Two world-title bouts, the flyweight world grand prix semifinals and the return of former UFC champions Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez to the ONE cage highlight the promotion's next event: Dawn of Heroes.
Along with Johnson and Alvarez, we'll also see 22-year-old phenom Jonathan Haggerty defend his flyweight muay thai belt for the first time as well as featherweight knockout king Martin Nguyen against Koyomi Matsushima in the main event.
Here is everything you need to know about ONE: Dawn of Heroes.
Where and How to Watch
The event will be held Friday at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
Those in the U.S. can watch the contest for free on B/R Live.
The main card starts at approximately 8:30 a.m. ET, preceded by a nine-match preliminary card that begins at 5 a.m.
Main Card
Martin Nguyen vs. Koyomi Matsushima (featherweight world championship)
Jonathan Haggerty vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon (flyweight muay thai world championship)
Eduard Folayang vs. Eddie Alvarez (lightweight world grand prix semifinal)
Demetrious Johnson vs. Tatsumitsu Wada (flyweight world grand prix semifinal)
Danny Kingad vs. Reece McLaren (flyweight world grand prix semifinal)
Rodlek PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym vs. Andrew Miller (muay thai)
Preliminary Card
Geje Eustaquio vs. Yuya Wakamatsu
Mauro Cerilli vs. Arjan Bhullar
Honorio Banario vs. Dae Sung Park
Leandro Issa vs. Daichi Takenaka
James Nakashima vs. Yushin Okami
Edward Kelly vs. Xie Bin
Pongsiri Mitsatit vs. Miao Li Tao
Samara Santos vs. Ayaka Miura
Sunoto vs. Muhammad Aiman
James Nakashima vs. Yushin Okami
American James Nakashima is quickly making a name for himself at ONE.
After debuting for the Asian-based promotion last November, the former University of Nebraska wrestling standout has earned two wins against previously undefeated Raimond Magomedaliev and the most experienced athlete in the welterweight division in Luis Santos.
Nakashima is 11-0 in his four-year career, but the biggest threat to the undefeated record comes this Friday against Yushin Okami. If he can get past a veteran of his caliber, Nakashima could be on the brink of a title shot.
Okami was a UFC veteran, having gone 14-7 in two stints with the company. He faced the likes of Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen and Rich Franklin during his peak. However, the Japanese lost three of the last four matches including his ONE debut in May.
It would be quite a feather in the 38-year-old's cap to knock off one of the hottest members of the ONE roster at the moment in Nakashima.
Prediction: Nakashima def. Okami by unanimous decision
Mauro Cerilli vs. Arjan Bhullar
UFC fans may remember Arjan Bhullar during his short stint with the promotion over the last two years, amassing a 3-1 record. After his contract expired, the former wrestling Olympian tested free agency and chose to sign with ONE instead of accepting an upgraded offer from UFC or other opportunities from promotions like Bellator.
In an interview with Nick Baldwin of Bloody Elbow, Bhullar said it came down to several things: money, ONE’s apparent plans to expand into his family's home country of India, a greater chance of fighting for and winning a title, a greater ability to build his brand, and staying more active.
The 9-1 Bhullar looks to start off on the right foot with his new promotion.
Mauro Cerilli is 13-3 overall and 1-1 with ONE after losing to heavyweight champion Brandon Vera in his debut before defeating Alain Ngalani last March.
A win against Bhullar could put Cerilli right back in the title mix in what is a wide-open division desperate to find worthy new contenders for Vera's belt.
Prediction: Cerilli def. Bhullar by second-round knockout
Rodlek Pk.Saenchaimuaythaigym
Age: 29
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 145 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 125-40-5
ONE Record: 1-0
With 170 total bouts, the always-animated Rodlek Pk.Saenchaimuaythaigym is one of the most experienced ONE athletes you'll find. The Thai's life has revolved around muay thai since the age of 10, and his passion for it resonates during every match.
In his ONE debut against Liam Harrison, Rodlek urged his opponent on throughout the bout all while talking to him and playing mind games. Even when Harrison cut him in the final round, the veteran laughed it off and threw his arms in the air as if he was asking for more. He knows how good he is and has no problem letting his opponent know about it.
"Entertaining the fans is really important to me, and I am going to try to make this fight as exciting as possible for them," Rodlek said, per the official ONE website. "Everyone that steps into the ring wants to win, myself included, but I’m not going to focus on that. My focus is with the fans."
Rodlek appears to be brimming with confidence.
Andrew Miller
Age: 28
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 145 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 34-16-2
ONE Record: 1-2
A late replacement for the injured Chris Shaw, Andrew Miller certainly has the odds stacked against him having less than one-third of the in-ring experience of his opponent and just a few more total matches than Rodlek Pk.Saenchaimuaythaigym has letters in his name.
Miller is coming off his first ONE win after defeating Mohammed Bin Mahmoud in June. His height advantage is also Rodlek's cause for concern.
A future title shot against muay thai bantamweight champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao could be on the horizon for the winner of this bout, but that isn't Miller's primary goal, per the official ONE website.
"Obviously, the ONE world title is a good goal to have," he said. "But I want to live my life and ride this out because you never know when your fight career will finish. So I’m just enjoying life as much as possible."
Miller heads into this match with nothing to lose. Can he start the main card of Dawn of Heroes with an upset?
Prediction
Miller has no fear when stepping into a match and his height could pose early problems for Rodlek, but the Thai has seen it all in his illustrious career. The Scot has also taken more than a few cracks to the chin since joining ONE, which doesn't bode well for a striker of Rodlek's ilk.
Rodlek def. Miller by first-round KO
Danny Kingad
Age: 23
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 135 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 12-1
ONE Record: 8-1
The youngest competitor in the flyweight world grand prix has made quite the name for himself in his three years with ONE.
Specializing in wushu, Danny Kingad stormed into ONE and won his first three bouts with the promotion. He then earned a title match against current holder Adriano Moraes in his first stint as champion, but his inexperience proved costly as he was defeated by first-round submission, the sole loss of his career.
Since then, Kingad has won five straight, with three wins coming against fellow flyweight world grand prix competitors Tatsumitsu Wada, Yuya Wakamatsu and Senzo Ikeda.
Reece McLaren
Age: 27
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 135 pounds
Stance: Southpaw
Record: 12-6
ONE Record: 5-3
Reece McLaren wants to get his opponents on the canvas with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and consistently looks to set up a choke that ends the bout early. His frenetic pace won't allow Kingad to take any breaks.
Although he lost his opening-round match, an injury to Kairat Akhmetov gives McLaren a second chance. Can he take advantage this time?
Prediction
McLaren is a relentless grappler and Kingad is a relentless striker. This alone should make for a fast-paced, intriguing bout. The match will be closer than it appears on paper, but the Filipino's striking is a tad better than the Australian's BJJ and that should be enough for the decision.
Kingad def. McLaren by unanimous decision
Demetrious Johnson
Age: 32
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 135 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 28-3-1
ONE Record: 1-0
Demetrious Johnson held the UFC flyweight title for almost six years and defended it a record 11 times. He is a master wrestler, a submission specialist and one of the most creative martial artists in recent memory.
Last March, he began his ONE career with a second-round finish of Yuya Wakamatsu in the flyweight world grand prix quarterfinals.
"Mighty Mouse" is the overwhelming favorite to win the entire tournament, but he learned after receiving a powerful shot to the eye from Wakamatsu that his opponents are motivated to knock the flyweight king off his throne.
Tatsumitsu Wada
Age: 30
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 135 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 21-10-2
ONE Record: 2-2
After riding an eight-match winning streak into his ONE debut last July, Tatsumitsu Wada has gone just 2-2 in his short time with the promotion.
In fairness, both of his losses came against fellow flyweight world grand prix semifinalists Danny Kingad and Reece McLaren.
Neither of those opponents were slouches by any stretch, but Wada is still lacking a marquee win at ONE even after his win in the quarterfinals against a debuting Gustavo Balart.
He favors the ground-and-pound game and hopes to use a similar height advantage that gave Johnson fits against Wakamatsu to the best of his ability.
Prediction
Wada is a tough test mostly due to his large frame, but this is Demetrious Johnson we're talking about.
The biggest issue for Wada is his inability to pack a ton of power in his strikes. Most of Johnson's past opponents who did give him trouble are formidable strikers, Wakamatsu included.
In 33 professional bouts, Wada only won five by technical knockout. He's a martial artist who gets the majority of his victories by decision, and that's a tough ask against an athlete as skilled and dynamic as Johnson.
Mighty Mouse should progress to the flyweight world grand prix final with relative ease.
Johnson def. Wada by first-round submission
Eduard Folayang
Age: 35
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 170 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 21-7
ONE Record: 11-5
Eduard Folayang is one of the only remaining ONE athletes to have been with the promotion since its inception in 2011.
The Filipino legend helped showcase the company for over seven years, so it's only fitting he was added to the flyweight world grand prix semifinals after an injury to Lowen Tynanes forced him to withdraw.
The last time we saw Folayang, he dropped the lightweight world title to Shinya Aoki in the main event of the same card Eddie Alvarez lost his ONE debut in.
"My journey as a world champion is like a roller coaster," Folayang said at the Dawn of Heroes press conference.
"There are times when I am a world champion and people look up to me. There are also times when I am defeated, so I will try again to climb the ladder to get the belt back. I got it, but lost it again this time. I think the most challenging part is how to get yourself back on the winning track. We are going to start again. That is not something new to us."
The two-time champion must now respond against another decorated competitor.
Eddie Alvarez
Age: 35
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 170 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 29-7
ONE Record: 0-1
Eddie Alvarez wants all the belts. After becoming the only person in history to win both a Bellator and UFC title, "The Underground King" now has his eyes set on the ONE lightweight championship.
However, that goal hit a snag in March when he lost his debut in stunning fashion by first-round knockout to Timofey Nastyukhin. Usually known for his walk-forward approach, Alvarez was uncharacteristically timid against the Russian and paid the price.
"I am sincerely disappointed and confused in my inability to not pull the trigger and my hesitancy on recent fight nights," Alvarez said on his Instagram post-match. "It's been quite confusing to figure out the past year or so."
The good news for Alvarez is he seemed to be in a better mindset during the lead-up press conference:
"Look, I got the first one out of the way. I lost, no problem. I did the same thing in the UFC [against Donald Cerrone] and I honestly almost did the same thing in my debut in Bellator ... I'm not a big fan of my debuts, put it that way. So I got it out of the way, got it past me, and now I can go full-on, go undefeated straight to the belt."
We could be witnessing a huge turning point in Alvarez' storied career. A third straight loss would completely change the trajectory of his time at ONE.
Prediction
Although he lost to Aoki in March, the first submission defeat of his career, Folayang is a master of negating most opposing tactics as nine of his last 11 wins came by unanimous decision.
Alvarez still has the power to knock Folayang out, but it's nerfed by the move up to a 170-pound lightweight division rather than the 155-pound class at UFC. Factor in Alvarez's sluggish performance against Nastyukhin, and we may just see The Underground King drop his third straight match.
Folayang def. Alvarez by split decision
Jonathan Haggerty
Age: 22
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 135 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 15-1
ONE Record: 2-0
Jonathan Haggerty is a terrific striker, specifically through utilizing an array of elbows. He faces his opponents head-on and relies heavily on push kicks to keep distance from eager opponents all while looking for a potentially devastating blow.
The Englishman, ONE's first British champion, has already won three world titles in his five years as a professional. "The General" and his meteoric rise reached new heights in May when he defeated muay thai legend Sam-A Gaiyanghadao by unanimous decision to earn his first belt overseas.
Next, he faces a fellow prodigy whom he called out immediately after his title win.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon
Age: 22
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 135 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 255-41-10
ONE Record: 4-0
You read that right. At 22, Rodtang Jitmuangnon already has 306 matches in his career. The Thai jumped into his homeland's combat sport as a child and never looked back, earning a series of national titles before making his ONE debut last year.
He is one of the most exciting competitors at ONE, throwing an array of punches and elbows at his opponents while also utilizing near-flawless push kicks and leg sweeps.
Haggerty calling out Rodtang is fitting as both transcend their ages and compete in similar attack-heavy manners. We might have a classic on our hands.
Prediction
On paper, this is the most exciting match of the entire card. Haggerty enters his first title defense hoping to prove his win against Sam-A wasn't a fluke, while Rodtang still needs a marquee win and world championship to make the transition from wonderkid to the full-fledged best athlete in his respective division.
Although both possess tremendous striking ability, it's Haggerty who packs more power into his punches and elbows. It seems like every other hit he lands will drop his opponent, and that's a scary proposition for Rodtang, who tends to struggle most when someone goes punch-for-punch with him.
Haggerty def. Rodtang by split decision
Martin Nguyen
Age: 30
Height: 5'8"
Last Weigh-in: 155 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 12-3
ONE Record: 9-3
Martin Nguyen has never been afraid of a new challenge.
After winning the ONE featherweight world championship in August 2017, he reached new heights by becoming the first-ever two-division champion in ONE history in his next bout less than three months later.
"The Situ-Asian" nearly did the unthinkable just four months after when he competed for Bibiano Fernandes' bantamweight title in hopes of becoming the first three-division champion in mixed martial arts history.
A split-decision loss to Fernandes brought Nguyen's unheard of title expedition to a halt, but it was his thrilling finishes and knack for putting on a show that caught the attention of ONE fans.
Finishing his opponents in all but one of his wins with the promotion, Nguyen continues to make a name for himself in dominant fashion. He packs a dazing punch that knocked out former champions Eduard Folayang and Marat Gafurov, and he hopes to do the same against Matsushima.
Koyomi Matsushima
Age: 26
Height: 5'8"
Last Weigh-in: 155 pounds
Stance: Orthodox
Record: 11-3
ONE Record: 2-0
Koyomi Matsushima only made his ONE debut less than a year ago, but he is already in a main event title bout after defeating former featherweight champion Marat Gafurov and up-and-comer Kwon Won Il.
Although his knockout of Gafurov was shocking and nearly half of his wins have come by knockout, Matsushima told the official ONE website he doesn't consider himself a terribly strong finisher.
"Of course I think about it, but I don't strive for a KO win," he said. "I don't think I'm a knockout artist."
With expectations at an all-time high against one of ONE's top competitors, Matsushima isn't shying away from the moment and wants Nguyen to "please get the belt ready to hand over to me."
Will he regret speaking so soon or is this a peek into the future?
Prediction
Matsushima could well have a bright future at ONE and his win over Gafurov was impressive, but the featherweight division has been Nguyen's yard for years now and should continue to be so for as long as he remains in it.
No featherweight at ONE, and frankly not many in the world, possess the raw power striking the Situ-Asian has trademarked over the years.
Nguyen def. Matsushima by first-round KO