Our first of two MMASucka staff picks this weekend comes with ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes. The thrilling card will take place tomorrow morning, August 2nd, from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. Action will begin at 5:00am ET (2:00am PT) live on either the ONE Championship app, available for both Android and apple, or on the ONE Championship YouTube channel. MMASucka staff picks for Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 5 card will be available tomorrow evening.
THE FIGHTS
ONE lightweight champion Martin Nguyen and challenger Koyomi Matsushima will face off in the main event slot. Nguyen’s first ONE title shot came at featherweight to Marat Gafurov, suffering a first-round submission loss in just 41 seconds. The two faced off once again in 2017, Nguyen capturing the featherweight belt by knockout. He then became the promotion’s first-ever double-champ with a second round knockout over Eduard Folayang. Nguyen now sits at 2-2 in his last four, both losses coming at featherweight with both victories at 155 pounds. His opponent, Matsushima, will look to keep him from earning a third lightweight title defense. Matsushima made sound competing under the Shooto, PXC, and Pancrase banners from 2015 to 2018. Despite signing last year with ONE following a loss, he has impressed with a sensational first-round knockout over Gafurov and a dominant decision over Won II Kwon.
Injuries for Lowen Tynanes and Timofey Nastyukhin have lead to Eddie Alvarez and Eduard Folayang set for battle in the ONE Lightweight Grand Prix semi-finals. Alvarez is looking for his first victory in nearly two years, while Folayang looks to get back in the win column after losing the lightweight belt to Shinya Aoki in March. The winner will move on to face Saygid Arslanaliev in the finals.
The thrilling match-ups do not stop there. Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson will take on former DEEP flyweight champion Tatsumitsu Wada. ONE bantamweight veterans Danny Kingad and Reece McLaren will kick off the mixed martial arts portion of the main card.
Heavyweights Mauro Cerilli and Arjan Bhullar were scheduled to fight and to be included for picks. However, due to undisclosed reasons, the fight has been cancelled. Five other fights will be counted towards our picks including notables Geje Eustaquio, Honorio Banario, Leandro Issa, and Edward Kelly.
STAFF PICKS
Throughout the year, staff picks will be composed of four different MMA promotions: UFC, Bellator, ONE, and RIZIN. Main cards will make up both UFC and Bellator picks, while the biggest fights to make up ONE and RIZIN events will be used. The WINNER of staff picks will have a choice between receiving a championship belt from ProAmBelts or a championship chain from Championship Chains. The 2018 winner was awarded to Michael DeSantis, compiling a record of 202-101.
Check out our MMASucka staff picks for ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes below, as well as our current records from this 2019 year.
Staff Records after RIZIN 17:
1. Michael DeSantis: 171-99
2. Connor Deitrich: 167-93
3. Ed Gallo: 164-96
4. Mike Skytte: 160-100
5T. Jeremy Brand: 155-105
5T. Mitchell Banuelos: 155-93
7. Matt Bricker: 148-101
8. Ryan Wagner: 146-73
9. Ash Camyab: 144-100
10. Patrick Auger: 142-111
11. Frazer Krohn: 57-40
12. Suraj Sukumar: 53-21
13. Ryan Hobbs: 48-49
14. Ryan Fortune: 38-18
15. Andrew Benjamin: 19-15
16. McKenzie Guardiero: 15-17
Pongsiri Mitsatit (10-2) vs. Litao Miao (4-1)
Jeremy Brand: Mitsatit via UD
Mike Skytte: Mitsatit via Round 2 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Mitsatit via Round 1 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Mitsatit via Round 1 TKO
Mitchell Banuelos: Miao via UD
Ed Gallo: Mitsatit via UD
Brian Gerson: Mitsatit via UD
Matt Bricker: Mitsatit via UD
Connor Deitrich: Mitsatit via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Mitsatit via Round 3 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Mitsatit via UD
Ryan Fortune: Mitsatit via UD
McKenzie Guardiero: Mitsatit via UD
Staff picking Mitsatit: 12
Staff picking Miao: 1
James Nakashima (11-0) vs. Yushin Okami (35-13)
Jeremy Brand: Nakashima via Round 2 TKO
Mike Skytte: Nakashima via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Nakashima via UD
Ryan Wagner: Nakashima via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Nakashima via UD
Ed Gallo: Nakashima via UD
Brian Gerson: Nakashima via UD
Matt Bricker: Nakashima via UD
Connor Deitrich: Nakashima via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Nakashima via Round 3 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Nakashima via Round 2 TKO
Ryan Fortune: Nakashima via UD
McKenzie Guardiero: Nakashima via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Nakashima: 13
Staff picking Okami: 0
Leandro Issa (17-7) vs. Daichi Takenaka (11-1-1)
Jeremy Brand: Issa via Round 1 TKO
Mike Skytte: Takenaka via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Issa via Round 1 SUB
Ryan Wagner: Issa via Round 2 SUB
Mitchell Banuelos: Issa via Round 1 SUB
Ed Gallo: Issa via Round 2 SUB
Brian Gerson: Issa via Round 2 TKO
Matt Bricker: Issa via Round 3 SUB
Connor Deitrich: Issa via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Issa via UD
Frazer Krohn: Issa via Round 1 SUB
Ryan Fortune: Issa via Round 2 SUB
McKenzie Guardiero: Issa via UD
Staff picking Issa: 12
Staff picking Takenaka: 1
Honorio Banario (14-8) vs. Dae Sung Park (9-2, 1 NC)
Jeremy Brand: Sung Park via Round 1 TKO
Mike Skytte: Sung Park via UD
Michael DeSantis: Sung Park via Round 2 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Sung Park via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Sung Park via Round 2 TKO
Ed Gallo: Sung Park via UD
Brian Gerson: Sung Park via Round 2 TKO
Matt Bricker: Sung Park via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Sung Park via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Banario via UD
Frazer Krohn: Sung Park via UD
Ryan Fortune: Sung Park via Round 1 TKO
McKenzie Guardiero: Sung Park via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Banario: 1
Staff picking Sung Park: 12
Yuya Wakamatsu (10-4) vs. Geje Eustaquio (12-7)
Jeremy Brand: Eustaquio via UD
Mike Skytte: Wakamatsu via Round 1 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Eustaquio via UD
Ryan Wagner: Wakamatsu via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Wakamatsu via UD
Ed Gallo: Eustaquio via UD
Brian Gerson: Eustaquio via UD
Matt Bricker: Wakamatsu via UD
Connor Deitrich: Wakamatsu via Round 1 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Wakamatsu via UD
Frazer Krohn: Wakamatsu via SD
Ryan Fortune: Eustaquio via SD
McKenzie Guardiero: Wakamatsu via UD
Staff picking Wakamatsu: 8
Staff picking Eustaquio: 5
Danny Kingad (12-1) vs. Reece McLaren (12-6)
Jeremy Brand: McLaren via UD
Mike Skytte: Kingad via UD
Michael DeSantis: Kingad via UD
Ryan Wagner: Kingad via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Kingad via UD
Ed Gallo: Kingad via Round 2 TKO
Brian Gerson: Kingad via UD
Matt Bricker: Kingad via UD
Connor Deitrich: Kingad via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Kingad via UD
Frazer Krohn: Kingad via UD
Ryan Fortune: Kingad via UD
McKenzie Guardiero: Kingad via Round 2 TKO
Staff picking Kingad: 12
Staff picking McLaren: 1
Demetrious Johnson (28-3-1) vs. Tatsumitsu Wada (21-10-2, 1 NC)
Jeremy Brand: Johnson via Round 2 SUB
Mike Skytte: Johnson via SD
Michael DeSantis: Johnson via Round 2 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Johnson via UD
Mitchell Banuelos: Johnson via Round 3 TKO
Ed Gallo: Johnson via Round 1 TKO
Brian Gerson: Johnson via Round 1 TKO
Matt Bricker: Johnson via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Johnson via UD
Andrew Benjamin: Johnson via Round 3 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Johnson via Round 2 TKO
Ryan Fortune: Johnson via Round 2 SUB
McKenzie Guardiero: Johnson via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Johnson: 13
Staff picking Wada: 0
Eduard Folayang (21-7) vs. Eddie Alvarez (29-7, 1 NC)
Jeremy Brand: Alvarez via UD
Mike Skytte: Folayang via UD
Michael DeSantis: Alvarez via UD
Ryan Wagner: Alvarez via Round 2 TKO
Mitchell Banuelos: Alvarez via UD
Ed Gallo: Alvarez via Round 2 TKO
Brian Gerson: Alvarez via Round 2 TKO
Matt Bricker: Alvarez via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Alvarez via Round 1 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Alvarez via Round 2 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Alvarez via UD
Ryan Fortune: Alvarez via Round 1 TKO
McKenzie Guardiero: Alvarez via UD
Staff picking Folayang: 1
Staff picking Alvarez: 12
Martin Nguyen (12-3) vs. Koyomi Matsushima (11-3)
Jeremy Brand: Nguyen via Round 1 TKO
Mike Skytte: Matsushima via UD
Michael DeSantis: Nguyen via Round 2 TKO
Ryan Wagner: Nguyen via Round 1 TKO
Mitchell Banuelos: Nguyen via UD
Ed Gallo: Nguyen via UD
Brian Gerson: Nguyen via Round 1 TKO
Matt Bricker: Nguyen via Round 1 TKO
Connor Deitrich: Nguyen via Round 2 TKO
Andrew Benjamin: Nguyen via UD
Frazer Krohn: Nguyen via Round 3 TKO
Ryan Fortune: Nguyen via Round 2 TKO
McKenzie Guardiero: Nguyen via Round 3 TKO
Staff picking Nguyen: 12
Staff picking Matsushima: 1
FEATURED IMAGE:
ONE lightweight champion Martin Nguyen (left) and challenger Koyomi Matsushima (right) pose at media day ahead of their ONE Championship: Dawn of Heroes fight taking place Saturday, June 2nd from the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines (photo credits to ONE Championship)
