Reece McLaren says no one can fill the void left by Demetrious Johnson in MMA: "He's left some big shoes to fill"
Reece McLaren could find himself in a great position to capitalize on recent events in ONE Championship's loaded flyweight MMA division.
The Australian contender has been one of the top names in the weight class for many years and has faced off with a lot of the best competitors in the division.
One name that he didn't get the opportunity to share the circle with was one of the all-time greats, Demetrious Johnson. Following the conclusion of his trilogy of fights with Adriano Moraes, Johnson announced his retirement from MMA this past September at ONE 168: Denver.
McLaren is now one of the competitors that will be looking to step into the gap that 'Mighty Mouse' has left behind after vacating the ONE flyweight world championship.
Despite this, he has such respect for the former champion and icon of the sport that he isn't sure whether anyone can truly live up to that.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Reece McLaren said that expecting someone to replace 'DJ' is a very difficult ask indeed:
"How do you fill those shoes? He's left some big shoes to fill. I don't think they'll ever be filled. DJ is the absolute man."
The division must move on and Reece McLaren is a part of that
It will be hard to replace someone as great as Demetrious Johnson but the flyweight division must keep moving forward and the same can be said for Reece McLaren.
In his return at ONE Fight Night 26 on Dec. 6, he faces interim ONE strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks in what will be a big flyweight debut in ONE for 'The Monkey God'.
Adriano Moraes' recent win over Danny Kingad in their rematch at ONE 169 put him at the front of the line at flyweight.
But if McLaren can earn a victory over a current world champion, he could also enter the world title picture with Moraes.