On Wednesday, the promotion announced via press release that some famous figures from the MMA world would appear on the show. That includes former ONE/Bellator champ Ben Askren, UFC alum and BJJ ace Renzo Gracie, and UFC legend Georges St. Pierre.

“It is my absolute honor to announce that mixed martial arts legend Georges St-Pierre, master Renzo Gracie, and former ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren will join me in guiding 16 young entrepreneurs who will compete in the boardroom to become ‘The Apprentice’ and work by my side at ONE Championship,” said ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong in Wednesday’s press release.

For his part, Canada’s GSP expressed his excitement, saying it was “an honor for me to guest star alongside [Chatri] on the show and learn everything that I can. I hope to share my insight and knowledge in business, as well as how it is to be an elite athlete, with the contestants and help them become successful.”

The show is expected to air in early 2021. The winner of The Apprentice: ONE Championship Edition will earn a US$250,000 job offer to work “directly under Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong for a year as his protege in Singapore.”

BREAKING NEWS: Please join me in welcoming my good friends, Georges St-Pierre, Renzo Gracie, and Ben Askren, to the cast of The Apprentice! They will join me, Demetrious Johnson, Angela Lee, Brandon Vera, Sage Northcutt, Jingnan Xiong, and Ritu Phogat! pic.twitter.com/lJ0jTKVf3O

— Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) October 28, 2020

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Not only was the UFC back in full swing over the weekend, but ONE Championship was a well, bringing a stacked card to Manila, Philippine’s Mall of Asia Arena. There, the Asian MMA powerhouse brought with it some powerful names: Tonon. Aoki. Renzo Gracie! It was enough to set the grappling world afire, but these were MMA bouts, plus a main event of Martin Nguyen facing Kevin Belingon for the promotion’s interim bantamweight title.

While Australia’s Nguyen would once again fall short in his pursuit of triple gold,  the aforementioned Tonon, Aoki, and Gracie all won big. As did Eduard Folayang, the former lightweight champ looking to reestablish himself at the top of the division.

Full results and a gallery of all the highlights can be found below!

ONE Championship: Reign of Kings Results

Kevin Belingon def. Martin Nguyen by unanimous decision – For the Interim ONE Bantamweight Championship
Shinya Aoki def. Shannon Wiratchai by TKO, Round 1, 2:16
Renzo Gracie def. Yuki Kondo by submission (rear naked choke), Round 2, 1:40
Eduard Folayang def. Aziz Pahrudinov by unanimous decision
Garry Tonon def. Rahul Raju by submission (rear naked choke), Round 3, 3:27
Armen Petrosyan def. Chris Ngimbi – ONE Super Series Kickboxing
Panicos Yusuf def. Han Zi Hao by unanimous decision – ONE Super Series Muay Thai

Preliminary Card

Joshua Pacio def. Pongsiri Mitsatit by submission (Hammerlock), Round 1, 3:37
Chamuaktong Fightermuaythai def. Brown Pinas by unanimous decision – ONE Super Series Muay Thai
Rene Catalan def. Stefer Rahardian by unanimous decision
Xie Bin def. Sor Sey by submission (D’arce choke), Round 1, 1:55

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On Thursday, ONE Championship announced the main event of its upcoming Reign of Kings card in Manila, Philippines. Atop the event will be an interim bantamweight title fight between Martin Nguyen, the Asian MMA powerhouse’s featherweight and lightweight champion, and Kevin Belingon. Also added to the card, the legendary Renzo Gracie, who will come out of retirement one final time to face Yuki Kondo.

Gracie (13–7–1 (1)) hasn’t fought since 2010, a loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 112, in what was his one and only appearance inside the UFC octagon. Gracie had won three fights prior to that, against Carlos Newton, Frank Shamrock, and Pat Miletich. His return comes as no surprise, as he had announced his intention to return to MMA previously this year.

At age 51, Renzo will take on the 42-year old Yuki Kondo (60–34–9), who has been actively competing in MMA since 1996.

Also on the card in the main event, Kevin Belingon meets current ONE lightweight, and featherweight champion Martin Nyugen in a interim bantamweight championship bout. Nguyen (11-2) gets another shot at bantamweight gold at Reign of Kings, but this time it’s an interim title. Nguyen faced Bibiano Fernandes just a few months back, falling short in his bid for a third title in the promotion. However, with Fernandes now injured, he faces top 135lb’er Belingon (18-5).

Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship Chatri Sityodtong stated in a press release that “with reigning bantamweight king Bibiano Fernandes not available until later this year due to injury, Kevin Belingon and Martin Nguyen will square off for the ONE Interim Bantamweight World Championship. It’s a great match-up between two heavy-handed power punchers, and one that will surely leave fans at the edge of their seats”

Nguyen most recently successfully defended his featherweight title at ONE Championship: Unstoppable Dreams in May. There, he defeated Christian Lee.

Also on the card, Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki returns after his win at ONE 76 in a lightweight bout against Shannon Wiratchai. Aoki is looking to return to championship status in ONE championship after losing the lightweight title to Eduard Folayang in 2016, and losing to Ben Askren at welterweight in 2017. Before those losses he was coming off a win over MMA legend Sakuraba in RIZIN.

Meanwhile Shannon Wiratchai is coming off a knockout victory over Rahul K. Raju this past May, and is currently 7-1 in his last eight fights, six of those fights ending in finishes for the Thailand native.

ONE Championship: Reign of Kings takes place July 27 at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

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