ONE Championship fans will finally get to see the long-awaited World Championship trilogy bout between reigning flyweight king Demetrious Johnson and former titleholder Adriano Moraes.
This Friday, May 5, Johnson will defend the ONE Flyweight World Title belt against Moraes in the headline attraction of ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video at Colorado’s 1stBank Center.
The highly anticipated third encounter between the MMA superstars has been more than two years in the making.
At ONE on TNT I in April 2021, then-ONE Flyweight World Champion Moraes won the inaugural meeting by using a grounded knee to knock out Johnson. In doing so, he became the first person ever to finish the American.
But Johnson is considered the MMA GOAT for a reason, and he evened the score at ONE on Prime Video 1 to claim the gold last August. This time, it was “Mighty Mouse” who knocked out the Brazilian with a flying knee, also handing “Mikinho” the first stoppage loss of his career.
With the series tied, both men are looking to cap off their epic rivalry in highlight-reel fashion this Friday.
Teammates Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida and Alyse “Lil’ Savage” Anderson have already given some insight into Moraes’ training camp, and now several of their peers have waded in with thoughts on the main event showdown.
Here, the biggest personalities in the combat sports world predict the ONE Fight Night 10 main event.
Fabricio Andrade
(@fabricioandrade1)“It will be a great fight, a fight that will sell a lot. But seeing the last fight, I think Demetrious Johnson proved he’s a better athlete than Adriano Moraes. However, Adriano is a very big guy for the division and he can surprise [Johnson], as he did the first time they faced each other. DJ needs to stay tuned [in], but I believe he will come out the winner in this trilogy.”
Stamp Fairtex
“I want to watch the Demetrious Johnson vs. Adriano Moraes fight. They take turns winning and losing. The similarity is that both of them got knocked out with knees. This time, I think DJ will be the one [to win]. But he may win by decision, not by a finish, because both of them have experience and know each other very well.”
John Wayne Parr
(@johnwayneparr)“I think as close as it’s going to be, I have to go with Demetrious. It’s so hard to pick. They’re both so awesome. And they’re both such nice guys, too. It’s hard picking one because I like both of them so much. But yeah, Demetrious. He’s just next-level, world-class, and he’s got the rungs on the board.”
Roberto Soldic
“This fight is, like always, 50-50. I don’t know. It’s really hard. I’m thinking DJ a little bit, because I see a chance for him. But Adriano is also motivated, and he is tall. A really different opponent. He is good everywhere too. I cannot say, really. I’m excited about this one too. It’s going to be a good fight. A high-level fight.”
Martin Nguyen
“Man, I love both guys. I just don’t know, either. You really don’t know now. Because now, it’s 1-1. So yeah, I’m going to sit on the fence for this one because I love both guys.”
John Lineker
“I believe in a victory for Adriano Moraes. He has a better ground game than Demetrious Johnson. I believe he will work well from a distance since he has a bigger wingspan, and he won’t let DJ dominate the center of the Circle. My bet is that Adriano Moraes will take down DJ and win this trilogy by submission.”
Mike Winkeljohn
“In my mind, I’m hoping it’s the Demetrious Johnson of old. I think that he was one of the best, if not the best, fighters ever in the world in his day. I’m hoping he’s getting back to what he does. He has incredible reaction time, and he is such a nice gentleman, so that’d be my pick – the Demetrious Johnson that I used to watch and love.”
Kairat Akhmetov
“The odds are 50/50. They both beat each other and looked dominant as winners. Moraes knocked Johnson out in the first fight, then Johnson paid him back handsomely in the second fight. Now, both opponents already know each other. They are well prepared. Their chances are equal.”
Danny Kingad
“I’m still siding with Demetrious Johnson. He’s got skills. He’s got experience. Plus, I’d love to meet Demetrious Johnson again. He’s got a big name already, and I would love to run it back with him. I think Demetrious stops him in the second round of this match. That’s my prediction, but I’m not 100 percent sure on that because Moraes is really strong.”
Jackie Buntan
“With DJ, he’s the GOAT. So, I’m super excited about that, and I’m going to have to back DJ because I’m a huge fan of his. I’m also a huge fan of Adriano. They’ve both proven they’re the best of the best. But being an American and being more familiar with DJ, I will have to back him. But I will say, trilogy fight, they’re 1-1. This is also a fight that can truly go either way, and I don’t think it’ll be a shock if it goes to one or the other.”
Ahmed Mujtaba
“I think DJ, ‘Mighty Mouse,’ is going to take it. I like ‘Mighty Mouse.’ No more explanations. He’s a legend, a living legend.”
Ok Rae Yoon
“In their first match, Demetrious Johnson seemed naive about the grounded knee rule. So, if you look at the second match, he was in good shape because he got entirely used to the grounded knee rule and prepared so well. Of course, Moraes is also a great fighter, but I think Johnson’s fight IQ is really high, so I think he will come out better prepared and upgraded.”
Eddie Abasolo
“I feel like Demetrious is the man, and he’s going to pull that one out.”
