Matches to Make After ONE on Prime Video 1

One Championship on Friday premiered on Amazon Prime with a blockbuster rematch between living legend Demetrious Johnson and reigning flyweight titleholder Adriano Moraes.

Rightly considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time, Johnson started his tenure in ONE with a 3-0 record that included a tournament championship before he challenged the Brazilian for the flyweight crown in 2021. Moraes stunned the MMA world when he took out “Mighty Mouse” with a second-round knee strike and handed the former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder the first stoppage loss of his career.

The rematch centered on one question: Did Johnson, now 36, have what it took to dethrone Moraes? We got our answer in the rematch atop ONE on Prime Video 1 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. After struggling through the first two rounds, Johnson rebounded in the third and flexed his remarkable cardio as the fight moved forward. He found his opening in the fourth round, where he staggered the much larger Moraes with a nifty short right hook and then decimated him with a flying knee against the fence.

Meanwhile, Nong-O Gaiyanghadao retained his ONE muay thai bantamweight championship when he stopped Liam Harrison with bone-crunching leg kicks in the first round of their co-main event; Amir Aliakbari put away former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Mauro Cerilli with ground-and-pound in the second round of their heavyweight showcase; and former ONE welterweight champion Zebaztian Kadestam delivered a thunderous walk-off knockout when he planted a right uppercut on Iuri Lapicus just 57 seconds into their catchweight clash.

In the aftermath of ONE on Prime Video 1, here are three matches that ought to be made:

Demetrious Johnson vs. Adriano Moraes: “Mighty Mouse” may have prevailed, but he may have been behind after the first two rounds in what was a closely contested match throughout. Even in Round 4, Moraes stopped him in his tracks with a brutal step-in elbow. Given the exciting nature of their first two fights, there are no logical reasons standing in the way of a trilogy. Moraes deserves the opportunity to regain his championship, and these two men are clearly the two best flyweights on the ONE roster. Best of all, fireworks occur whenever they meet.

Amir Aliakbari vs. Arjan Singh Bhullar-Anatoliy Malykhin: Bhullar will defend the ONE heavyweight championship against the unbeaten Malykhin in September, with Aliakbari potentially waiting in the wings for the winner. There will be an easy storyline in play if Malykhin emerges victorious, as it would be a rematch of a 2021 encounter with Aliakbari. If Bhullar wins, it would be fascinating to see him tested against another world-class grappler. Aliakbari certainly has the superior wrestling credentials, but Bhullar has adapted better to MMA and features a wider spectrum of skills.

Zebaztian Kadestam vs. Hiroyuki Tetsuka: Kadestam has established himself as a devastating striker who struggles against grapplers that can exploit his relative weaknesses in that area. Why not pair him with another exciting standup fighter in Tetsuka, who owns a 4-1 record in ONE and has rattled off seven victories across his past eight bouts? It would be a treat for fans and could help boost the profile of the winner in terms of nailing down a title shot.