“You think you’re that great, just do it” - Demetrious Johnson urges Jake Paul to fight in MMA
![Demetrious Johnson (L) urges Jake Paul (R) to stop saying he'll fight and just fight already. | [Photos: ONE Championship/YouTube]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/03/28ffd-16485387421518-1920.jpg?w=500)
Demetrious Johnson is seemingly tired of Jake Paul claiming he would fare well in MMA. The former UFC champion wants to see 'The Problem Child' in the cage, rather than continue to hear him talk about the sport.
The former YouTube star has been perfect in his boxing career, winning all five of his bouts to date. He has knocked out former MMA champions Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren, which seems to have given him the confidence to venture into MMA.
I’ve KO’ed everyone I’ve fought. https://t.co/Pz55uCIHc4
However, nothing has made it past negotiations and Johnson believes it can easily be done if Paul just decides to do it. In an interview with MMA Junkie, 'Mighty Mouse' said:
“If Jake Paul thinks he’s so f*cking bad at boxing and all that stuff, hats off. You’re 3-0, 4-0 as a boxer. Do f*cking mixed martial arts. I did an interview the other day and I was like, ‘Everybody is worried about fighting this person, let’s see how much money I can make from this person.’ I was like, ‘Just do mixed martial arts.’ You think you’re that great, just do it. If I thought I was a badass boxer, I would be like, ‘Let me just box.’"
Johnson noted that he was also offered the opportunity to venture into a different sport and accepted immediately.
“Even when they offered this fight to me, it’s Rodtang. I was like, ‘I’ll fight in Muay Thai. I don’t give a f*ck. What’s the worst thing that could happen? I get knocked out? OK. I go back home, train, get ready for the next one. If I win, what’s gonna happen? I go home, go get ready for the next one. So, for me, I could say I did it, I tried. As you get older, you find that you don’t knock people for trying. For me, when someone is like, ‘Ah blah, blah, blah, you MMA guys suck.’ It’s like, ‘Then come do it.’ If you’re successful, good job. You lose, you tried it.”
Demetrious Johnson fought Muay Thai in a special rules super-fight
At ONE Championship’s 10-year anniversary showcase, ONE X, Demetrious Johnson fought Muay Thai legend Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a special rules super-fight.
The first and third rounds were under the ONE Super Series Muay Thai rules, while the second and fourth rounds were fought in ONE Championship’s global martial arts rules set. Fans were eager to see how both fighters would fare in the other’s realm of expertise.
Surprisingly, Demetrious Johnson held his own during the Muay Thai rounds and hit Rodtang with some clean shots. However, the world got to see why the Thai megastar is dubbed ‘The Iron Man’ by the way he ate the shots like it was nothing.
In the end, it was Johnson’s MMA mastery that conquered Rodtang in the second round of their match. He won via a rear-naked choke, putting the Thai superstar to sleep.