ONE Championship will make its long-awaited U.S. debut in 2023 with a highly anticipated trilogy bout.
ONE flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will headline ONE’s first trip to the States for a fight card when he takes on former champion Adriano Moraes in their third fight, the promotion announced Monday.
ONE on Prime Video 10 will take place May 5 at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo., near Denver. The card will stream free to Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.
“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 chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said in a news 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.”
The 36-year-old Johnson, a longtime UFC flyweight champion, won ONE’s flyweight (135 pounds) title in August with a fourth-round knockout in his rematch with Moraes. The two first fought in April 2021. In that fight, Moraes knocked out Johnson with a knee in the second round.
Johnson has gone 4-1 since he came to ONE in 2019 after years in the UFC. He won the promotion’s flyweight grand prix in 2019 before his eventual shot at Moraes 18 months later.
Moraes, a 34-year-old from Brazil, has been fighting for ONE for nearly a decade. He won the inaugural flyweight title in 2014, then an interim belt in 2016 and the unified belt in 2017. He lost the title in a rematch with Geje Eustaquio in 2018, but beat him in a rematch six months later. He had won seven of eight fights before his loss to Johnson.
Additional fights for the card are expected to be announced in the coming months.
