ONE Championship MMA heavyweights’ bout in US

Article posted by Coliseum, December 16^th, 2022

Image: AEG Worldwide

ONE Championship will officially hold its first event on United States soil in 2023, and the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) fight in promotional history will headline the card.

‘One Championship’ stated that reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson will defend his gold against former titleholder Adriano ‘Mikinho’ Moraes in a main event trilogy bout at ONE on Prime Video 10, which broadcasts live from the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado, US, on May 5^th.

ONE Championship is a Singaporean combat sports promotion. Founded on July 14^th, 2011 by entrepreneur Chatri Sityodtong, and the former ESPN Star Sports Senior Executive Victor Cui, its events have featured mixed martial arts, submission grappling, kickboxing, Muay Thai (Thai boxing), and Lethwei bouts (Burmese boxing).

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Mixed martial arts, sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, US. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA promotion company in the world as of 2011.

Demetrious Johnson is an American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in ONE Championship, where he is the current ONE Flyweight Champion. He is the inaugural and former UFC Flyweight Champion.

Adriano Moraes is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division of ONE Championship. He is a former three times ONE Championship Flyweight World Champion. He is the first person to finish Demetrious Johnson, former UFC Flyweight Champion.

The 6,500-capacity 1stBank Center is a multipurpose arena located 15 miles Northwest of Downtown Denver, in the City of Broomfield, US. It is located near the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport and the Flatiron Crossing Mall. Opening in 2006, the arena naming rights belong to 1stBank, a local financial institution since 2010.

‘One Championship’ further stated that these two superstars initially met at ONE on TNT I back in April 2021, as Johnson challenged Moraes for the ONE Flyweight World Title.

That evening, Moraes shocked fans around the globe when he knocked out the MMA greatest of all time (GOAT) with a knee to the head in the second round of their main event showdown.

That marked the first and only time ‘Mighty Mouse’ has been finished in his 15-year professional career.

The complete opposite happened when these two competitors met in their rematch at ONE on Prime Video 1 this past August.

Following three-and-a-half rounds of breathless action, Johnson stunned ‘Mikinho’ with a cross and then knocked out the dazed Brazilian with a flying knee against the Circle Wall late in the fourth stanza.

With that victory, the American captured the ONE Flyweight World Title and became a 13-time MMA World Champion. Moreover, it marked the first and only time Moraes has been finished in his 11-year career.

With their head-to-head series now tied 1-1, these men will write the third and final chapter of their storied rivalry to truly determine the best flyweight MMA fighter on the planet.

Fans who are interested in attending ONE’s inaugural United States event can sign up for priority access to the ticket pre-sale.

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