ONE Championship brought together some of the biggest names in The Home Of Martial Arts for the annual ONE Elite Retreat in Phuket, Thailand.
50 of the organization’s most recognizable martial artists gathered for a few days of rest and recreation, coupled with seminars and workshops to fully equip them in their careers.
Some of the biggest names in Philippine mixed martial arts joined the retreat, and they certainly had the time of their lives.
“This is how ONE Championship gives back to the athletes and shows that we’re very much appreciated. We’re not just cattle,” said ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon “The Truth” Vera.
“On top of that, aside from being thrown into this five-star resort, we’ve been set up in classes, so we’re learning all these different things we should know, but don’t know.
“ONE has brought in speakers and professors from all over the world to help educate us, and that’s something that’s very rare, especially in our industry. We are ONE. It’s not just a hashtag, it’s a lifestyle.”
The retreat was also the perfect opportunity for rival athletes and rival teams to get together and leave all of their differences inside the ONE Circle.
Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon shared that he even worked with current ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki, just a few days after the Japanese legend defeated his teammate, Eduard Folayang, for the belt.
“I sparred with Shinya Aoki, and I had a great experience with him. I learned a lot, so I was so happy to be a part of the retreat,” Belingon said.
“I made new friends by meeting these other athletes, talking to them, and hearing their stories.”
Like Belingon, Vera also got closer to his future opponent, two-division ONE World Champion Aung La N Sang, whom he is scheduled to face later this October in Japan.
“ONE Championship is a very different thing, and it starts from its core values. It just pours over into the athletes. It’s nothing but love. Everyone here is supportive, and everyone is hanging out,” he said.
“You might think that because Aung La and I have a match coming up in October – I challenged him recently – [we’d be at odds], but man, we’ve been talking and hanging out ever since then.”
