ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II Preview and Predictions

ONE Championship kicks off their partnership with Amazon Prime Video in a big way this Friday, Aug. 26. The event is capstoned with a rematch for the flyweight world championship as Adriano Moraes takes on Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in a rematch of their 2021 contest. That fight shook up much of the MMA world as it was ONE’s first foray into U.S. cable television at ONE on TNT 1. Moraes landed a stunning knee to a downed Johnson that ended the fight by knockout and handed Johnson the first knockout loss of his career. Now, on Prime Video, Johnson will look to even the score and defeat Moraes to claim the flyweight world championship and have a legitimate argument once again as the greatest flyweight mixed martial artist on the planet.

The co-main event will also be a jaw dropping affair as British standout Liam Harrison squares off against Nong-O Gaiyanghadao. “The Hitman” is a multiple-time world champion across various organizations and will look to add another belt to his mantle by defeating Nong-O for the bantamweight Muay Thai championship. Nong-O is riding one of the sport’s most incredible hot streaks, racking up eight consecutive wins, with his last three by knockout. A win would be the sixth defense of his bantamweight championship.

ONE on Prime Video 1 takes place inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium and airs live in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video with the lead card starting at 8 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 10 p.m. ET.

Adriano Moraes became the first person to knock out Demetrious Johnson when the pair first met; how does the former UFC flyweight king fare in the rematch?

It wasn’t just that Moraes finished Mighty Mouse that caused such a commotion across the mixed martial arts world; it was how he finished him. In any other major MMA promotion the knee that knocked Johnson out would have been illegal because, Johnson was a downed opponent. However, under ONE’s rules it was perfectly legal.

Without a doubt, Johnson had trained extensively for the different rule set, and it wasn’t his first fight under the ONE banner. So, while it shouldn’t have been a total surprise that the knee was legal, it is one thing to be aware that knees on the ground are legal, and another thing entirely in practice. Suffice it to say, Johnson won’t get caught with the same shot this time around.

This rematch will be competitive and fans should expect Moraes to be looking for an early finish, while Johnson is more tactical in his approach and relies on his footwork and timing to get out to an early lead against the incumbent champion. This fight will go the distance as Mighty Mouse is able to avoid the heavy leather coming his way from Moraes en route to a victory that sets up the rubber match nicely for this trilogy.

Liam Harrison won a thrilling contest against Muangthai PK.Saenchai in his last outing; how does the British standout do in this showdown with Nong-O?

Liam Harrison has won five straight fights and Nong-O has rattled off eight in a row. Like nearly all of Harrison’s bouts, this one is going to be a can’t-miss affair and both fighters will likely get dropped before all is said and done. Unfortunately for Harrison, this time around, he won’t recover as well as he did against Muangthai. Nong-O is the more dangerous of the two fighters at this point in their respective careers, and his power will carry deep into the bout. A late right cross from Nong-O will floor Harrison and he won’t be able to beat the count getting back to his feet. Nong-O stops Liam Harrison’s winning streak at five and extends his own to nine straight victories.

Panpayak Jitmuangnon and Sherbod Kabutov meet in an alternate bout for the flyweight Muay Thai grand prix; which fighter comes away with a victory?

Flyweight Muay Thai contests are among the most fun combat sports fights to watch. The pace that the fighters are able to maintain for the entirety of the bout is nearly unmatched. The three minute rounds allow them to be active for the entire round, firing strikes at what feels like the speed of light. Additionally, Muay Thai training starts so young for most of these fighters that they have such clean techniques that they are able to put a lot of power behind their strikes, despite their smaller frames. That being said, this fight will probably go the distance, and it will be Kabutov who comes away with the victory.

Kabutov earned his place in this alternate bout by defeating Denis Puric at ONE 157 in his promotional debut. He controlled that fight by using his jab to maintain distance and avoid eating any devastating strikes. That will be the same recipe he uses for this bout with Panpayak. A well-timed jab will start off extended combinations that are punctuated with body kicks that keep Panpayak unable to land anything noteworthy of his own. That will continue throughout the fight and despite Panpayak looking as fast as ever his strikes will largely come up short or only partially land as Kabutov moves to 2-0 inside ONE Championship.

Which fight is the sleeper match-up on this card?

Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida is an absolute legend in the jiu-jitsu world. He is off to a hot start in his MMA career at 3-0, and that should extend to 4-0 with another impressive performance. He takes on Kirill Grishenko, who is no slouch, but is coming off his first professional loss into this bout. Expect this to be the first time Buchecha is really tested in an MMA contest, but he will overcome some early adversity on the feet and ultimately get the fight down to the mat, where he shines, and will pick up another submission victory.