ONE Championship made its debut on TNT on Wednesday with ONE on TNT I, and the event produced a pair of stunning outcomes.
First, Eddie Alvarez (30-8) was disqualified for illegal punches to the back of the head of Iuri Lupicas (15-1) just 62 seconds into their bout, then minutes later, former UFC champ and all time great Demetrious Johnson (30-4-1) was finished for the first time in his career when he was knocked out in Round 2 by Adriano Moraes (19-3) in their main event title bout at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The MMA world was left reeling after the show, and an outpour of reactions lit up social media. For more, check below for the top Twitter reactions to ONE on TNT I.
Aljamain Sterling
Wait, wait, wait, WAIT! He’s clearly acting here! I would know! Where’s his “clown” emoji’s at you cowards??? Show yourself! 😂 #WhatAboutMe? Guys I’m clearly kinda sorta kidding#ONEonTNT #ONEChampionship
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) April 8, 2021
Derek Brunson
Buddy ain’t getting up . They might as well bring out the next fight ! 😂
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) April 8, 2021
Matheus Aquino
LOL the guy turned his head and faked being KO’d because he heard people yell back of the head.
— Matheus Aquino (@MatheusDCAquino) April 8, 2021
Ariel Helwani
My word. Alvarez gets a red card. He’s DQ’d. Fight is over. Man.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 8, 2021
Aaron Bronsteter
That Alvarez DQ was weak.
Lapicus looked like he was done.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) April 8, 2021
Bi Nguyen
A red card without a warning is unprecedented. #ONEonTNT
— Bi Nguyen “killer bee” (@killerbeemma) April 8, 2021
Derek Brunson
I don’t know about that DQ, those punches didn’t have much on them. The opponent was playing the system and turned away as Eddie was punching . If you turn as someone is punching and you get an illegal blow , that blow should then be a legal strike!
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) April 8, 2021
Dustin Poirier
Respect @Ealvarezfight
“You put me in a cage and I’m trying to survive in here”
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) April 8, 2021
Aljamain Sterling
Unless there’s blood, most fans don’t care 🤷🏾♂️ The harsh reality of our sport that we love. BUT that shot was NOT a knee!
I gotta find his Twitter to see if he called me an actor too. That would be some karma IF he attacked me https://t.co/16bwqXYGZq
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) April 8, 2021
👀 Look what you caused man. .@PetrYanUFC #ONEonTNT1
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) April 8, 2021
Ant Evans
Joe Silva was right about Eddie Alvarez.
— Ant Evans (@AntEvansMMA) April 8, 2021
EA went on a twitter rant about Joe a year or so ago – load of dorks be like “Yah, Eddie! You are so lovely and Joe so baddie”.
But I’d take Joe Silva over 100,000 of this MAGA-hatted hype job.
— Ant Evans (@AntEvansMMA) April 8, 2021
Junior Dos Santos
That’s clear he’s hitting the back of the head. Can you imagine you getting elbowed there.
What’s going on here my GOD
Enforce the rules! https://t.co/FJOSsju242— Junior Dos Santos 🅾️➕ (@junior_cigano) April 8, 2021
Caposa
Nasty knees from DJ
— caposa (@Grabaka_Hitman) April 8, 2021
Bi Nguyen
This height difference is giving me flashbacks to all my fights. Lol #ONEonTNT1 #oneontnt
— Bi Nguyen “killer bee” (@killerbeemma) April 8, 2021
Adam Martin
Johnson was having problems with his grappling defense in the last few fights in ONE. He won them but he showed some holes and right now Moraes looks to be stronger from top position. #ONEonTNT1
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) April 8, 2021
Belal Muhammad
Woooow
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) April 8, 2021
Ben Askren
👀👀👀 woah that was a crazy finish!!
— Funky (@Benaskren) April 8, 2021
Knees to a grounded opponent are legal in @ONEChampionship ! It is the best rule ONE has
— Funky (@Benaskren) April 8, 2021
Derek Brunson
What did I just watch 😱
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) April 8, 2021
Jared Gordon
Woahhhhhhhhhhhhhh
— Jared Gordon (@JFlashGordonMMA) April 8, 2021
Matheus Aquino
MIKINHO! WHAT A GREAT PERFORMANCE. Knees on the ground = best ruleset, but DJ was done before that already.
— Matheus Aquino (@MatheusDCAquino) April 8, 2021
Daniel Rubenstein
LEGAL GROUNDED KNEE FOR THE WIN!
— Daniel Rubenstein (@dannyrube) April 8, 2021
Chael Sonnen
The @ONEChampionship literally advertised the WRONG start time. Ya can’t make a dumber mistake.
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) April 8, 2021
Derek Brunson
Knees to a grounded opponent allowed in ONE 😱. That looked weird, that’s like boxing allowing ground and pound 🥶
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) April 8, 2021
Aljamain Sterling
This is why knees to downed opponents are vicious and ILLEGAL in MMA in the UFC! If this was the USA that knee is not allowed and Mighty Mouse can get up in a more safe and protective manner.
I hope Mighty Mouse is ok, but this is why I disagree with those rules. #ONEonTNT1
— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) April 8, 2021
Luis Pena
Knees to grounded opponent should be legal everywhere
— Luis Antonio Pena (@violentbobross) April 8, 2021
Patricky Freire
Congratulations to @adrianomkmoraes for the great win tonight! Great performance against an all time great. We need knees to the head on the ground as part of the Unified Rules. I’d love if they’d allow soccer kicks too.
— Patricky Freire (@PatrickyPitbull) April 8, 2021
Michael Chiesa
Does Cejudo go to ONE now?
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) April 8, 2021
Patricio Freire
MMA keeps showing us there are great fighters everywhere. It’s not about under what banner you’re fighting, it’s about what skillset and abilities you have.
— Patricio Pitbull (@PatricioPitbull) April 8, 2021
ONE Championship
there is something deeply funny about a yoked shirtless guy sobbing that one of the times he punched a guy tonight was maybe an inch off https://t.co/1d7zrGEhwo
— Wild Troys Always Shine (@pdlmma) April 8, 2021
Petr Yan
Congrats to Adriano Moraes! Nice knee. And good to see DJ recovered quickly
— Petr “No Mercy” Yan (@PetrYanUFC) April 8, 2021
ONE Championship
Demetrious Johnson
all good everyone back in the hotel. watch the fight. shitty day in the office. congratz to @adrianomkmoraes we will be back.
— Demetrious Johnson (@MightyMouse) April 8, 2021
Alex Davis
Adriano believed in himself since the first moment this fight was matched! Never an oz of doubt in that heart! So proud! Congrats Adriano, you shocked the world , and proved what you were saying all along! @adrianomkmoraes pic.twitter.com/4CLIpTmsJn
— Alex Davis (@Alexdavismma) April 8, 2021
Aaron Bronsteter
Yes!
— Nobphavanh Manivanh (@nobz_ufc) April 8, 2021