ONE Championship announces atomweight grand prix

ONE Championship will kick off 2021 with a grand prix tournament in the atomweight division.

The one atomweight title has long been held by Angela Lee. However, Lee and her husband Bruno Pucci recently announced that they’re expecting their first child, which means the long-time titleholder will be out of action for some time.

With Lee on the shelf, ONE is promoting a grand prix tournament to keep the division moving in her stead. The promotion’s Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced his exciting news on Friday morning, simultaneously congratulating Lee and Pucci on their news.

“Please join me in congratulating ONE Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee Pucci and Bruno Pucci on their wonderful news! I have had the good fortune of knowing both Angela and Bruno for many years and I could not be happier for them and the little one on the way,” the ONE boss wrote on Facebook. “I have seen them both go through good, bad, and ugly times as athletes, individuals, and a couple over the years. And I can tell you that Angela and Bruno are truly wonderful people with hearts of gold.

“And yes, the rumors are true: I immediately signed the baby to ONE Championship as our youngest athlete signing in history when Angela first informed me of her pregnancy several weeks ago,” Sityodtong joked. “Fans can expect a massive debut in 2037!

“On a more serious note, I am happy to announce that there will now officially be a ONE Atomweight World Grand Prix Championship tournament to kick things off in 2021,” he concluded, announcing the tournament. “I am SUPER PUMPED for this tournament. Stay tuned for details!”

BJPENN.com can confirm that this newly announced tournament will conclude with an interim champion being crowned.

At this stage, it’s not clear how many women will participate in this ONE Championship grand prix. That being said, Denise Zamboanga, Stamp Fairtex, Meng Bo, Itsuki Hirata, Mei Yamaguchi, Bi Nguyen, and strawweight champion Xiong Jingnan all seem like possible candidates for the event.

Who do you think will be crowned the new ONE atomweight champion?