Everything You Need to Know for ONE Championship: A New Era

MMA fans may be preparing for the Justin Gaethje vs. Edson Barboza battle at UFC on ESPN 2 on Saturday, but grab a cup of coffee and head to B/R Live for the best card, top-to-bottom, of the year as ONE Championship presents A New Era in the early hours on Sunday.

The stacked line-up features nine fights on the undercard before getting to the seven-fight main card that features four title fights. Yes, four! Oh, and it will also include the ONE debuts of Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez.

If there is one card in the first half of 2019 that an MMA fan cannot miss, it's A New Era.

ONE Championship is putting most of their eggs in this basket as they present it to fans across the globe. Ryogoku Kokugikan Stadium in Tokyo will play host to the massive event which officially gets underway at 2:30 a.m. ET on Sunday.

What are all the details you need to know before settling in to catch the action?

Let's go through the card and make sure you have everything you need before witnessing the best card of early 2019. ONE Championship: A New Era is the can't-miss event fight fans need to make sure they watch. Here is everything you need to know.

Where and How to Watch

If you happen to be in Japan, you can head on over to Ryogoku Kokugikan Stadium in Tokyo to watch all the action. However, if you happen to be sitting on your couch and wanting to take in one of the best MMA cards of the year you can download the B/R Live app and watch it for free in the comfort of your own home.

The preliminary card will get underway at 2:30 a.m. ET with the main card beginning at 5:30 a.m. ET.

With the undercard featuring several quality fights as well as two more bouts in the Flyweight Grand Prix, it would behoove a fight fan to tune in early and stick around for the entire slate early on Saturday.

If you can't watch the action as it happens via B/R Live, a replay will be aired on TNT on Monday, April 1 at 11:45 p.m. ET.

The full card is as follows:

Main Card (5:30 a.m. ET)

Lightweight Championship: Eduard Folayang vs. Shinya Aoki
Strawweight Championship: Xiong Jingnan vs. Angela Lee
Middleweight Championship: Aung La N Sang vs. Ken Hasegawa
Bantamweight Championship: Kevin Belingon vs. Bibiano Fernandes
Flyweight Grand Prix: Demetrious Johnson vs. Yuya Wakamatsu
Lightweight Grand Prix: Eddie Alvarez vs. Timofey Nastyukhin
Kickboxing: Yodsanklai Fairtex vs. Andy Souwer

Preliminary Card (2:30 a.m. ET)

Flyweight Grand Prix: Danny Kingad vs. Senzo Ikeda
Flyweight Grand Prix: Kairat Akhmetov vs. Reece McLaren
Mei Yamaguchi vs. Kseniya Lachkova
Garry Tonon vs. Anthony Engelen
Muay Thai: Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Hakim Hamech
Muay Thai: Panicos Yusuf vs. Mohammed Bin Mahmoud
Kickboxing: Hiroki Akimoto vs. Joseph Lasiri
Kickboxing: Yoon Chang Min vs. Bala Shetty

The Can't-Miss Fighters

Angela Lee

There is no more important fighter to watch on the card. Lee will take up a slot in the co-main event and vie for the strawweight title against Xiong Jingnan.

Why is she the can't-miss fighter? It's not because she is the face of ONE Championship even though she is. It's because she is an exciting fighter who is going after history. She already holds the atomweight crown, and this would allow her to become a double-champ at just 22 years of age.

As ONE makes a bid to make noise with this stacked event, Lee is the linchpin to it all as their top homegrown talent.

Aung La N Sang

Unfamiliar with N Sang? He is not only the middleweight champion of ONE—a title he will defend at A New Era—but he is also the ONE light heavyweight champion.

N Sang is 9-1 in his last 10 bouts, and he avenged his lone loss to Vitaly Bigdash six months after it occurred in 2017. As one of the few double-champions and one of the only champions who actively defends both belts, N Sang is worthy of your attention as part of the big four-title-fight event.

Demetrious Johnson

"Mighty Mouse" was last seen dropping a contentious decision to now-UFC flyweight champion Henry Cejudo. Now, Johnson finds himself fighting at 135-pounds in ONE Championship. Johnson could still very well be the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet, and this is the first step in proving that he is just that. He is the prohibitive favorite in the Flyweight Grand Prix, but fighting at a higher weight class should prove interesting for the former 125-pound champ.

This could be the start of a fruitful partnership with ONE, or it could end up being a slow descent into obscurity should everything go wrong. This is all-risk, little-reward for Johnson, which should have him performing his absolute best. That is always a sight to behold.

Eddie Alvarez

Alvarez is competing in the Lightweight Grand Prix, and it will be his organizational debut. The former UFC lightweight champion is always a must-watch action fighter, and this should be a matchup where fans can see him shine. Timofey Nastyukhin is a significant drop down in competition for Alvarez, but if he looks past him toward future goals, it could get dicey.

Garry Tonon

The card is so stacked that one of the best prospects in MMA is featured on the undercard. Tonon is a submission ace with a bright future in MMA, and he will battle Anthony Engelen in the first MMA bout on the card. If Tonon looks impressive and moves his MMA record to a perfect 4-0, he may find himself in the title hunt as ONE seeks new featherweight contenders for the winner of Martin Nguyen vs. Jadamba Narantungalag (April 12).

The Fighters Who Will Surprise You

Eduard Folayang

Folayang defeated Shinya Aoki to win the lightweight title in 2016 but lost it to Martin Nguyen the next year. After reclaiming the belt, Folayang is ready to go 2-0 against Aoki and solidify his title reign.

Although its the main event, Folayang is being overlooked. Like other ONE products, he doesn't have the international profile of champions in other promotions. The inclusion of Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Alvarez and Angela Lee has seen him get overlooked while he headlines the event.

Going into hostile territory to battle Aoki on a massive card getting global attention will weigh on his shoulders. If he can carry the burden and walk out with the belt, Folayang will have a legion of new fans.

Kevin Belingon

Bibiano Fernandes was once considered the cream of the crop of the lighter weight classes. He helped stablize and build ONE's bantamweight division and defeated Belingon in 2016. But time has moved forward, and Belingon, like many others, has developed into a fantastic fighter.

Belingon, as interim champion, finally got a chance to avenge his loss to Fernandes and did with a split decision. Now the trilogy fight is set. Belingon is largely an unknown commodity outside of ONE, but back-to-back wins over Fernandes should put him on the map as one of the best 145-pound fighters on the planet.

Danny Kingad

While the focus of the Flyweight Grand Prix is on "Mighty Mouse," Kingad could end up being the fighter to watch. The talented prospect has only been pro since November of 2014. Less than five years into his professional career, Kingad is 11-1 and in a tournament against possibly the greatest fighter of all time.

His skills should capture your attention, and don't be surprised if you see Kingad against Johnson later in the Grand Prix.

Kseniya Lachkova

Let's go to the undercard to grab a fighter you'll want to check out. The 23-year-old Russian, Lachkova, posts a 10-2 record but hasn't lost since back-to-back losses in 2015-16. She has steadily developed since then, reeling off five straight. She'll make her ONE debut against one of their most veteran fighters.

Mei Yamaguchi is 13 years her elder and a former title challenger. It's a big test for Lachkova, but don't expect the vet to run away with the fight. This fight could put Lachkova in line for a title shot with a victory or play a key role in her overall development, either way, you'll want to make sure you're in your seat to watch her throw down.

The Global Stakes

The UFC will have some great cards this year. They always do. But ONE Championship's event on Saturday is the most significant MMA event of the year without debate. It is an announcement that they are ready to take a spot among the elite and challenge the status quo.

It's in the event name. A New Era. ONE is ready to break out on a global scale with one of the most stacked events in recent MMA history.

Four title fights, several tournament bouts, excellent kickboxing and Muay Thai battles and even a couple fantastic prospects that could be major pieces to their future. It's a major event for the sport. If it goes well, ONE gains a mass of fans across the globe and expands its footprint.

In doing so, ONE also announces itself to the world of talent as yet another potential destination where they could fight outside of the UFC or Bellator.

ONE has a solid executive group behind the brand and a history of putting together fun events. This is their next step. It's a huge one with massive implications on the sport itself. The fighters stepping inside the cage are not the only ones with their necks on the line. The organization is taking a big risk and set to expand by showcasing one of the deepest cards fans are likely to see.

Predictions

Lightweight Championship: Eduard Folayang vs. Shinya Aoki

Folayang has already proved capable of beating Aoki before, and that was three years ago. He has only gotten better, while Aoki hit his ceiling a long time ago. That is not to say there isn't danger should Folayang play with him on the mat, but he is smart enough to avoid the danger. Folayang puts Aoki away with strikes in a statement-making performance.

Folayang, TKO, Rd. 2

Strawweight Championship: Xiong Jingnan vs. Angela Lee

All of the focus is on Lee. It makes sense. But the danger in that is the pressure it brings, and she isn't even the champion. China's Jingnan is able to focus on the fight. Lost in all the hype around Lee is that Jingnan is an exceptional fighter who is bigger and stronger.

Lee is more talented in a sense of her raw ability, but size matters, and Jingnan is in her athletic prime. In two years, I'd take Lee to win. Right now? Expect Jingnan to get China's biggest MMA win ever in an eye-catching showing as she pelts Lee with the heavier strikes. She'll bust Lee up until the referee has seen enough.

Jingnan, TKO, Rd. 4

Middleweight Championship: Aung La N Sang vs. Ken Hasegawa

In their prior meeting, it was a five-round battle of attrition that N Sang won in the fifth round after Hasegawa faded. I don't think fans will get a complete repeat of the first meeting, but it should be exceptionally fun for the first 10 minutes. After that, N Sang pulls away again and nabs a TKO finish.

N Sang, TKO, Rd. 3

Bantamweight Championship: Kevin Belingon vs. Bibiano Fernandes

Fernandes will celebrate a birthday with a loss. He will be 39 by the time the cage door closes, and this sport is unforgiving. Belingon's split-decision win will become a little more clear as he sweeps the scorecards in the trilogy fight. It's time to pass the torch in the bantamweight division.

Belingon, unanimous decision

Flyweight Grand Prix: Demetrious Johnson vs. Yuya Wakamatsu

Poor Wakamatsu. He isn't ready for the GOAT. Johnson will use the first five minutes to acclimate himself to ONE and the weight class before smoking Wakamatsu on the mat.

Johnson, submission, Rd. 2

Lightweight Grand Prix: Eddie Alvarez vs. Timofey Nastyukhin

This is a matchup tailor-made for Alvarez's violent style. Nastyukhin won't be ready for a true elite fighter like Alvarez. There may be a slower start as Alvarez worries about the power, but once he feels it, the tempo will ramp up and that'll be a wrap for Nastyukhin.

Alvarez, TKO, Rd. 1

Everything You Need to Know for ONE Championship: A New Era