ONE Championship: Predictions and How to Watch 'A New Era'

Four world title bouts, the ONE flyweight world grand prix quarterfinals and the debuts of former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Demetrious Johnson headline the most stacked card in ONE Championship history. 

Along with the debuts of Alvarez and Johnson, we'll also see atomweight champion Angela Lee look to become the first two-division women's champion in ONE history, a rematch of the 2018 Bout of the Year between middleweight champion Aung La N Sang and Ken Hasegawa, and lightweight champion Eduard Folayang face off against Shinya Aoki in the main event.

Here is everything you need to know about ONE: A New Era.

     

Where and How to Watch

This event will be held Sunday, March 31 at Ryogoku Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo. This will be ONE's first event in Japan.

Those in the U.S. can watch the contest for free on B/R Live.

The main card starts at approximately 5:30 a.m. ET, preceded by a nine-match preliminary card that begins at 2:30 a.m.

The full card stands as follows:

Main Card

Eduard Folayang (c) vs. Shinya Aoki (lightweight world championship)

Xiong Jin Nan (c) vs. Angela Lee (women's strawweight world championship)

Aung La N Sang (c) vs. Ken Hasegawa (middleweight world championship)

Kevin Belingon (c) vs. Bibiano Fernandes (bantamweight world championship)

Yuya Wakamatsu vs. Demetrious Johnson (flyweight world grand prix quarterfinal)

Eddie Alvarez vs. Timofey Nastyukhin (lightweight world grand prix quarterfinal)

Andy Souwer vs. Yodsanklai Fairtex (kickboxing)

Preliminary Card

Senzo Ikeda vs. Danny Kingad (flyweight world grand prix quarterfinal)

Tatsumitsu Wada vs. Ivanildo Delfino (flyweight world grand prix quarterfinal)

Kairat Akhmetov vs. Reece McLaren (flyweight world grand prix quarterfinal)

Mei Yamauchi vs. Kseniya Lachkova

Anthony Engelen vs. Garry Tonon

Rodtang Jitmuangnon vs. Hakim Hamech (muay thai)

Panicos Yusuf vs. Mohammed Bin Mahmoud (muay thai)

Hiroki Akimoto vs. Joseph Lasiri (kickboxing)

Yoon Chang Min vs. Bala Shetty

Kairat Akhmetov

Age: 31

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 125 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 25-2

ONE Record: 3-2

Kairat Akhmetov knows what the top of the flyweight division feels like, having won the title in 2015 and kept it for nearly two years before losing it to current champion Adriano Moraes in August of 2017.

The Kazakh has yet to win two straight matches since joining ONE, but he is still one of the best wrestlers the promotion has to offer and boasts an impressive 25-2 record to prove it.

He's not one to finish an opponent, with all five of his previous ONE bouts going the distance. However, Akhmetov relies on his ground game to keep opponents on their backs for the majority of a match and earning points from the judges as a result.

       

Reece McLaren

Age: 27

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 134 pounds

Stance: Southpaw

Record: 12-5

ONE Record: 5-2

Like Akhmetov, Reece McLaren wants to get his opponents on the canvas as well. However, McLaren prefers the Brazilian jiu-jitsu route to doing so rather than Akhmetov's wrestling.

What makes this bout so appetizing is the contrast in styles and the frenetic pace that both of these athletes love to compete in. Unlike his opponents' more gritty technique that wears the body down, McLaren consistently looks to set up a choke and end the bout early. 

     

Prediction

Unfortunately for Reece McLaren, Kairat Akhmetov has already gone up against one of the best BJJ athletes in the world twice in Moraes and defeated him on one of those occasions.

Akhmetov is familiar with how to properly negate McLaren's strengths and will do so en route to the flyweight world grand prix semifinals.

Akhmetov def. McLaren by unanimous decision

Tatsumitsu Wada

Age: 30

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 125 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 20-10-2

ONE Record: 1-2

After riding an eight-match winning streak into his ONE debut last July, Tatsumitsu Wada has gone just 1-2 in his short time with the promotion.

In fairness, both of his losses came against competitors who are also in the flyweight world grand prix: Reece McLaren and Danny Kingad.

Neither of those opponents were slouches by any stretch, but Wada is still lacking a marquee win at ONE. The Japanese, who favors the ground and pound game frequently, hopes to earn a confidence-booster win in front of his home crowd.

      

Ivanildo Delfino

Age: 29

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 135 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 8-0

ONE Record: 0-0

Not much is known about Ivanildo Delfino. A surprise inclusion in the flyweight world grand prix, the Brazilian spent the first three years of his martial arts career in various native promotions.

Although a wild card, amassing an 8-0 record in a country littered with BJJ athletes is still an impressive feat. Delfino would make quite the splash if he can knock off the veteran Wada in his ONE debut.

      

Prediction

In what is on paper the weakest quadrant of the flyweight world grand prix quarterfinals, both competitors will be desperate for a win and the chance to potentially face martial arts legend Demetrious Johnson in the semifinals.

Wada can't afford a loss to a debutant if he wants any chance at a title shot in the foreseeable future, while Delfino is eager to impress with a new, bigger brand in a new country. Ultimately though, look for the veteran Wada to hand newcomer Delfino his first professional loss.

Wada def. Delfino by first-round rear-naked choke  

Senzo Ikeda

Age: 36

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 126 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 12-6-1

ONE Record: 0-0

Senzo Ikeda is a late addition to the Flyweight World Grand Prix, replacing an injured Andrew Leone less than two weeks ago.

The oldest competitor in the tournament, Ikeda made a name for himself in Japanese promotion Pancrase, where he is the current flyweight champion with a four-match winning streak. However, he hasn't competed in a non-exhibition bout in over a year. Ikeda will rely heavily on the hometown Tokyo crowd to egg him on.

     

Danny Kingad

Age: 23

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 125 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 11-1

ONE Record: 7-1

From the oldest competitor in the tournament to the youngest, Danny Kingad has made quite the name for himself in his three years with ONE.

Specializing in wushu, the Filipino 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 Kingad's inexperience proved costly as he was defeated by first-round submission, the sole loss of his career.

Since then, Kingad's won four straight, with two wins coming against fellow Flyweight World Grand Prix competitors Tatsumitsu Wada and Yuya Wakamatsu.

       

Prediction

It's tough to ask any martial artist to compete on two weeks notice, especially against someone as well-rounded as Kingad. Also take into consdiration that Ikeda hasn't competed in over a year, and this should be a straightforward bout for the 23-year-old. He'll go on to face Akhmetov in the Flyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals.

Kingad def. Ikeda by unanimous decision

Andy Souwer

Age: 36

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 154 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 179-19-1

ONE Record: 0-1

Andy Souwer is a kickboxing legend, winning the prestigious K-1 tournament twice in 2005 and 2007 and being ranked among the best in the world at the time.

After a 15-month hiatus, The Dutchman returned to the ring in February of last year. However, Souwer lost both of his bouts since making a comeback, including his ONE debut last October.

Does he still have one more special performance left in the tank, or is the veteran completely past his prime?

     

Yodsanklai Fairtex

Age: 33

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 159 pounds

Stance: Southpaw

Record: 201-71-4

ONE Record: 2-0

Yodsanklai Fairtex is one of the hottest kickboxers in the world at the moment, boasting a 30-match winning streak.

His triple uppercut knockout of Luis Regis last December was one of the best finishes of 2018. A win against Souwer would give the Thai the biggest win of his career in terms of opponent prestige. 

    

Prediction

This is not the ideal bout for Souwer to regain confidence after last winning in 2016. Fairtex is a quick, thrilling athlete at the peak of his career ready to add another win to his already impressive total.

All it takes is one punch for Souwer to change the complexion of the match, but this is more likely to be a clinic on the part of Fairtex.

Fairtex def. Souwer by third-round KO

Eddie Alvarez

Age: 35

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 155 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 29-6

ONE Record: 0-0

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.

Alvarez is not a martial artist that wants to take his time with opponents. His walk-forward approach already makes him the most aggressive athlete in the division, and he's only getting better.

"We've taken Nastyukhin very seriously, but my growth is paramount," Alvarez told B/R Live. "It's about me getting better with my wrestling, my jiu-jitsu, my striking, my conditioning. I know if I go out there prepared and ready, I can beat the best guys in the world. I've already proven it.

      

Timofey Nastyukhin

Age: 29

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 145 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 12-4

ONE Record: 5-3

Timofey Nastyukhin is a frenetic competitor, as only two of his eight previous ONE matches have gotten out of the first round.

Sometimes this approach works for the Russian, like his six-second knockout of Robert Lisita in 2016, and sometimes it goes poorly, like his loss to Saygid Arslanaliev within the first two minutes of his most recent bout last September.

Regardless of who the opponent is, it seems Nastyukhin's strategy is always "all or nothing." That can make for quite the entertaining first round.

     

Prediction

Although Timofey Nastyukhin's energy in the first round could pose some early trouble for Alvarez, he is by far the more complete and experienced martial artist.

Nastyukhin will be overeager, and "The Underground King" will make him pay with a clean right hook that sends him to the Lightweight World Grand Prix Semifinals against fellow American Lowen Tynanes.

Alvarez def. Nastyukhin by first-round knockout

Yuya Wakamatsu

Age: 24

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 126 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 10-3

ONE Record: 0-1

Yuya Wakamatsu is a true underdog story. Not too long ago, the Japanese was a carpenter trying to supplement his martial arts dream.

Almost a year after winning the Pancrase flyweight title, Wakamatsu made the move to ONE where he faced Kingad in his debut. He lost by unanimous decision, but now he gets a chance at arguably the best flyweight to ever do it.

He loves the right hand and feels that it will only take one punch to knock Demetrious Johnson to the canvas. Wakamatsu believes in himself, even if no one else does.

"If a guy like me who used to work a normal job wins against a world champion, I think I will be a superstar," Wakamatsu told Sportskeeda. "I have confidence that I can beat him if my punch hits him. I think nobody thinks I can win. People say that I can win to be polite. I know other Asian athletes are thinking, 'Why Wakamatsu?' But I think I can make something happen. I will certainly win. This is the biggest chance of my life...I think this is fate. A miracle can happen."

Demetrious Johnson

Age: 32

Height: 5'3"

Weight: 125 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 27-3-1

ONE Record: 0-0

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. He sounds more than motivated to put on a show in Asia for the first time.

"I'm going to go out there, fight my butt off, use my heart, use my technique, use my skill set and go out there and take it to him," Johnson told ONE. "I'm going to go out there and display my skill set to the Asian fans, and to the world."

     

Prediction

Yuya Wakamatsu has a bright future, but this is Demetrious Johnson we're talking about. He's gone up against much more powerful strikers than Wakamatsu and has still never been finished in his professional career.

"Mighty Mouse" will go on to face another Japanese, Tatsumitsu Wada, in the Flyweight World Grand Prix Semifinals.

Johnson def. Wakamatsu by first-round armbar 

Kevin Belingon

Age: 31

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 135 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 20-5

ONE Record: 11-5

Kevin Belingon shocked the world last November, handing Bibiano Fernandes his first loss in almost eight years in a title unification bout to become the undisputed bantamweight champion.

With his win, Belingon ended the longest championship reign in ONE history. The Filipino is one of the most exciting athletes on the roster, utilizing a devastating spinning back kick as a key aspect to his overall game.

Where Belingon has improved greatly over the past year is his overall defending. This was on full display against Fernandes when he broke out of the Brazilian's armbar on two separate occasions. 

Although their bout was a tight split-decision thriller, Belingon looks to leave no doubt this time around.

"I'm going for the finish," Belingon told Sportskeeda. "This time, when I see the opening, I'm going to take it."

      

Bibiano Fernandes

Age: 38

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 135 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 22-4

ONE Record: 10-1

Bibiano Fernandes is the most dominant champion in ONE history, defending his title eight times before dropping it to Belingon.

He wants the match to stay on the canvas as often as possible, using his wrestling to wear down an opponent and either earn points with judges en route to a decision victory or set up a submission. The Brazilian wasn't too happy with Belingon's approach in their last bout.

"The only thing is the way he fights," Fernandes told John Hyon Ko of The Body Lock. "He's running too much in the fight, he really did. He spins, he runs away...Let's fight! Come and bring a show. If I had won the fight like that, it would have been a very boring fight."

Fernandes may claim Belingon remained passive throughout their most recent bout, but hopefully the matchup still results in another classic between these two competitors.

       

Prediction

On paper, this should be one of the closest matches of the night. Both athletes seem to feed off of each other in poetic fashion, and the resulting rivalry between arguably the two best bantamweights in ONE history has been nothing short of magic.

With that said, it's hard to imagine Bibiano Fernandes losing a second consecutive time, especially against the same opponent. Is this the last chapter of the Belingon-Fernandes rivalry? Likely so, as ONE has never had two athletes face off on four occasions before. Soak it in while you can, folks.

Fernandes def. Belingon by split decision

Aung La N Sang

Age: 33

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 185 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 24-10

ONE Record: 9-1

Aung La N Sang is the first simultaneous two-division champion in ONE history, and a straightforward brawler. He loves throwing punches, but he sometimes takes as many as he gives out.

The Myanmarese also loves putting on a show for his fans, especially for his home crowd whom he has competed in front of his last five matches.

Sometimes, though, Sang seems so infatuated with putting on a good performance that he keeps his foot on the gas for the duration of the bout and looks for the finish at all times. The issue here? His defensive guard lacks, and opponents like Ken Hasegawa, whom he faced last June, also get their fair share of punches in.

        

Ken Hasegawa

Age: 32

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 184 pounds

Stance: Southpaw

Record: 16-3-1

ONE Record: 0-1

Ken Hasegawa's ONE debut did not go according to plan, with the Japanese losing to Sang by fifth-round knockout in a middleweight title bout.

He got plenty of punches in, but he did not connect with enough power to really worry the champion. Sang also managed to counter most of Hasegawa's takedown attempts throughout the bout, an area that he normally thrives in.

Eventually, Hasegawa's conditioning got the best of him late, and power-puncher Sang earned the finish. This time, however, Sang must go into enemy territory and face Hasegawa in his home nation. Can he go toe-to-toe again with the two-division champ and feed off the crowd to win gold?

      

Prediction

Aung La N Sang is vulnerable, but Hasegawa may not possess the power, stamina or creativity needed to dethrone him.

Sang negated Hasegawa's wrestling so often in their first bout that the Japanese was forced to throw punches in hopes of winning. That's not his game, and Sang knows that. Look for the "Burmese Python" to leave Tokyo still as the middleweight champion.

Sang def. Hasegawa by unanimous decision

Xiong Jing Nan

Age: 31

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 115 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 13-1

ONE Record: 4-0

Xiong Jing Nan is China's first-ever mixed martial arts champion, but she must now go up against her toughest opponent yet in the "Unstoppable" atomweight champion Angela Lee.

Nan is a feared striker, first being introduced to the sport through boxing. An intriguing contrast of styles with submission specialist Lee is now in play, and Nan wants to spoil the hype around the undefeated 22-year-old.

"It's obvious who's the favorite and who's getting the love from the promotion and we like that," Nan's coach Don Carlo-Clauss told Atilano Diaz of BJPenn.com. "We like being the underdog, we like going into enemy territory and playing the spoiler, and I expect Jing Nan to go in there and put in a dominating performance."

      

Angela Lee

Age: 22

Height: 5'4"

Weight: 114 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 9-0

ONE Record: 9-0

At 19, Angela Lee became the youngest professional mixed martial arts champion in the sport's history. Almost three years later, Lee is still holding on to her atomweight crown and wants even more gold around her waist as she faces Nan for the right to be ONE's first-ever two-division women's champion.

Lee has endured a lot of adversity outside of the cage the past couple of years, being involved in a car crash that kept her out of action for almost a year.

After making her victorious return last May, she suffered a back injury in preparation for a previously scheduled bout against Nan last November. Now, Lee appears fully fit and ready to go.

      

Prediction

Angela Lee has never faced a striker like Xiong Jing Nan before, but the same can be said regarding Nan and Lee's submission ability.

It should be an intriguing start to the match, but Lee is a more polished, well-rounded martial artist than her opponent, and that should push her to yet another incredible milestone.

Lee def. Nan by fourth-round rear-naked choke

Eduard Folayang

Age: 35

Height: 5'7"

Weight: 155 pounds

Stance: Orthodox

Record: 21-6

ONE Record: 11-4

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's now headlining the largest show in ONE history.

He faces Shinya Aoki, the man who he defeated for the lightweight title in 2016 during his first stint as champion. Last November, Folayang returned to the top of the division after winning the vacant title against Amir Khan by unanimous decision.

Folayang found the brunt of his success in his first matchup against Aoki by successfully smothering the Grandmaster of Flying Submission's takedown attempts. It's something that he is working on even more in preparation for their rematch.

"As much as possible, I will not give him the opportunity to bring me down to the mat," Folayang told ABS-CBN News. "It all boils down to how well I defend myself from his takedowns, knowing how expertly he moves with this sole purpose in mind. Takedown defense is a very important part of my training right now, and I am constantly improving in this area."

The ONE original is grateful for the opportunity to once again face Aoki in the main event of this stacked card.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to once again face this legend," said Folayang. "He's the greatest submission artist in mixed martial arts history. I couldn't be happier to headline this event against him. It is an honor."

     

Shinya Aoki

Age: 35

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 170 pounds

Stance: Southpaw

Record: 42-8

ONE Record: 8-2

Shinya Aoki is a 16-year veteran who has amassed 27 submission finishes in his career. The Japanese legend now takes his talents to his hometown of Tokyo for the first time under the ONE banner.

Aoki is considered one of the most creative martial artists in the world, having submitted opponents through 10 different holds in the past. He'll look to get Folayang on the mat and find his opportunity to capitalize on frankly any body part he sees fit. 

Regardless of how big this moment is for both Aoki and ONE, he is not letting the moment get to him, as has always been the case throughout his career.

"I do not like being called a legend," Aoki told Sportskeeda. "I just want to be an ordinary person, especially outside the ring or cage."

"I'm at my happiest when I'm concentrating on being a martial artist," Aoki said. "Beyond that, I walk about wearing t-shirts and shorts."

       

Prediction

Eduard Folayang has become a master of negating any and all tactics his opponents have come at him with as of late, with nine of his last ten wins coming by unanimous decision.

This was most impressive against Aoki three years ago, who built his style on unpredictable submissions.

However, Folayang has never lost by submission in the past, and Aoki typically doesn't possess the tools needed to knock the Filipino out.

Look for Folayang to retain his title at the end of a historic ONE: A New Era card.

Folayang def. Aoki by unanimous decision