The epic showdown for the ONE flyweight crown will now definitely happen as reigning Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes and Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will head the main card of a four week blockbuster martial arts events airing in U.S. prime time in April.
This was announced recently by ONE Championship and Turner Sports. The “ONE on TNT” series will air every Wednesday from April 7 to April 28.
The weekly shows will include a preliminary card digitally streamed exclusively on the Bleacher Report App and B/R Live followed by three main card fights televised exclusively on TNT in the U.S.
“We look forward to introducing our unique brand of martial arts to the U.S. on prime time. American fans can expect something fresh, new and completely different from anything that is currently available in the U.S.” said Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE. “As always, we will feature some of the greatest world champions across various martial arts alongside a few familiar, legendary names.”
“ONE on TNT” kicks off the series on April 7, with “ONE on TNT I” that also features unranked Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez against #2-ranked lightweight contender Iuri Lapicus in the co-main event, plus reigning Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon taking on the UK’s Jacob Smith in a non-title bout.
“ONE on TNT II,” airing April 14, will feature the return of reigning Lightweight World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee, as he defends his title against #3-ranked lightweight contender Timofey Nastyukhin.
“ONE on TNT III,” airing April 21, will see former ONE Middleweight World Champion and current Light Heavyweight World Champion Aung La “The Burmese Python” N Sang against former ONE Middleweight World Champion Vitaly Bigdash in a trilogy bout to determine the #1 contender in the middleweight division.
“ONE on TNT IV,” airing April 28, will cap off the series with more high-stakes bouts to be announced at a later date.
“ONE has a passionate global fan base and this next step in our partnership elevates the exposure for its top martial arts events in the U.S,” said Tina Shah, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Turner Sports. “This multi-faceted approach combines two leading platforms in Bleacher Report and TNT as we further expand the reach of these premier events and drive additional engagement with a broader audience.”
By: Armando M. Bolislis