3 dream matches we want to see in ONE Championship next year

ONE Championship has a stacked lineup of fights ready for combat sports fans in 2023. Among several impressive fight cards this year, MMA fans are salivating at ONE's first event on US soil featuring the latest chapter between Demetrious Johnson and Adrano Moraes at ONE on Prime Video 10 on May 5th.

ONE kicks off the year with a bang as kickboxing great Superbon Singha Mawynn looks to defend his throne against Chingiz Allazov at ONE on Prime Video 6 on January 13th. The fight card also features superstars such as Stamp Fairtex and Rodtang Jitmuangnon. Combat sports fanatics already have the day marked on their calendars.

In addition to the above bouts, there are many fights which ONE Championship fans have dreamed of seeing in the Circle. Below, we've listed three dream matches that we want to see happen in ONE Championship in 2023.

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3. Tye Ruotolo vs. Kade Ruotolo for the ONE Championship lightweight submission grappling world championship

The battle of the twin grappling prodigies, a brother vs brother showdown. Tye and Kade Ruotolo had an incredible 2022 having defeated fighters such as Shinya Aoki, Garry Tonon, and others in the ONE Circle. At just the age of 19, these twins have earned world titles in ONE Championship and ADCC in the past year.

Watching their phenomenal journey to greatness has been tantamount to witnessing history in front of our eyes. But which twin phenom is the better submission grappler, Tye or Kade? The two may face off with the ONE lightweight submission grappling world championship on the line.

Interestingly, the two brothers are open to competing against each other. In an interview with ONE, Tye explained:

“[Kade] has the 170-pound belt, and I can still make it down to 170 with some time. I want to be fighting for a belt, and my brother and I can have a match at some point, for sure. We can market that. It would be crazy. An absolute barnburner of a match.”

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2. Jarred Brooks vs. Demetrious Johnson the battle of two world champions

Earlier this year, 'The Monkey God' Jarred Brooks continued his dominant, unbeaten streak in ONE Championship by capturing the ONE strawweight world title. In a five-round war, the US-born athlete was able to defeat the long-reigning strawweight king Joshua Pacio and earn ONE gold.

As soon as his match ended, Brooks wasted no time in calling out all-time great 'Mighty Mouse' Demetrious Johnson. In his post-fight interview, 'The Monkey God' said:

"I would love to fight Demetrious Johnson. That’s like a dream come true for me. Demetrious, I have the utmost respect for you. You’re the best ever. I would love to share the circle with you."

Johnson vs. Brooks would be a war between two world champions. 'The 'Monkey God' may have to get in line though as Johnson is already booked. 'Mighty Mouse' will be looking to finish his trilogy against Adriano Moraes when the two battle at ONE on Prime Video 10 on May 5th.

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1. Anatoly Malykhin vs. Reinier de Ridder for the ONE middleweight world championship

The Russian slugger 'Sladkiy' Anatoly Malykhin is looking to capture more world titles in ONE Championship. The knockout machine currently holds the ONE interim heavyweight world title and the ONE light heavyweight world championship. But he wants more gold.

Dutch-born Reinier de Ridder was a two-division world champion in ONE holding middleweight and light heavyweight titles. In the main event of ONE on Prime Video 5, Malykhin earned a first-round knockout to capture the light heavyweight crown against 'The Dutch Knight.'

But the Russian athlete is not yet satisfied. He explained after the match that he may be interested in capturing a third belt and challenging for de Ridder's middleweight throne. In his post-fight press conference, the Russian declared:

“So I'm going to do the next fight at [middleweight]. As I said earlier, I'm coming for all the belts so everyone should watch out and be careful.”

In 2023, Malykhin may jump across three weight categories. The Russian athlete is still seeking a world title unification bout against heavyweight king Arjan Bhullar. He might defend his light heavyweight crown, and he might look to capture a middleweight title. It is shaping up to be a very busy year for 'Sladkiy.'

ONE Championship will be hosting the best fights in the world featuring submission grappling, Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA. The organization already has major events booked for Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the United States of America. ONE in 2023 will be the one to watch.