The One Championship Flyweight Title: A Visual History

Next Friday in Broomfield, Colo., one of MMA’s best rivalries will be decided once and for all.

In the main event of One on Prime Video 10 on May 5, One Championship flyweight kingpin Demetrious Johnson is set to defend his title against the man from whom he wrested it eight months ago, three-time former champ Adriano Moraes. It will be the third meeting between “Mighty Mouse” and “Black Diamond,” with each man holding a knockout win over the other. In their first meeting at One on TNT 1 two years ago, Johnson, fresh from winning the ONE flyweight grand prix, challenged Moraes for the belt and struggled with the length and power of the visibly larger champ, succumbing to a brutal knee strike in the second round. When they rematched last August at One on Prime Video 1, Johnson, the longtime Ultimate Fighting Championship 125-pound champ and one of the smartest, best-coached fighters the sport has ever seen, had made adjustments. After three and a half rounds of back-and-forth action, Johnson hurt Moraes with a right hand, then starched him against the fence with an incredible, pinpoint flying knee.

One Championship has had no shortage of intriguing rivalries over the years—Angela Lee and Jingnan Xiong, Christian Lee and Rae Yoon Ok, or Moraes’ trilogy with Geje Eustaquio, just to name a few—but Johnson vs. Moraes stands head and shoulders above the rest as a showcase for two pound-for-pound greats performing at their best against one another. ONE appears to see it that way as well, considering that their bouts have headlined the debut events of its previous broadcast deal with TNT as well as its current arrangement with Amazon Prime Video, and now, its first foray into the United States, a richly symbolic trip to the city where the modern sport of MMA was born 30 years ago.

While the Johnson-Moraes trilogy has been a boon for fans, the rest of ONE’s 135-pounders are probably eager for it to be over and done with. Prior to Johnson’s arrival in 2018, the ONE flyweight division had been a round robin in which Moraes, Eustaquio and Kairat Akhmetov passed the belt around like a hot potato. The trio were closely matched—four of their five fights went to the judges, including two split decisions—bringing a rare level of parity. Johnson and Moraes have put the title on lock for most of the last two years, but barring something unforeseen next Friday, the line of contenders should start to move once more, and best of luck to whoever is next up.

Here is the history of the One Championship flyweight title and the times it was won, lost or defended. It tells the story of a division that started as a free-for-all, only to become the battleground of a two-man rivalry for the ages.