ONE Championship’s United States debut is finally set.
The promotion’s biggest move will happen next year with “ONE on Prime Video 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III,” which is set for Friday, May 5, 2023.
On that night at the 1STBank Center in Bloomfield, Colorado, the most anticipated MMA fight in the organization’s history will take place.
Reigning ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (24-4-1) meets Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes (20-4) in a main event trilogy bout with the American icon’s gold on the line.
The headline attraction was announced earlier this week, and some of the promotion’s biggest stars are expected to compete on the card.
With that said, here are three MMA fighters who could compete in ONE Championship’s U.S. debut event next year.
Jarred Brooks
With one American in Johnson already participating in the main event of ONE on Prime Video 10, why not throw another ONE world champion from the States on the card, too?
Newly crowned ONE strawweight world champion Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks (20-2) would be eager to compete at such a major milestone for the organization.
The fiery Michigan-based scrapper has been on a tear in ONE Championship since arriving in late 2021. Following his crowning victory last weekend at ONE 164 over Filipino archnemesis Joshua Pacio in enemy territory, the American could make his first world title defense on May 5.
Plus, he’s already expressed interest in competing against Johnson. So, should both men win their respective bouts that night in Colorado, we could see them facing each other in a subsequent ONE Championship U.S. event.
Angela Lee
ONE women’s atomweight world champion Angela Lee (11-3) has been the centerpiece of the division for years, so including her in the organization’s American expansion makes complete sense.
Lee has dominated every challenger to her throne, and her exciting fighting style has made her a fan favorite in ONE Championship. So, showcasing the Hawaii-based fighter at the promotion’s inaugural U.S. event would only strengthen her position as the woman at the helm of combat sports.
The atomweight queen’s rival, ONE women’s strawweight world champion Xiong Jing Nan (18-2), has teased a fourth meeting with Lee, so where better to make that happen than on U.S. soil?
Anatoly Malykhin
Anatoly Malykhin‘s meteoric rise in ONE Championship has been a sight to behold.
From promotional newcomer to two-division king, the ONE light heavyweight and interim heavyweight world champion has become an MMA superstar.
The Russian powerhouse is undefeated in his career, has a perfect 100 percent finishing rate, and all four of his bouts in the ONE circle have ended in highlight-reel knockouts. That said, Malykhin’s fighting prowess would serve as an exciting feature to ONE on Prime Video 10.
But who could Malykhin (12-0) face? Well, one of the fiercest threats to the heavyweight division, Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida (4-0), would surely love a shot. The 17-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion has enjoyed a stellar stint in ONE Championship so far, maintaining a 100 percent finishing rate.
Almeida has put his sublime grappling prowess on display, submitting three of his four adversaries inside the ONE circle. He has also shown that he is no one-trick pony after knocking out Simon Carson.
Tickets have yet to be released for ONE on Prime Video 10, but fans can sign up to the pre-sale for ONE Championship’s inaugural United States event here.
