Two of ONE Championship’s newest superstars will participate in a pair of epic tournaments.
Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez and Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will make their promotional debuts as part of grands prix in the lightweight and flyweight divisions, respectively.
The eight-man competitions, which were announced at the ONE: HEART OF THE LION Press Conference in Singapore on Wednesday, 7 November, will take place in 2019.
Each single-elimination grand prix will feature world-class athletes, who will compete throughout the year, with the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final bouts taking place at separate events, rather than on one night.
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced that current World Champions may join the field of competitors, but there are “a lot of moving parts” to consider before the final participants are confirmed.
He added the final lineups would depend on matches that are scheduled for the next few months, including the ONE Lightweight World Title match between Eduard “Landslide” Folayang and Amir Khan at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS.
That bout will take place on Friday, 23 November at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
As part of his unofficial unveiling at the press conference in Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, Johnson spoke enthusiastically about the flyweight grand prix, as well as some of his potential opponents.
“When I had the opportunity to become a ONE athlete, I couldn’t pass up that opportunity,” Johnson said.
“Now that they have announced a world grand prix for the flyweight division – it’s always been a dream of mine to compete in Asia in a grand prix.
“I’m going to give my best. I’m not going to take any shortcuts. I’m going to train my butt off. I’m going to come over here and, hopefully, the goal is I’m going to be champion.
“I know the flyweight division here – Geje [Eustaquio], Kairat [Akhmetov], [Danny] Kingad, and Adriano Moraes, those guys are tough, but I’m looking to face those guys.”
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