Fans came into “ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes III” this past weekend with plenty of questions.
Many were answered inside Denver, Colorado’s 1STBANK Center, but others remained elusive.
Further still, new discussions arose thanks to the intriguing results at the historic card on Friday, May 5.
As we close the book on ONE’s debut show on U.S. soil, we’ve broken down four things that are hanging around fan’s brains following ONE Fight Night 10.
1. To retire, or not to retire?
Leading into the event, ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson (25-4-1) had teased thoughts of calling time on his legendary career following his main event trilogy bout with former divisional king Adriano Moraes (20-5).
But after retaining the world title, the American legend perhaps provided more questions than answers surrounding that subject.
Johnson did engage in an obligatory faceoff with No. 2-ranked contender Kairat Akhmetov (30-2) inside the ONE circle after the fight, but he made it clear that he would be considering all options in the coming months.
Regardless if the win over Moraes was his last outing or not, Johnson’s legacy is secured. The 36-year-old holds an impressive 25-4-1 record, and he is a 14-time MMA World Champion.
Fans will, of course, hope to see Johnson competing in the ONE circle again, but they will also wish him well if he chooses to hang up the gloves.
2. Where does Roberto Soldic go from here?
Roberto Soldic (20-4) was a man in demand before his high-profile signing with ONE in 2022, and he made it clear he was ready to take the Singapore-based promotion by storm.
The Croatian superstar has yet to dazzle inside the ONE circle, however.
He suffered a devastating accidental low-blow in his debut against Murad Ramazanov (11-0) in December, which led to a no-contest ruling.
Then this past weekend, he suffered an upset knockout loss at the hands of former ONE welterweight world champion Zebaztian Kadestam (15-7).
It hasn’t been the introduction that the former two-division KSW world champion was hoping for on the global stage, and the question of what next now looms.
A rematch with Ramazanov is an option as Soldic looks to find form. But one thing is sure – a win is needed inside the ONE circle.
3. Has Aung La N Sang graduated from gatekeeper?
Former two-division world champion Aung La N Sang (30-13) has found himself tagged as gatekeeper of the ONE middleweight division in recent times.
While “The Burmese Python” openly embraces the role, his three fight wining streak, all of which have come by finish, should be enough to shake off that label.
N Sang’s submission win over Fan Rong (19-4) this past weekend brings his record to 4-1 in the middleweight bracket since losing the world title to Reinier de Ridder in 2020.
Many would argue that a slate like that moves the Myanmar MMA legend from gatekeeper to legitimate contender for the throne.
4. Is Sage Northcutt a lightweight contender?
Sage Northcutt (12-3) snapped his four-year hiatus in style at ONE Fight Night 10.
Fighting for the first time since a crushing knockout loss to Cosmo Alexandre in his promotional debut in 2019, “Super” pulled off a shocking first-minute heel hook submission win over Ahmed Mujtaba (10-3) in their lightweight MMA battle.
It was a triumphant return on home soil for the 27-year-old, who usually relies on his explosive striking game.
With little more than a minute’s worth of action as a ONE fighter to review, it’s hard to tout Northcutt as a genuine contender in the stacked lightweight division.
But with a fabled striking game and what looks to be a developed ground offensive, things could get interesting as he continues to compete inside the ONE circle.
