ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes 3 Preview

ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes 3 Preview

Liam Lindsay|
May 05, 2023|
0

ONE Championship is back on Friday, May 5th, for ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes 3, in what is shaping up to be the promotion's biggest event ever. Let's take a look at what's in store for fight fans this weekend at this absolutely stacked event.

Sage Northcutt vs. Ahmed Mujtaba

"Super" Sage Northcutt is returning to action for the first time in four years to take on the Pakistani superstar Ahmed "Wolverine" Mujtaba. Northcutt made his ONE debut in 2019 but was brutally KOed by Cosmo Alexandre and suffered multiple facial fractures, causing his MMA career to be put on hold. He'll be looking to shake off the loss when he takes on Mujtaba, a well-rounded martial artist coming off back-to-back highlight victories. After a three-year layoff, "Wolverine" returned to action in 2021, secured a vicious knockout against Rahul Raju, and returned in 2022 to submit Abraão Amorim in the first round. For Northcutt, this fight could make or break his career, and for Mujtaba, it could be the breakout performance he needs to reach the biggest heights of his career so far. Both ways, there's plenty on the line for this matchup.

Sage Northcutt embracing the crowd in his ONE Championship debut. Credits to: ONE Championship.
Sage Northcutt embracing the crowd in his ONE Championship debut. Credits to: ONE Championship.
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Roberto Soldic vs. Zebaztian Kadestam

If you love knockout artists, you won't want to miss Roberto "Robocop" Soldic take on "The Bandit" Zebaztian Kadestam. Soldic is a Croatian knockout machine who's riding a seven-fight knockout streak. He faced Murad Ramazanov in his last outing - his ONE debut - but the bout was finished early due to an accidental groin strike. Soldic will have a second chance at first impressions when he takes on Kadestam, the Swedish machine with an 86% knockout rate. The Sweed has fought in ONE Championship since 2017 and is currently riding a two-fight winning streak over Valmir da Silva and Iuri Lapicus, and both of those wins came in under ninety seconds. With a combined 91% finish rate, there's a slim chance this fight goes the distance and is certainly not one to miss between two European wrecking balls.

Roberto Soldic representing Croatia with his flag. Credits to: ONE Championship.
Roberto Soldic representing Croatia with his flag. Credits to: ONE Championship.

Stamp Fairtex vs. Alyse Anderson

The Thai phenom Stamp Fairtex will return to MMA, taking on rising American star Alyse "Lil Savage" Anderson. Fairtex is coming off two huge victories in her last bouts, one in MMA against Jihin Radzuan and the other in kickboxing vs. Anna Jaroonsak. She's looking to acquire her tenth MMA win against Anderson. "Lil Savage" secured her first ONE victory in her last bout, defeating Asha Roka via an arm triangle choke. Now, she faces the most prominent and challenging fight of her career, and a victory over Fairtex would be a breakout moment for her in front of her American fans. Although a kickboxer, Stamp has a well-rounded skillset, as does Anderson, which will make for a brilliant matchup in this bout.

Stamp Fairtex flashing off her ONE Championship gold. Credits to: ONE Championship.
Stamp Fairtex flashing off her ONE Championship gold. Credits to: ONE Championship.
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Mikey Musumeci vs. Osamah Almarwai

In our first of three title bouts on the card, we have quite literally a grapplers delight in this matchup, where ONE Flyweight submission grappling Champion Mikey "Darth Rigatoni" Musumeci takes on the challenger Osamah Almarwai. The grappling credentials for these two athletes are off the charts: Musumeci is a five-time IBJJF World Title winner, and Almarwai is the first man to win an IBJJF title from the Middle East. This is a breakout fight in submission grappling, and both men have a huge platform to bring thousands more eyes to the sport. For Musumeci, he gets to defend his world title in front of his home fans. For Almarwai, he has a considerable opportunity to dethrone the reigning Champion and become the first submission grappling Champion in the Middle East.

Mikey Musumeci clutching his ONE Submission Grappling Championship. Credits to: ONE Championship.
Mikey Musumeci clutching his ONE Submission Grappling Championship. Credits to: ONE Championship.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Edgar Tabares

One of the biggest stars in combat sports history, "The Iron Man," Rodtang Jitmuangnon, makes his highly anticipated debut in America, taking on the former WBC Muay Thai Interim World Champion Edgar Tabares. If you don't know who Rodtang is, you're in for a treat this weekend. The current ONE Flyweight Muay Thai world Champion holds a professional record of 270-42-10 and will be looking to make the sixth defense of his title. Furthermore, "The Iron Man" is undefeated underneath the ONE banner at 13-0 and aims to keep his 0 in the promotion. However, standing in his way is Mexican Muay Thai ace Edgar Tabares, who makes his promotional debut against Jitmuangnon. Tabares holds a record of 32-5-1 and will be looking to upset the odds on Cinco de Mayo weekend to acquire the most significant victory of his entire career.

Rodtang Jitmuangnon embracing the fans in his walkout. Credits to: ONE Championship.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon embracing the fans in his walkout. Credits to: ONE Championship.
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Demetrious Johnson vs. Adriano Moraes III

The main event of ONE Fight Night 10 is one of the biggest fights in ONE Championship and martial arts history. The GOAT of all the Flyweights, Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson, takes on the only man to ever KO him, Adriano "Mikinho" Moraes, in a high-stakes trilogy bout. Johnson first fought Moraes in 2020 after racking up three wins inside the promotion but was brutally KOed with a grounded knee by the huge underdog. Both men would obtain another win before rematching in 2021, and after a much more competitive bout, "Mighty Mouse" would rock Moraes in the fourth round and finish the bout with a flying knee. The rivalry between the two is now level at 1-1, and although there's plenty of respect, both fighters will be looking for the finish. For Johnson, a win here would cement his legacy even further as the greatest Flyweight ever to do it. For Moraes, it's an opportunity to bounce back and secure two wins over a massive name and phenomenal fighter. This trilogy has everything on the line and isn't a main event to be missed.

Demetrious Johnson sending a statement after defeating Adriano Moraes. Credits to: ONE Championship.
Demetrious Johnson sending a statement after defeating Adriano Moraes. Credits to: ONE Championship.

With so much talent all on a single card, make sure to catch one of the biggest events of the year. As a member of the Verdict Community, let us know your predictions for the fights in the comments below.

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