Filipino MMA Stars Predict Demetrious Johnson Vs. Adriano Moraes III At ONE Fight Night 10

This Friday, May 5th, mixed martial arts fans across the globe will get to witness the epic conclusion of one of the most grueling rivalries in the sport's history

Demetrious Johnson is set to go one-on-one with Adriano Moraes for the third time with the prestigious flyweight crown on the line in the main event of ONE Championship's historic U.S. debut—officially numbered ONE Fight Night 10.

It all began in April 2021 when Moraes shocked the world by becoming the first man to finish "Mighty Mouse" inside the cage—courtesy of a stunning knee strike in the second round.

16 months later, Johnson returned the favor by knocking Moraes out cold in the fourth round with a flying knee to finally capture the ONE flyweight title.

Both men are determined to finally put a closure to their heated series, which will take place at the sold-out 1stBank Center in Denver, Colorado.

Ahead of their colossal showdown, several Filipino fighters have already weighed in on the matchup.

Stephen Loman believes that matters will be much more complicated for Moraes in the rubber match.

"DJ is a very conscious and smart fighter, and I don't think he will have the same plan of attack for this third one. I truly believe 'Mighty Mouse' will mix it up to get the victory," the No. 2-ranked bantamweight contender told the International Business Times.

"Remember that he has a superb ground game, and we may see it in the third fight."

On the other hand, Kevin Belingon views it differently as the former ONE bantamweight champion expects the two rivals to engage in a neck-and-neck battle over the course of five rounds.

"This is the fight game, and anything can happen. You never know. People evolve, and I am sure Adriano has come prepared for this one. It can go either way," Belingon mentioned.

Honorio Banario, who once reigned as the ONE featherweight titleholder, echoed the same sentiment made by Belingon.

"I truly believe that the dynamics will change in the third fight, making it a more difficult fight compared to the first two. I'm pretty sure that this fight can go full five rounds," Banario said.

Like Belingon and Banario, Edward Kelly also thinks that Johnson and Moraes will go through the wringer from bell to bell.

"It's 50-50, in my opinion. Both men are unpredictable," Kelly stressed.

Despite their similar assessments of how things will play out, all three veterans agree that Johnson will still come out triumphant.

Meanwhile, Jhanlo Sangiao favors the 36-year-old from Parkland, Washington to win by knockout once more.

"I'm picking DJ to win because he has all the characteristics of a complete fighter. To me, it's possible that he can knock out Moraes again," Sangiao stated.

"Mighty Mouse" gets the identical vote of confidence from Jeremy Pacatiw and Danny Kingad.

"I really feel that we will all see another extraordinary performance from DJ, especially if it's true that this will be his last fight. I know he's going to be extra motivated for this one," Pacatiw mentioned.

"I've read that this could be DJ's final fight. If that's the case, that's his motivation—to end his career on a high note. He has the motivation, and at the same time, the crowd will be rallying behind him," Kingad added.

Oddsmakers have positioned Johnson as the -156 favorite to retain the ONE flyweight championship against Moraes (+122 underdog) on Friday.