After a successful debut for ONE Championship, former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will make his return to the cage for the Singapore-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion as part of the ONE: “Dawn of Heroes” event on Aug. 2 in Manila.
Johnson (28-3-1) jumped ship after his controversial loss to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227 last August. “Mighty Mouse,” considered one of the sport’s pound-for-pound greats, wasted little time in establishing his dominance overseas, submitting Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE: “A New Era” back in March.
Johnson faces Japanese veteran Tatsumitsu Wada (21-10-2, 1 NC).
Also getting a second fight for Chatri Sityodtong and Co. is former UFC lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez, who did not share Johnson’s success in his ONE debut. “The Underground King” was decked and wrecked by Timofey Nastyukhin, also at “A New Era,” for his second straight loss.
Alvarez (29-7, 1 NC) will face former ONE lightweight champion and hometown hero Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, who fell to Shinya Aoki by submission last March.
Here is the current “Dawn of Heroes” fight card and line up:
ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship
Jonathan Haggerty (C) vs Rodtang Jitmuangnon
ONE Super Series Muay Thai (4oz. gloves): 61.2kgEduard Folayang vs Eddie Alvarez
Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kgONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Semi-Finals
Demetrious Johnson vs Tatsumitsu Wada
Mixed Martial Arts: 61.2kgONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Semi-Finals
Danny Kingad vs Kairat Akhmetov
Mixed Martial Arts: 61.2kgONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Semi-Finals
Honorio Banario vs Timofey Nastyukhin
Mixed Martial Arts: 77.1kgReece McLaren vs Yuya Wakamatsu
Mixed Martial Arts: 61.2kgLeandro Issa vs Daichi Takenaka
Mixed Martial Arts: 65.8kgAyaka Miura vs Samara Santos
Mixed Martial Arts: 56.7kgNeunglanlek Jitmuangnon vs Chris Shaw
ONE Super Series Muay Thai (4oz. gloves): 65.8kg
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