ONE Championship Announces 50k Bonus Winners Post-ONE: Heavy Hitters
ONE Championship announces 50k bonus winners for the first time ever.
Following their kickoff card of 2022, bonuses have been given out. Monetary rewards for exemplary performances at ONE: Heavy Hitters on January 14th.
Saygid Izagakhmaev, Senzo Ikeda, and Ekaterina Vandaryeva were the individuals in question who went home from Singapore Indoor Stadium with some additional US currency.
ONE Championship figurehead Chatri Siyodtong announced the inaugural ONE bonus winners at the post-Heavy Hitters virtual presser.
ONE Championship Announces 50k Bonus Winners
Senzo Ikeda overcame some early adversities by finishing the fight via a debilitating body shot. This took place in the third frame versus Elipitua Siregar.
Following his electric Goku-inspired DragonBall Z celebration in the post-fight, the elation continued upon Ikeda discovering he garnered this bonus.
Senzo Ikeda 🇯🇵 was ECSTATIC when he learned about his US$50,000 performance bonus! 💰 @senzolkeda #ONEHeavyHitters #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/b7bJPLNqNR
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) January 16, 2022
In the above video, and in a transcription courtesy of Sportskeeda, the 39-year-old warrior Ikeda stated, “Bonus? $50,000? Is it $50,000? Is this for real? This is amazing. I’m so happy. I feel like it’s a dream. I wasn’t expecting this. Is this for me? I don’t know what to use it on.”
Izagakhmaev put on a magnitude of performance that validated the hype coming in to this ONE Championship debut as a protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The lightweight MMA fighter finished former ONE welterweight title challenger James Nakashima via second-round submission.
Izagakhmaev worked his way into the top five rankings with that win. He is eyeing a title shot, per a post-fight interview with South China Morning Post, after putting together one more win inside the Circle.
Ekaterina Vandaryeva actually lost her strawweight Muay Thai contest that night against Supergirl. But many, including ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong, thought the split decision nod should have gone to the former instead of the latter who ended up winning.
An immediate rematch with Vandaryeva versus Supergirl is on track for an, as of yet, unspecified date/ time/ location.
What are your thoughts on ONE instantiating a bonus system and the Heavy Hitters winners?