"What a fighter" - Fans are loving throwback to Demetrious Johnson's guillotine finish in his ONE debut
What more can we say about MMA legend Demetrious Johnson that hasn't been said already? The former 11-time defending UFC flyweight champion and ONE flyweight Grand Prix champion has quite literally done it all in the sport.
After having a legendary career in the UFC, Johnson has enjoyed an impressive run in ONE. Though his stay in the Asian organization is not as near-perfect as his UFC stint, 'Mighty Mouse' still looks pretty competitive in the cage against Asia's best.
Before losing via KO for the first time in his career when he challenged divisional champ Adriano Moraes in 2021, DJ compiled a three-fight winning streak in ONE. It started with his much-awaited ONE debut against Yuya Wakamatsu in 2019. Johnson won the fight via guillotine choke in the second round.
ONE recently posted the finish on Instagram:
Fans are all expressing their amazement and admiration for Demetrious Johnson's greatness in the cage. One Instagram user, who goes by @sip_nudhir, said:
"Look at DJ man what a fighter 🔥🔥🔥"
Another user @dww108 said it best:
"One of the best fighters of all time. Very few, if any, have been more skilled than Demtrious Johnson."
Indeed, very few fighters can be named that match the skill level and technique mastery of Johnson when it comes to the sport of MMA. We might very well never see another fighter of his caliber in the cage ever again.
A closer look at Demetrious Johnson's ONE Championship debut against Yuya Wakamatsu
On the heels of a landmark trade between the UFC and ONE, Demetrious Johnson packed his bags for Asia to test the waters in a different pool of warriors.
While most fans, fighters and pundits predicted the dominant flyweight to clean house in ONE, it was quite the opposite. 'Mighty Mouse' faced arguably harder competition compared to his challengers near the tail-end of his UFC career.
In his ONE debut against Yuya Wakamatsu, DJ was given one of the toughest fights of his storied career. The Japanese warrior surprised everyone as he matched Johnson's pace on the feet. He also stuffed almost all of Johnson's takedown attempts and even landed in top position at one point.
Wakamatsu even managed to create a nasty swelling under DJ's right eye. It's a sight we don't normally see.
Come the second round, however, the great 'Mighty Mouse' proved why he is a legend yet again as he adjusted and finished the fight after a very challenging first round.
Demetrious Johnson scored his trademark double-leg takedown in the midst of a striking exchange and dominated Wakamatsu from top position. Johnson's legendary scramble allowed him to slap a nasty guillotine choke in to force the Japanese warrior to tap.
Watch the full fight here: