ONE Championship’s debut U.S. event, ONE on Prime Video 10, is set for May 5, and the Singapore-based promotion is headlining the historic event with its biggest trilogy to date. ONE flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will put his gold on the line against former divisional king Adriano Moraes in the evening’s main event, and it is guaranteed to be a barnburner.
His triumphant return to U.S. soil may still be months away, “Mighty Mouse” is already getting prepared.
One critical element the upcoming event will have over others will be elevation. The 1stBank Center sits 5,420 feet above sea level in Broomfield, Colorado. Johnson has been focusing on this and trying to assess whether or not he will need to become more acclimated to the conditions ahead of the world-title tilt.
“I just have to decide if I want to get there early or not. I fought in Broomfield, Colorado, before when I was still kind of young in my career,” Johnson told ONE.
“I’m going back out to Arizona to get ready for my fight and do my pre-camp with Henry [Cejudo]. After that, I’m going to sit down with the wife and do two weeks out there and see if it makes a difference.”
Regardless of the decision he makes, Johnson feels comfortable knowing he will be ready. The largest factor comes down to experience. After a decorated career competing in main event matches and going into deep waters, the Washington native understands how his body reacts in those high-pressure situations.
“Now, being 36, I understand how to fight and how to pace myself while pushing the pace,” said “Mighty Mouse.”
“We haven’t crossed that bridge yet. I’m still trying to figure it out, [but] I’m not too worried about it. I’m gonna train my ass off and go out there and fight.”
The elevation is not the only concern the flyweight king will face heading into the match against “Mikinho.” Johnson is aware of Moraes’ track record of success coming off of a loss. And he has experience dealing with trilogy bouts, something Johnson has not had to deal with in his career to date.
“You look at Geje Eustaquio and Kairat Akhmetov, he’s used to this. He’s used to losing the belt and then getting the opportunity to get it back – and he usually gets it back,” he said.
“He’s been here before and that’s the biggest thing that I see.”
Their thrilling trilogy will come to a head on Friday, May 5. Johnson is ready to lead ONE into the U.S. market on the ground at the 1stBank Center for ONE on Prime Video 10 and continue to etch out his legacy with another phenomenal performance.
Fans can sign-up for priority access for ONE on Prime Video 10 tickets here. The event will air live and free to all Amazon Prime subscribers in the U.S. and Canada at 8 p.m. ET.