The countdown to ONE Championship’s U.S. on-ground debut has officially begun, and Asia’s largest martial arts promotion will be featuring plenty of American talent for the landmark event.
No fewer than seven American stars will be in action at “ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III” on Prime Video, as the organization hits the sold-out 1STBANK Center in Denver, Colorado, for the action-packed show on May 5.
Here’s all the athletes who will be representing the red, white, and blue at ONE Fight Night 10.
Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson (24-4-1) needs no introduction to fans in the U.S.
“Mighty Mouse” enjoyed a successful career in North America, becoming a 12-time UFC flyweight world champion and earning his GOAT status along the way. And since he joined ONE, he has claimed the ONE flyweight world title.
The Washington resident will be the headline act on May 5, as he faces former flyweight king Adriano Moraes (20-4) in a trilogy showdown.
The pair have split their two meetings, with both fights ending in show-stopping knee-to-the-head knockouts.
Mikey Musumeci
ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci has enjoyed a whirlwind start to his promotional career.
“Darth Rigatoni” has endeared himself to fans with his unassuming nature, but in the ONE circle, he is no joke.
The 26-year-old has reeled off wins over Masakazu Imanari, old foe Cleber Sousa, and most recently, Gantumur Bayanduuren. The latter will live long in fans’ memories, as the ultra-tough Mongolian incredibly refused to tap while Musumeci twisted and manipulated his leg in various directions.
Now returning to compete on home soil, “Darth Rigatoni” will take on Yemeni IBJJF world champion Osamah Almarwai.
Alyse Anderson
Alyse Anderson (6-2) has a huge opportunity ahead of her.
“Lil’ Savage” will lock horns with former muay Thai and kickboxing queen Stamp Fairtex (9-2) at ONE Fight Night 10, and a victory over the Thai superstar would thrust her straight into world title contention.
Stamp is currently ranked No. 1 in the division and could well be defending her right to a title shot of her own. An upset by Anderson would no doubt throw a wrench in those plans.
Sage Northcutt
Another recognizable face on the poster is that of Sage Northcutt (11-3).
“Super Sage” also rose to fame in North America prior to signing with ONE, but now, he is poised to launch his career to new heights after four years removed from competition.
Northcutt is tasked with halting the momentum of Pakistani star Ahmed Mujtaba (10-2), who has won his last two fights. The latest was a stunning submission win over Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Abraao Amorim.
A victory over “Wolverine” would give Northcutt the introduction to ONE fans that he has waited so long to deliver.
Jackie Buntan
California’s Jackie Buntan is on a mission to secure another ONE strawweight muay Thai world title opportunity, and a win over upcoming opponent Diandra Martin would go a long way to making that dream a reality.
The 25-year-old dropped a unanimous decision to teenage phenom Smilla Sundell in her first bid for gold in April 2022, but she rebounded in December with an impressive win over Amber Kitchen.
Martin’s career has followed the same trajectory of late, with a loss to Sundell and a win over Kitchen in her last two appearances also.
The winner of the showdown could well land the right to a rematch with the Swedish strawweight queen.
Tye Ruotolo
Twenty-year-old prodigy Tye Ruotolo – and his twin brother Kade – has taken the grappling world by storm since joining the ONE roster in 2022.
While Kade has gone on to win the inaugural ONE lightweight submission grappling world title, Tye has left a trail of destruction in his own wake.
Tye has thrilled fans with his ultra-aggressive style, culminating in submission wins over grappling superstar Garry Tonon and former ONE featherweight world champion Marat Gafurov.
This time, he has a current world champion in his sights – longtime middleweight king Reinier de Ridder.
De Ridder has an incredible 11 submissions across his 16 MMA wins, but his pure grappling skills will be put to the ultimate test against Ruotolo.
Lowen Tynanes
Lowen Tynanes (11-1) was once considered the next big thing in ONE’s lightweight division.
The Hawaiian reeled off five straight wins between 2013 and 2016, but injuries would slow him down.
He fought sparingly in the years to follow, even suffering his first and only career blemish to Gafurov. His lower back issues would ultimately surface again.
But now, he finally seems to be past that, as indicated by his December 2022 victory over Dae Sung Park. Now, the 32-year-old is ready to make up for lost time and kick off a run at the lightweight gold.
A victory over another South Korean in former lightweight king Ok Rae Yoon (10-4) would do just that. Ok is looking to bounce back after losing his title to Christian Lee in August, which means that Tynanes has a massive opportunity to crash the rankings by taking out the No. 1 contender.
