MMA News: Miesha Tate Weighs In On Two High-Profile Matches At 'ONE on TNT I'

If there is one person who may be able to predict the right outcomes, it would have to be Miesha Tate.

Tate, the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion who recently came out of retirement to make a cage return, gave her analysis on two important matches happening at "ONE on TNT I" on April 7.

The event will have a couple of interesting pairings. One is Demetrious Johnson challenging Adriano Moraes for the promotion's flyweight championship in the card's headliner.

Regarded as one of the best to ever grace the mixed martial arts cage, Johnson earned a date with Moraes after winning the eight-man ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix tournament in October 2019, where he defeated Filipino ace Danny Kingad by unanimous decision in the finals

On the other hand, Moraes has been synonymous with the ONE flyweight title since becoming the inaugural champion in September 2014.

Already in his third reign as the undisputed kingpin of the 61.2-kilogram weight class, the Brazilian spitfire holds victories against the best that the division has to offer, including Kingad, Geje Eustaquio and Kairat Akhmetov.

Tate, who also serves as ONE Championship's vice-president, acknowledged that the unique talent that Moraes brings to the table, but she feels that Johnson may be too much for the Brazilian champion to overcome.

“Although Adriano [Moraes] is a great fighter in his own right, and he is the champion, I believe that Demetrious Johnson is the greatest fighter of all time and I predict he will win,” the 34-year-old Washington native told International Business Times.

But when asked for her own take on the pivotal lightweight encounter between Eddie Alvarez and Iuri Lapicus, "Cupcake" had a hard time calling it and is aware that it will be one of the interesting bouts to watch.

“The fight between Eddie Alvarez and Iuri Lapicus is very close, and it's difficult for me to pick someone to win. I see Eddie Alvarez has a lot of experience, and he's used to getting through adversity,” Tate explained.

Despite the sizeable gap in terms of experience between both men, Tate recognized Lapicus' explosiveness as a competitor with a 100% finishing rate, resulting in 10 victories by way of submission and four via knockout.

“Iuri Lapicus is very explosive. He's an insanely powerful athlete. He has great wrestling defense, and his finishing ability is incredible. He's definitely a rising star, and I think this is very closely-contested and difficult for me to pick a clear victor,” Tate admitted.

However, Lapicus is coming off a first-round stoppage loss to lightweight titleholder Christian Lee in October of last year, snapping his undefeated run in the process.

Meanwhile, Alvarez was last seen in action when he pulled off a come-from-behind win over Filipino superstar Eduard Folayang in August 2019.

The American power-puncher is looking to move closer to a shot at Lee's gold-plated belt by having his hand raised at the expense of Lapicus this coming April 7.

"I'm a martial artist in and out [of the cage], and I believe that when bad things happen in life, you pivot, you adjust, and you keep a good attitude,” Alvarez said to Insider.