Check out the results and highlights from the ONE Championship: A New Era card, where Demetrious Johnson won by second-round submission and Eddie Alvarez lost by first-round TKO.
The ONE Championship: A New Era main card witnessed the promotional debuts for former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez.
“Mighty Mouse” Johnson made good on his ONE debut, coming up with a second-round submission over a game Yuya Wakamatsu. The opening round was quite competitive. Wakamatsu was ready to fend off the takedown attempts from Johnson and matched him in the scrambles. Come round-two, Wakamatsu started tagging Johnson, but then he got overzealous and was taken down.
Although he was able to stand back to his feet, Johnson would not allow for Wakamatsu to ever return to open space. Johnson took side control, and then landed a set of knees which opened up the neck of Wakamatsu. Johnson squeezed on a guillotine and Wakamatsu was forced to tap. Former 12-time world champion “Mighty Mouse” is back to his winning ways, and now advances to the next round of the ONE’s Flyweight World Grand Prix.
Timofey Nastyukhin scored the biggest win of his professional career by stopping former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez with strikes in the opening round of ONE’s Lightweight World Grand Prix. Nastyukhin got his hands going right away, seeming to already be in a rhythm. Alvarez sat back, seeing what his adversary had to offer. Then, Nastyukhin stung Alvarez with a punching flurry that got his attention.
Nastyukhin went into kill-mode. Another three-piece connected, sending Alvarez retreating to the fence. Alvarez covered up and Nastyukhin poured on the heat. Alvarez dropped to the floor and the referee stepped in to rescue the ONE newcomer. What an upset! Nastyukhin will be advancing to the next round of ONE’s Lightweight World Grand Prix. For Alvarez, the botched promotional debut moves him 1-3-1 in his last five fights.
Main card:
- Demetrious Johnson def. Yuya Wakamatsu by submission (Guillotine) at 2:40 of round 2: Flyweight World Grand Prix quarter-final
Demetrious Johnson makes a STATEMENT in his ONE debut, submitting Yuya Wakamatsu with a tight guillotine choke at 2:40 of Round 2! @MightyMouse #WeAreONE #ANewEra #Tokyo #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/K4yOpTfmQJ
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) March 31, 2019
Demetrious Johnson VS Yuya Wakamatsu #ONEchampionship #WeAreONE #ANewEra pic.twitter.com/b4F9125HBQ
— ZombieProphet (@GIFsZP) March 31, 2019
- Timofey Nastyukhin def. Eddie Alvarez by TKO at 4:05 of round 1 : Lightweight World Grand Prix quarter-final
Eddie Alvarez vs Timofey Nastyukhin #ONEchampionship #WeAreONE #ANewEra WOW! pic.twitter.com/hjQKm7bRuV
— ZombieProphet (@GIFsZP) March 31, 2019
Timofey Nastyukhin SHOCKS THE ! The Russian warrior knocks out Eddie Alvarez at 4:05 of Round 1 to advance in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix! #WeAreONE #ANewEra #Tokyo #MartialArts pic.twitter.com/YxUV0TSnFR
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) March 31, 2019