5 Reasons To Get Excited For The ‘ONE On TNT’ Event Series
ONE Championship is pulling out all the stops for its big return to U.S. prime time.
The weekly run of four “ONE on TNT” events will kick off on Wednesday, 7 April, and conclude on Wednesday, 28 April. During that time, 24 exciting martial arts battles will take place inside the Circle.
Fans in North America — and around the world — will witness everything from local heroes and rising stars to the biggest names in combat sports and massive World Title fights.
With the first event fast approaching, we’ve picked out five of the biggest reasons to get excited for all the action in April.
#1 A Trio Of World Title Contests
There are three monumental World Title bouts lined up, with some of the promotion’s most dominant names set to face incredibly tough challengers.
On 7 April, Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes defends his ONE Flyweight World Title against Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson at the top of the “ONE on TNT I” bill.
This bout has all the makings to be the biggest flyweight matchup in mixed martial arts history, and for good reason, too.
Johnson — a North American legend considered by many to be the mixed martial arts GOAT — earned his shot at the reigning king when he won the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Championship, but Brazil’s Moraes has been the most potent flyweight in divisional history.
Meanwhile, ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee maintained his stranglehold on the division when he took out Iuri Lapicus at ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX in October.
However, hard-hitting Russian Timofey Nastyukhin believes he has the power to pry the belt from the Singaporean-American’s grasp at “ONE on TNT II” on Wednesday, 14 April.
Finally, Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang will put his ONE Light Heavyweight World Championship on the line in a trilogy fight against fierce rival Vitaly Bigdash.
The pair of former ONE Middleweight World Champions went 1-1 across 10 rounds of action for the middleweight belt, and they’ll both attempt to gain the upper hand in the main event of “ONE on TNT IV” on Wednesday, 28 April.
#2 The Biggest North American Stars
A slew of North American superstars will play major roles in the April events.
At “ONE on TNT I,” multiple-time Lightweight World Champion Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez resumes his charge toward ONE World Title gold against Lapicus while being joined on the bill by compatriots Johnson and Tyler McGuire.
At “ONE on TNT II,” Hawaii’s Lee is the main draw, and he’ll be complemented by ONE Atomweight Kickboxing World Champion Janet “JT” Todd, Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks, and unbeaten Canadian heavyweight Dustin Joynson.
“ONE on TNT III” will showcase rising star “Pretty Boy” Troy Worthen in a crucial clash against Shuya “Stealth” Kamikubo.
And “ONE on TNT IV” will feature the highly anticipated return of “Super” Sage Northcutt and his sister, Colbey Northcutt, who goes up against Cambodian-American Sovannahry “The Sweet Savage” Em.
- Eddie Alvarez Wants To Take Himself And ONE To New Heights
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- Lito Adiwang, Janet Todd, Jarred Brooks Added To ‘ONE On TNT II’
#3 The World’s Most Exciting Strikers
ONE Super Series showcases the best Muay Thai and kickboxing athletes on the planet, and the “ONE on TNT” series is packed with them.
Fans will bear witness to ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon’s thrilling, come-forward style when he meets the UK’s Jacob Smith at “ONE on TNT I.”
Atomweight kickboxing queen Todd will continue her quest for two-sport gold when she meets Anne “Ninja” Line Hogstad in a Muay Thai battle at “ONE on TNT II,” while striking legends Nieky “The Natural” Holzken and John Wayne “The Gunslinger” Parr are set for a lightweight Muay Thai tilt at “ONE on TNT III.”
Other massive names on the cards include Liam “Hitman” Harrison, Pongsiri PK.Saenchai Muaythaigym, Chingiz “Chinga” Allazov, Enriko “The Hurricane” Kehl, Jonathan “The General” Haggerty, Elias “The Sniper” Mahmoudi, and Rade Opacic.
#4 The Biggest International MMA Stars
International fans are already well-aware of the world-class fighting talent in ONE’s mixed martial arts ranks, but the masses in the U.S. will now get their chance to watch them inside the Circle in prime time.
Former ONE World Champions Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen and Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki are just two examples, as they’ll take on “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong and Sage Northcutt, respectively.
John “Hands of Stone” Lineker is well-known to North American fans, and they’ll be excited to see more of his intense, slugging style when he meets the Philippines’ Stephen “The Sniper” Loman.
Add the likes of Reece “Lightning” McLaren, Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu, and Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama to the list, and you have some seriously talented global heroes ready to perform.
#5 Top Heavyweight Contenders
The world’s largest martial arts organization is using the “ONE on TNT” series to further bolster its burgeoning heavyweight ranks in the hopes of finding the next challenger for Brandon “The Truth” Vera’s divisional belt.
Undefeated Russian destroyer Anatoly Malykhin will look to further make his case when he meets Iranian wrestling sensation Amir Aliakbari.
Aliakbari’s AAA Team stablemate Mehdi Barghi has the unenviable task of trying to stop surging Senegalese star “Reug Reug” Oumar Kane, while Canada’s Joynson wants to make an immediate first impression when he goes up against another undefeated debutant in Kirill Grishenko.
Read more: Demetrious Johnson Plans To Push The Pace, ‘Drown’ Adriano Moraes
