China's Top Kickboxer Qiu Jianliang Signs With ONE Championship

ONE Championship recently announced that it has signed top pound-for-pound Chinese kickboxer Qiu Jianliang.

Qiu is one of China’s most recognizable combat sports stars. He is a multiple-time kickboxing world champion who is ranked No.1 at super featherweight by Combat Press.

He’s currently pursuing a doctorate in Sports Marketing at Loughborough University in London, England, which has caused him to step away from the limelight for two years to focus on his studies.

Ready to resume his career in ONE Super Series, Qiu wants to represent his home country on the global stage.

“I think it’s hard to argue that ONE Championship has already become the biggest kickboxing organization in the world. So for a guy like me who wants to promote Chinese martial arts, ONE is definitely the place for me,” Qiu told International Business Times.

“I come from a traditional Chinese martial arts background, so ONE Championship is the best platform for me to showcase my style of combat.”

Qiu joins a bantamweight division teeming with talent, among them elite world champions and legends from all corners of the globe.

“I’ve been paying attention to several of them. First is the champion, Capitan [Petchyindee Academy]. He is very dangerous when it comes to combinations at a closer distance. You can see how vicious his middle and low kicks are. I would be very careful with those,” Qiu said.

“Another high-level athlete is Japanese fighter Hiroki Akimoto. His calmness impresses me. Also, he can find your weakness from a lot of angles. He has the makings of an elite fighter. The former champion, Alaverdi [Ramazanov], is a young talent who is very creative in the ring. He’s a master when it comes to distance control.”

“Last and most importantly, is Nong-O Gaiyanghadao. He has long been my idol since I was a Muay Thai rookie, and he is the one I want to challenge the most, simply because I’ve been studying him for a very long time and I feel like I know him well. I think I really want to test myself against him, to see if he’s really as good as I think he is,” Qiu added.

Qiu joining ONE Super Series further bolsters the caliber of the promotion’s roster in kickboxing and Muay Thai.

He dreams of representing China as its first-ever male world champion, following in the footsteps of his compatriot Xiong Jing Nan, who captured the strawweight crown at the expense of Tiffany Teo in January 2018.

“I want to be the first male ONE world champion,” Qiu declared.

“But first of all, I need to put on some really good performances, which is what I’m good at. Then I believe you will see me in a title fight very soon. My ultimate goal is to bring the best show to all my fans, and I know they all want to see me with a ONE Championship belt over my shoulder.”

ONE Championship also announced that it had signed Banma Duoji as well as “The Ultimate Fighter: China” winner Zhang Lipeng.