnam, and has been on ONE’s roster for the past five and a half years.

On 24 November, Lepont returns, refreshed, reinvigorated, and armed with a BJJ black belt gained two years ago. His two years away have given him the chance to sharpen his skills and add new weapons to his arsenal. He says he’s ready to put on a show against Corminal.

“Richard is good. He is talented and younger,” Lepont said. “But I cannot be scared of that guy. It is not possible. He should be scared of me. He does not know what I can do. He does not know the new version of me.”

The new Lepont will still bring showmanship to the fore, but this time it will be tempered with the experience and humility of a 37-year-old who knows the ups and downs of a life spent in the cage.

Plus, the whiskey connoisseur says the experience of returning to competition will be akin to enjoying a glass of the finest whiskey.

“It is magical, if someone pours you an expensive whiskey. This stuff has been waiting 15 or 20 years to get here. It is amazing,” he explains.

“[Competing in the cage] is like that. You want to feel that rush one more time.”

All martial artists face challenges as they make their way through their careers, and Singapore’s ONE Championship star Amir Khan is no different. What is different, however, is the type of challenge he had to face.

Khan grew up with Tourette Syndrome, a neurological condition that causes involuntary tics and movements. 

For someone looking to succeed in the world of martial arts, it’s something he’s worked hard to control, and now it’s no longer an issue for him during bouts. However, he’s regularly asked about it by inquisitive journalists and fans alike.

“Usually, inside the cage, I do not try to control the tics,” he said.

“Sometimes, it comes up, but it does not affect me, because I learned to cope with it. Even if I were to move my head, my eyes are still on my opponent.”

It was a different story in his youth, however, where the condition proved a real challenge to Khan during his childhood and at school.

“Growing up, I used to have spasms. I used to shake my head a lot. I would blink my eyes and make facial expressions,” he said.

“When I was younger, it was really really bad. When I was in school, the other kids would pick on me and imitate me and stuff. It was tough growing up with it.”

Fortunately, Khan found martial arts – an outlet that, almost by accident, helped him to deal with his condition and make life easier, both inside and outside the gym.

He took up the art of Muay Thai as a 13-year-old, moving away from his previous passion for golf, and found the physical exertions and mental focus of ‘The Art of Eight Limbs’ had a positive effect on how he coped with his condition.

“I believe martial arts has helped me through it,” he said.

“Whenever I felt like I could not control my Tourette’s, then I would go to the gym and I would sweat it out. I felt relaxed and better after each session.

“In martial arts, you cannot really take your eyes off your opponent when you are sparring with him. You have got to really really focus, or else you will get hurt, so it definitely taught me how to focus, and I was able to bring it over into real-life situations.”

Martial arts also had a positive effect on life at school. Previously, he’d been mocked and bullied as a result of his condition. But soon that came to an end, as his Muay Thai exploits became known around the school.

“After I started picking up Muay Thai, people started to say, ‘This guy knows how to fight,’ and they just talked [to me] a lot more,” he remembered.

“They seemed more interested in me, I guess.”

He had his first amateur bout aged just 14, and then, after a few more contests, went to Thailand to train. It was there that he picked up the urge to compete professionally, a prospect that left his otherwise supportive mother more than a little concerned.

“My mom was alright with me just training, but when I wanted to compete, she was not too sure about it,” he said.

“You know moms can be very protective. My dad supported me since day one. When I told him I want to compete in Muay Thai tournaments, he said: ‘Okay, just tell me what I can do to help.’

“My mom, after a couple of years, I tried to convince her that this is what I really wanted to do, and then she supported me in the end.”

Now, Khan competes with the support of his whole family, and that, combined with the knowledge that his Tourette’s no longer plays a negative part in his athletic career, has seen him rocket up the ranks of the ONE Championship lightweight division. He owns an impressive record of eight wins, two losses, and the record for most knockouts and finishes in the promotion.

Now, the 23-year-old will be looking to propel himself into title contention, with victory over seasoned veteran Adrian Pang when he faces the Australian at ONE: IMMORTAL PURSUIT on 24 November in Singapore.

Khan says a stoppage win should be enough to book him into a title bout early in the New Year.

“If I put him away either by knockout, submission, or TKO, I believe I have the right to challenge the world champion.”

Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Alex Silva will look to continue the recent run of challengers unseating titleholders in the ONE Championship cage. 

The Evolve MMA submission wizard will take on defending ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka Naito in the main event of ONE: WARRIORS OF THE WORLD in Bangkok, Thailand, on 9 December.

Silva announced himself as the clear number-one contender for the world title, putting on a stunning display of submission skills as he ended the undefeated record of Japanese contender Hayato Suzuki at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD earlier this month.

His first-round armbar submission left those in attendance with no doubt that “Little Rock” was the right man to step up and challenge for Naito’s title, setting up a battle between the 6-1 Brazilian jiu-jitsu star and the undefeated 12-0 champion in a fascinating world title clash.

After seeing the ONE Flyweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, and Middleweight World Titles change hands in the space of the last few months, Silva is keen to prompt another title change before the end of 2017 with victory over Naito.

The 35-year-old is a mainstay at Singapore’s Evolve MMA team – a camp that has produced a host of ONE Championship superstars, including Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee and Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren.

Now, Silva plans on adding to the gym’s crowded trophy cabinet.

“Defeating Hayato Suzuki has been one of my greatest accomplishments inside the ONE Championship cage,” Silva explained.

“I was very well prepared to for him. I expected a tougher match, and I did not expect him to try to take me down and compete with me on the ground, because I knew if it went to the ground that I would submit him.

“So I saw the armbar, I went for it, and now we’re here. I’m competing for the ONE Strawweight World Championship, and have a chance to be known as the best strawweight in the world. I’m excited for the opportunity.”

Naito, on the other hand, won the title with victory over former champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke, and most recently completed an impressive defence of his title with a submission finish of Filipino contender Joshua Pacio. 

Now, he’s ready to put his title on the line once more against a dangerous new challenger.

“Winning the ONE Strawweight World Championship and becoming world champion was always a dream of mine,” said Naito.

“To be recognised amongst my peers as the best at what I do is important to me.

“Having this belt means I am a master of my craft. It hasn’t been easy. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but I am prepared to do whatever it takes.

“Alex Silva is a worthy challenger and an amazing competitor. I look forward to testing my skills against him.”

Naito vs Silva tops the bout list for another spectacular ONE Championship event, as a host of Asia’s very best martial arts stars will showcase their skills at the Impact Arena.

Thailand’s own Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai is set to play a starring role on the card, along with Rika “Tinydoll” Ishige. Wiratchai will face Russian Rasul Yakhyaev in the night’s co-main attraction, in a bout that has been tipped to determine the next challenger for the ONE Lightweight World Title.