The United Kingdom has always been a force to reckon with when it comes to producing talent in the world of mixed martial arts. Fighters from the UK are competing in promotions across the globe.

Fighters like Leon Edwards, Tom Aspinall, and Paddy Pimblett have made quite the name for themselves in the UFC. The same is the case with ONE Championship with many fighters from the UK competing in their promotion.

For those unaware, ONE Championship is one of the biggest MMA promotions in the world. Having a strong presence in Asia, the organization is expanding its footsteps globally as well. With that said about the promotion, in this piece, we will take a look at the top 10 fighters from the UK that are competing in ONE Championship (The rankings are not from best to worst, the fighters are ranked in no particular order).

Top 10 fighters from the UK in ONE Championship

1 George Jarvis

George ‘G-Unit’ Jarvis is a 24-year-old fighter from the UK. Standing at 6 feet tall, Jarvis is a 3x World Muay Thai champion. He has fought three times in 2024 and was most recently seen in action against Rungrawee Sitsongpeenong at ONE Friday Fights 85. He upset the odds and secured a KO victory. Moreover, he even earned himself a six-figure contract from ONE Championship and further cemented the claim of being one of the best fighters from the UK that are competing in the UK.

2 Amber Kitchen

Amber ‘AK 47’ Kitchen is one of the more globally recognized Muay Thai fighters from the UK. Being the daughter of famed British kickboxing and Muay Thai World Champion, Julie Kitchen, and her coach, Nathan Kitchen, it is safe to say that fighting runs in her blood. For those unaware, she began training at the age of 3. As she progressed in the sport, Kitchen gained numerous titles. Even though she has not been active recently, it does not take away from the fact that she is one of the best fighters from the UK who competes in the ONE Championship. Moreover, she is looking to make a return soon.

3 Nico Carrillo

Nico Carrillo is a 26-year-old Muay Thai fighter from Scotland. Competing in the bantamweight division of ONE Championship, he has blasted to the top with a 4-0 run in the organization. Interestingly, Carrillo already considers himself the best in the world and has claimed to be ready for a shot at the title. While his next fight is a non-title fight, if he could add one more win to his record, he would most likely challenge for gold at some point in the near future.

4 Jacob Smith

The 32-year-old has made quite a name for himself. Growing up in North West England, Jacob Smith had a difficult upbringing. With his mother missing from his life and only a few family members to support him. However, he managed to change his life around. Having already fought for the flyweight Muay Thai title once in the past, he is set to challenge Rodtang for the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on November 8.

5 Liam Nolan

Liam Nolan is one of the UK’s veterans on the global stage and it would be unfair to not include him in the list. The English striker has been mixing it up in the lightweight division since 2019 with the best that the company has to offer. Currently boasting a record of 22-15-1, Nolan is still just 27 years old and has a lot of time on his hands. However, he would like to establish his place among the top-tier fighters as he aims to join his training teammate Haggerty as a ONE World Champion and be one of the best from the UK at ONE Championship.

6 Ellis Badr Barboza

At the age of 24, Ellis Badr Barboza is believed to be one of the best fighters in the strawweight division. Despite having ups and downs throughout his career, his time at ONE Championship has been nothing but impressive. The hard-hitting Birmingham native is looking to crack the strawweight Muay Thai rankings, and if he can keep delivering similar performances as he does in his victories, it won’t take him long to get there and further make his claim of being one of the best fighters from the UK to be competing in ONE Championship.

7 Jake Peacock

Born in England, Jake Peacock has lived in Canada since he was 15. Despite this, he still proudly flies the flag of the nation he was born in. His journey to the ONE Championship began when he knocked out three straight opponents to win the Road to ONE: Canada tournament. From there, Peacock proved that he belonged amongst the best with a dominant decision win in his flyweight Muay Thai clash against Kohei Shinjo in April. His story is nothing short of inspiring, despite having no right forearm, he has not let those circumstances deter him from chasing his dreams. That said, it would be a disgrace if he was to be left out from this list.

8 Freddie Haggerty

The younger brother of the two-sport world champion Jonathan, Freddie Haggerty is just 20 years old. Interestingly, he already looks like he might be on the same trajectory as his brother. He has quickly attained a record of 2-0 in ONE Championship, winning both of those fights via knockouts. Genetically, it seems he’s destined for great things just like his older brother, but he’s also got the work ethic and desire to carve his own path among a division of elite fighters. That said, no one can deny that he is amongst the best fighters from the UK that are competing in ONE Championship.

9 Amy Pirnie

Born in 1993, Amy Pirnie is a Scottish-born Muay Thai fighter. She is the reigning Lion Fight super-flyweight champion and the reigning ISKA strawweight world champion. Pirnie has even won the UK Muay Thai Awards voted her the best female fighter of the year three times. Despite recently dropping a decision in a tough battle with Shir Cohen, her experience and resume are evidence that she can bounce back and compete with the best that ONE Championship has to offer. That said, she is undoubtedly one of the best fighters from the UK that are competing in ONE Championship.

10 Jonathan Haggerty

Anyone who is remotely aware of ONE Championship needs no introduction about Jonathan Haggerty. The fighter who is sponsored by Sidekick Boxing, by far is the most successful fighter from the UK in ONE history. Haggerty is a former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing champion and a former two-division Muay Thai king. He joined ONE Championship back in 2019 and showcased a true breakout performance against Joseph Lasiri. After that impressive showing, he stunned Sam-A Gaiyanghadao to claim the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World title.

While he lost the title eventually, Haggerty decided to move up to bantamweight, where his power and durability have been taken to the next level. While our rankings have been in no particular order, the 27-year-old is undoubtedly the best fighter from the UK to be competing in ONE Championship. Boasting a record of 23-5, Haggerty is looking forward to bouncing back from a defeat in his last bout and it will be interesting to see how it would play out.

Conclusion

The above list is just a glimpse of the talent that has come out of the UK over the past decade. There are many such fighters that are competing globally across various organizations trying to make a name for themselves. That said, the effort put in by training facilities and the fighters deserves to be applauded as fresh world-class talent continues to come out of the UK.

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