ONE Championship has to prepare one of the maximum magnificent playing cards we had got visible from any martial arts organization thus far in 2019. The promotion’s ONE: A New Era takes place at the legendary Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, March 31, and this can be the most significant occasion in its history.
For a spread of motives, the event is specific to grab the martial arts global’s interest. Here are ten belongings you must understand approximately the ONE: A New Era.
This Is ONE’s First Event In Japan
The records of Japanese martial arts are rich, and corporations like Pancrase, Shooto, and Deep have endured maintaining that culture alive in recent years.
Now, for the first time, ONE Championship could be selling an event in Japan. The advertising is devoted to protecting every day suggests in the USA and helping to foster the nation’s martial arts ecosystem. This marks the beginning of its expansion in The Land Of The Rising Sun, and there may be a motive to trust Japan will be the website online for some ONE’s largest cards inside the destiny.
ONE Championship inked a TV and streaming cope with Turner last December, and ONE: A NEW ERA may be broad to be had for viewers to look at in North America.
The occasion can be streamed live on Turner’s B/R Live at 2:30 a.M. ET on March 31, and fanatics may have an opportunity to watch the complete card. Also, many matches could be aired in a while on TNT, starting at eleven:45 p.M. ET on April 1.
More Than MMA
ONE Championship isn’t only a mixed martial arts organization.
Its events frequently consist of Muay Thai, kickboxing, and from time to timeboxing matches. ONE: A NEW ERA isn’t any different. The card will function athletes competing in 3 one of a kind disciplines. Many of the athletes have received global champions from their martial arts.
There Are 15 Bouts Scheduled
Overall, there may be 15 contests at the display type. Here is a examination of the complete card.
A Total Of 19 Different Countries Will Be Represented
The martial artists in ONE Championship stay and train in a ramification of countries throughout the globe. For this precise occasion, there might be 19 extraordinary nations represented. The host United States of America, Japan, will be nicely represented at ONE: A New Era, as will the United States, Brazil, the Philippines, and others.
There Will Be Four World Titles On The Line
It may be sporadic when fans see global titles contested on an unmarried martial arts display. However, ONE: A New Era will function four global name bouts. One Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang defends his belt towards Japanese legend Shinya Aoki on a principal occasion.
Also, in the three co-predominant activities, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin Belingon faces Bibiano Fernandes, two-division ONE World Champion Aung La N Sang defends the middleweight belt in opposition to Ken Hasegawa, and ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee demanding situations ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion Xiong Jing Nan for her belt.
Angela Lee Looks To Make History
Speaking of Lee, she could make history at ONE: A New Era. No female in ONE Championship history has ever held global titles in clear weight instructions, and they look to perform that feat when she faces Xiong.
Lee, who’s unbeaten in her career, movements up a department to tackle what will be her most robust suit thus far. Xiong is a sturdy warrior with properly-balanced grappling and outstanding knockout strength, and they have the chance to ruin her rival’s spotless file and quest to make history.
There Are Four Rematches On The Card
In many world title bouts, there may be history among the opponents. That is merely the case in three of the nighttime’s top attractions.
This could be the 0.33 meeting between Belingon and Fernandes. They break up their other two encounters, with Fernandes triumphing their initial in shape thru submission in January 2016 and Belingon dethroning the longtime division king via cut-up choice in November 2018. Now, the pair will settle their contention in a trilogy bout.
Aung La N Sang and Hasegawa had one of the pleasant showdowns in current memory. In reality, it became even voted “Bout Of The Year” at the 2018 Global Martial Arts Awards. This type of competitive bout, the rematch became made, and Hasegawa hopes he can avenge his 5th-round loss in front of his fatherland crowd.
The most critical occasion is likewise a rematch, too. Folayang took the lightweight crown from Aoki again in November 2016. However, the Japanese grappler earned his manner still to a title bout at the energy of three consecutive first-round stoppage victories. Now, he gets another shot at Folayang — except this time, he will have the help of his countrymen.
Lastly, the kickboxing tilt between Andy Souwer and Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex is also a rematch from about that occurred 11 years in the past. After going three rounds of their preliminary assembly, they battled in an extension round, which Souwer, in the end, gained thru choice.
Demetrious Johnson Is Making His Promotional Debut
In addition to the World Title bouts, ONE: A New Era additionally marks the promotional debut of Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
For his first bout with the business enterprise, the previous 12-time UFC Flyweight Champion will face Yuya Wakamatsu in a ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix zone-final bout. The winner of the 8-guy tournament will earn a spot on the ONE Flyweight World Title.
Johnson got here to ONE as part of the historical alternate with the UFC, which despatched former ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben Askren to the Las Vegas-based total promotion in October.
Eddie Alvarez Is Also Making His Promotional Debut
Another former UFC titleholder may also be making his first promotional look at ONE: A New Era. Old UFC Lightweight Champion Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez will take at the effective Timofey Nastyuhkin within the very last ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix zone-very every previous bout.
Just like the winner of the flyweight match, whoever emerges triumphant from this eight-man bracket can be provided a crack on the ONE Lightweight World Champion.
Alvarez has been within the cage with a maximum of the best competition in his weight magnificence, including Aoki twice. The Philadelphia native has already held the light-weight belts in Bellator and the UFC. He would like to become the primary individual to maintain a World Title in all three promotions. His road to that file-putting feat starts offevolved in Japan on Sunday.
