ONE Championship Officially Announces Their U.S. Debut
ONE Championship has officially announced its first event in the U.S.
Something ONE Championship has been trying to do for a while will finally come to fruition in 2023. The Singapore-based combat sports promotion is bringing its brand to Colorado on May 5 at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado.
Many were aware of the potential date and location thanks to Erik Magraken of CombatSportsLaw tweeting about the date last month but now the promotion has made the announcement official and they have a main event; Demetrious Johnson vs. Adriano Moraes III for the Flyweight Title.
During the final press conference for ONE on Prime 5, ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong said a venue would be announced in “the next few days,” and even though most had an idea it would be Colorado, no specific dates or bouts were announced. Since Johnson and Moraes are technically 1-1 against each other, this third match should be the one that settles it all between them.
Their first bout which was broadcast on TNT in April of 2021 had Moraes finish Johnson by knockout with a knee. Johnson avenged the loss at ONE on Prime 1 last August when he won by knockout, via flying knee. With the global rule set approved in Colorado for ONE Championship, this could be the first of many events the promotion holds there if it does well.
In a statement from ONE Championship, Sityodtong said, “This is a monumental day in the history of ONE Championship as we announce our U.S. on-ground debut in Colorado on Friday, May 5. We are very grateful for the support of the state athletic commission and look forward to putting on an unforgettable show for our passionate fanbase in the U.S. and watching around the world.”
Details on tickets and additional bouts will be available as the date draws near. In the meantime, if you have not tuned in to ONE Championship yet and need to know a little more about the promotion, MyMMANews has you covered with this guide on how ONE Championship is different from what you might be used to.
