A flyweight (135-pound) championship trilogy bout pitting Demetrious
Johnson against Adriano
Moraes will serve as the headliner for One Championship’s
United States debut.
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The Singapore-based promotion announced on Monday that Johnson vs.
Moraes 3 will take place on May 5 at 1stBank Center in Broomfield,
Colo., as the featured bout on the One on Prime Video 10 card. The
card will air in primetime on Prime Video in the United States.
“This is a monumental day in the history of One Championship as we
announce our U.S. on-ground debut in Colorado on Friday, May 5,”
One CEO Chatri Sityodtong said in a release. “We are very grateful
for the support of the state athletic commission and look forward
to putting on an unforgettable show for our passionate fanbase in
the U.S. and watching around the world.”
Johnson and Moraes initially squared off at One on TNT 1 in April
2021, when Moraes became the first person to finish “Mighty Mouse”
with a second-round KO victory. Johnson bounced back to capture the
promotion’s flyweight crown in the rematch, as he returned the
favor with a flying knee knockout of Moraes in the One on Prime
Video 1 main event this past August.
A former UFC flyweight champion, Johnson has long been regarded as
one of the top pound-for-pound talents in all of MMA. The
36-year-old AMC Pankration stalwart owns a 31-4-1 career mark that
includes notable triumphs against the likes of Henry
Cejudo, John Dodson,
Kyoji
Horiguchi, Joseph
Benavidez, Ian McCall and
Miguel
Torres, among others.
Moraes, meanwhile, has been part of the One roster since 2013,
compiling an 11-3 record within the promotion. The 33-year-old
known as “Black Diamond” has enjoyed three separate title reigns
with One and is 20-4 as a professional overall.