With no fights set to take place for the foreseeable future due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis, much of the MMA world has been left pondering which big fights they’d love to see when the world gets back to normality again.
One man who has a wish list packed with blockbuster super fights is ONE Championship commentator Michael Schiavello, who chatted with MMA Junkie to offer his suggestions for some of the biggest post-coronavirus matchups he’d love to see under the ONE Championship banner later this year, as well as a pair of dynamite cross-promotion fantasy fights involving ONE Championship and UFC stars.
Aung La N Sang vs. Jon Jones
Schiavello: “Aung La N Sang vs Jon Jones is such a battle of styles and a battle of range.
“How does Aung La handle someone with the range of Jon Jones? He got past the range of Vera pretty easily, but Jones uses his range on a whole other level. And how does Jones react when he hits Aung La with these long-reaching high knees and hands and legs, and Aung La walks through them, gets in his face and lands that steel pipe to his jaw, and touches him up?
“That would be magnificent. But it also depends a lot on where you’re going to hold this match. If you hold it in the U.S., in Jones’ backyard, an obvious advantage swings to him. But if you hold this in Yangon, in Myanmar, in a soccer stadium with 50,000 people in there, I’m telling you, a big advantage swings back to Aung La. That crowd alone is like nothing you’ve ever seen in your life.
“I’ve commentated the biggest combat events. I’ve done the Olympics, I’ve done K-1, I’ve done DREAM, I’ve done Dynamite, I’ve done 80,000 people in the Tokyo Dome – I’ve done them all. But I’ve never heard anything like 10,000 inside Thuwunna Indoor Stadium when Aung La is fighting. To say you can’t hear yourself think is true. I can’t hear myself commentate these fights, even though I’ve got my headphones cranked up to 10 out of 10 on my levels. I can’t hear myself. It’s nuts.
“For anyone to come into that atmosphere – for Jon Jones to step into Myanmar and compete in that atmosphere – it’s so overwhelming. People might read this and go, ‘Come on, Schiavello! Jon Jones will obliterate Aung La.’ People are thinking you can’t compare Aung La to Jon Jones, but no, man. If you’re going to compare, you have to compare in all the aspects, and one big aspect is Aung La in Myanmar is untouchable, unbeatable. What would happen if Jones stepped into Aung La’s backyard and did it there? There’s so many factors, and that’s what makes it a fantastic match.”
Zhang Weili vs. Xiong Jing Nan
Schiavello: “From a population viewpoint, clarifying they’re Zhang Weili and Xiong Jing Nan – imagine the eyes on that, just from China alone.
“You put Xiong Jing Nan against Zhang. Who’s the better? Who’s the real superpower between those two? Two ferocious athletes who have completely different styles. That would be magnificent. That would be a great fantasy double-header right there.”
Next up: A huge fight for the biggest title in ONE Championship
Aung La N Sang vs. Brandon Vera 2
Schiavello: “Aung La N Sang stepping up to heavyweight to take on Brandon Vera and having a go at Vera’s heavyweight title. I’d love to see that.
“Aung La is the biggest star in ONE Championship, in my opinion. It’s hard to comprehend in the U.S. how these fighters are received over here. When you go to Myanmar, it’s another planet. The level of fame this guy enjoys would make Conor McGregor look like he has 100 followers in Ireland. It’s huge.
“They’ve erected statues to him. You go to Myanmar and everybody, from Buddhist nuns to young boys playing soccer in the street, to beggars, to people working in restaurants, officials in the airport, the military, to Myanmar’s most famous woman, Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize. Even she invites him to her house for receptions. Everyone knows who he is.
“You say his name, it opens doors for you. When I had visa problems getting into Myanmar because I hadn’t done my visa correctly and they didn’t want to let me in for a show in Yangon, I dropped Aung La’s name, and as soon as I dropped his name, the gates opened up. When they knew I was from ONE Championship, I was the commentator and I knew Aung La N Sang, that was it. The gates opened up. He’s huge, he gets mobbed over there, it’s massive. You can’t comprehend.
“So for him to take on Vera and maybe even do that in Myanmar, that would be huge.”
Next up: A dynamite matchup for “The Underground King” and a trilogy fight for the ages
Eddie Alvarez vs. Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev
Schiavello: “Eddie Alvarez, there are so many opponents he could take on. The obvious one that comes to mind is Christian Lee, the (ONE lightweight) champion, but the one I’d love to see is Eddie Alvarez versus “Dagi” (Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev).
“I think that would be fireworks, I think it wouldn’t get out of the first round. It would be the highlight-reel match of all highlight reels. So Alvarez vs. Dagi, I think that would be great.”
Angela Lee vs. Xiong Jing Nan 3
Schiavello: “Another one I’d love to see is Angela Lee vs Xiong Jing Nan 3.
“There are some fighters that are just made for each other. Ali and Frazier were made for each other. Angela and Xiong are made for each other.
“They’ve had one fight at strawweight – Angela lost. They’ve had one at atomweight – Xiong Jing Nan lost. Let’s do the decider at a catchweight. No title on the line, it’s simply a matter of pride. Do it at a catchweight, let’s see who wins the trilogy match between them. I’d love to see that.
Next up: A dangerous new test for “The Situ-Asian”
Martin Nguyen vs. Garry Tonon
Schiavello: “I’d like to see Garry Tonon against Martin Nguyen. I’d like to see that happen.
“Now’s the time for Martin to take Garry. Garry’s been saying that. He goes, ‘If you want to beat me, beat me now, because soon I’ll be unbeatable.’ He has been unbeatable.
“So let’s do Martin against Garry, because Martin has never taken on someone with the grappling prowess of Garry Tonon. Yes, he beat Marat Gafurov, but Gafurov also beat Martin. But Garry Tonon is a whole different ball game when it comes to BJJ.
“So let’s see if Martin can work that overhand right and those knockout skills and defend the takedown against someone like Tonon. And how does Tonon take it when someone hits him clean on the jaw? Is he going to realize he’s bitten off more than he can chew? That he’s stepped up too quick? These are all questions I’d love to see answered.”
Next up: “Mighty Mouse” faces ONE’s very best at flyweight while a legend returns to face ONE’s biggest superstar
Adriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnson
Schiavello: “Obviously, Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes is going to happen. That one I’m stoked for, because don’t underestimate the champion.
“There’s a reason Moraes is the champion. He’s so smart, he’s intelligent, he’s off the charts. He’s had so long to prepare for Demetrious, and I think he’s going to give Demetrious a really tough time – it’ll be no pushover. And Demetrious has had a tough time so far. Danny Kingad took him the distance. Tatsumitsu Wada took him the distance. These are people I thought that Demetrious may have finished, and he’s had some struggles along the way. And Moraes is a killer. Moraes is a finisher. He knows all the tricks, and he’s experienced.”
Vitor Belfort vs. Aung La N Sang
Schiavello: “Let me give you one more. Vitor Belfort vs. Aung La N Sang. That would be tasty. It would not last long!
“It would either be old-school Vitor coming out the gate and just trying to pounce on Aung La, or it’s going to be Aung La breaking him down and landing the steel pipe. But I think Vitor Belfort and Aung La would be crazy fun.”
Finally: A pair of long-awaited ONE Super Series superfights
ONE Super Series super fights
Schiavello: “I’d like to see (muay Thai superstar) Buakaw Banchamek come in. Where the hell is he these days? If you still want to prove you’re the best in the world, come to the best league. Come to ONE Super Series. We’ve called him out a number of times. Come in and have the two showdowns people finally want to see.
“Have a rematch with Giorgio Petrosyan after the controversy that happened so many moons ago when Petrosyan was so young. And have a showdown, finally, with Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex. To me they’re dream, mouthwatering, blockbuster matchups you could make in muay Thai and kickboxing. I’d like to see those two.”
