ONE Championship: Shanghai to host ONE 174 in December, source says

ONE Championship will stage ONE 174 in Shanghai on December 12, the Bangkok Post understands, marking its first flagship event in China in seven years.

A source said the show will take place at the 13,000-capacity Shanghai Indoor Stadium, after chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong confirmed the promotion’s return to China.

Chatri posted “12/12 #ONE174” alongside a Chinese flag on Facebook on Monday. He did not name the city or venue, or announce any bouts.

Jonathan Di Bella celebrates with the strawweight kickboxing belt after regaining the title at ONE Fight Night 36

The announcement follows his disclosure late last month that Jonathan Di Bella would defend his strawweight kickboxing title at ONE 174, with the host country still under wraps at that stage.

“Di Bella will defend at 174 in December,” Chatri said during a Facebook Live broadcast on the ONE Championship Thailand page. “I almost said the country. Sorry, I can’t say the country.”

The Italian-Canadian’s opponent has yet to be announced, although China’s Wang Junguang has put himself in contention after beating former champion Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK by split decision in a kickboxing bout at The Inner Circle 35 on October 16.

Di Bella welcomed that potential challenge in an interview published by ONE last month, saying he had scored all three rounds for Wang.

Wang Junguang (right) punches Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK during their kickboxing bout at The Inner Circle 35

“I guess he deserves it,” he said.

A fight between the pair has not been confirmed. Di Bella last competed in July, retaining his title with a unanimous-decision victory over another Chinese challenger, Zhang Peimian, at The Inner Circle 22 in Bangkok.

The Shanghai show will restart ONE’s numbered series more than a year after ONE 173 in Tokyo in November 2025. It will also be the first numbered card outside Thailand, Japan and Qatar since ONE 168 in Denver in September 2024.

Jonathan Di Bella (left) has his hand raised after retaining his strawweight kickboxing title against Zhang Peimian at The Inner Circle 22

China was a regular stop on the promotion’s touring schedule before the Covid-19 pandemic, alongside countries including Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia.

Its last flagship event in China was ONE: Age of Dragons at Beijing’s Cadillac Arena on November 16, 2019. Ilias Ennahachi retained his flyweight kickboxing title against Wang Wenfeng on that card, while Roman Kryklia won the inaugural light heavyweight kickboxing belt against Tarik Khbabez.

ONE subsequently staged closed-door developmental events in Shanghai in June 2020 under its Hero Series banner.

Shanghai’s previous major ONE card was Legendary Quest at Baoshan Arena in June 2019, when Stamp Fairtex defended her atomweight Muay Thai title against Alma Juniku. Yoshihiro Akiyama also made his promotional debut on that show, losing to Agilan Thani.

ONE chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong speaks at the ONE 173 post-event press conference in Tokyo in November 2025

The Bangkok Post previously reported that ONE had been close to finalising events in China and Malaysia for late 2025, but neither materialised.

The December return adds another destination to a schedule now centred on regular events at Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium and the ONE Samurai series in Japan.

ONE has also announced a return to Doha’s Aspire Dome on March 26, 2027, under a renewed three-year partnership with Visit Qatar covering multiple flagship events.