Focus on fighters’ safety adds to ONE Championship’s success

Photo from ONE Championship

Putting premium on the safety of its athletes, ONE Championship has been able to establish itself as one of the best MMA promotions in the world and the largest in Asia.

There are always risks that come with martial arts as a full contact sport. Athletes are prone to injury and they also put their lives on the line every time they step on the cage.

As part of ONE’s focus to ensure its world-class athletes’ welfare, the MMA outfit has maintained a high level when it comes to safety. Through measures and precautions, athletes are assured of having the safest platform to showcase their talents.

Renowned physician Dr. Warren Wang has helped maintain that safety standard since becoming ONE’s vice president of medical services in 2015.

“Because we are dealing with athletes who compete in unarmed, hand-to-hand combat for a living, it is of utmost importance to make sure that they are more than a hundred percent fit and capable of the high-stress environment of the martial arts cage,” said Dr. Wang, who has been practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu since 1996.

ONE Championship goes to great lengths to make sure its fighters receive the best medical care.

“Our pre-event medical processes, although tedious, laborious, and sometimes costly, assures the safety of our athletes,” said Dr. Wang. “We truly care about our athletes and that’s why, even to the point that they themselves feel it is unnecessary, we require them to undergo these processes and checks.

Fighters undergo tests, medical and physical examination to ensure they are fit to compete. Athletes also go through neurocognitive exams to make sure that there are no underlying neurological issues or post training concussions.

CT scans are also done to check for possible facial or intracranial fracture and hematomas and ECG’s for potential life-threatening arrhythmias.

“Even after all these exams prior to the event, on the night of the event itself I personally take a quick look at all the athletes in the warm up area,” said Dr. Wang. “Before their actual bouts, just moments prior to stepping into the cage, I walk to the pat down area and take a final look. We’re that thorough.”

“Giving our athletes the peace of mind that they are competing on the safest platform in their sport allows them to truly bring out the best of their skills and abilities,” Dr. Wang added. “That is why ONE Championship is not only the safest martial arts organization in the world, but also the most exciting.”