3 reasons Demetrious Johnson wins flyweight world title at ONE on Prime Video 1
One cannot talk about MMA's mount Rushmore of great fighters without including Demetrious Johnson. No other world champion, past or present, has ever heard the words "and still" next to his name more than 'Mighty Mouse'.
With his legendary UFC title run spanning 2012 to 2016, 'DJ' set the record for most consecutive title defenses at 11; a record that will most likely never be surpassed. Though he arguably faced harder challenges when he moved to ONE Championship, Johnson still has a lot of potential to make one last world title run.
Debuting in ONE Championship back in 2019, Johnson looked promising as he won his first three bouts, albeit with many challenges, to win the ONE flyweight world Grand Prix title.
When 'Mighty Mouse' challenged for the world title against Adriano Moraes, however, he suffered his first career knockout loss. After his failed world title bid, 'Mighty Mouse' bounced back by submitting ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a mixed rules bout.
Now, at ONE on Prime Video 1, Johnson will face Adriano Moraes again to right the wrongs from the first bout and hopefully capture gold. A lot of critics, fighters and fans aren't giving 'DJ' any chance, considering how the first fight ended.
Some are citing ONE's heavier weight class or perhaps the knee to the ground that caused Johnson to lose, as he might not have been used to such a difference in rulesets. But make no mistake, Moraes was the superior fighter that night.
This doesn't mean, however, that Johnson won't have a chance to become the victor come August 26. Today we look at three good reasons why Demetrious Johnson will claim the belt at ONE on Prime Video 1.
#3. Demetrious Johnson generally does well in rematches
One of the things that makes Johnson such a difficult opponent is his ability to read tendencies, timings and gameplans on the fly. He works like a computer collecting data. The longer you fight him, the more he'll figure you out.
That being said, a rematch with him could mean that he's already collected significant data to beat you in the next fight. Of the five rematches in his career, Johnson came out much better than the first fight, with the exception of his second bout with Henry Cejudo, which he lost via split decision.
But even the loss to Cejudo was highly debated, with half of all media outlets who saw the fight favoring Johnson. With his rematch with Moraes being the third round between him and the world champion, be sure that Demetrious Johnson will come prepared.