“So in hindsight, if I were to be under the UFC roster, I would probably be getting a rematch with Henry Cejudo,” Demetrious Johnson told MMA Fighting. “And if I was to beat Henry Cejudo then who knows what would have been next. If I would have lost to Henry Cejudo then I would be right where I was.
“So why not take the opportunity to get out of my contract? Go travel the world and compete somewhere else, right? I mean, I’ve done everything that… Close to everything that you possibly can in North America besides sell 2.5 million pay-per-views and do the double champ champ, or whatever it is. So for me, I think coming over here to Asia to fight in front of an audience that respects smaller weight classes… I wasn’t gonna pass it up.”
The first ever UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson is back on Sunday, March 31. He’ll be making his ONE Championship debut in Tokyo, Japan against Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE: A New Era as the third fight on the seven-fight main card.
For Johnson, his historic UFC title reign spanned across six years and saw him defend his crown a record-setting 11 times.
Johnson’s last time out came at UFC 227 in August 2018 when he was dethroned by Henry Cejudo in their rematch. Since then, the former flyweight king has been recovering from some injuries while preparing for the ONE flyweight Grand Prix that he’s about to kick off.
It was no secret that during Johnson’s time as a UFC champion, he didn’t get the respect from the fans or his promotion that he perhaps rightfully deserved. He has already been vocal about feeling the difference in that regard with his new fighting home.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 3/29/2019
Reece McLaren is on a mission to rejuvenate his MMA career.
“Lightning” gets the chance to do so when he returns to action at ONE Fight Night 22 on Prime Video. This U.S. primetime event takes place live from the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.
Itsuki Hirata is gearing up for a crucial showdown at the highly anticipated ONE 167 on Prime Video.
This U.S. primetime event on June 7 marks her first step on the road to redemption. There, she faces Victoria Souza in a women’s atomweight MMA clash, live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE 167 on Prime Video has gained another high-profile matchup in its already stacked lineup.
Rodtang Jitmuangnon steps back into action on the U.S. primetime card. There, he squares off against Denis Puric in a flyweight kickboxing showdown, airing live from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.
Ben Tynan made it crystal clear that he wants a piece of three-division king Anatoly Malykhin.
The Canadian powerhouse has captured the attention of fans with his emphatic performances in ONE Championship.
A legendary figure who knows a thing or two about rising to the occasion is passionately rallying behind Denice Zamboanga.
Eduard Folayang has openly declared his support for Zamboanga, who challenges Stamp Fairtex for her ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Championship. This happens in the main event of ONE 167 on Prime Video, airing live in U.S. primetime from the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, on June 7.
For Jake Peacock, his recent triumph in ONE Championship has only fueled his hunger for more challenges.
The Canadian-British sensation turned heads in his promotional debut at ONE Friday Fights 58 earlier this month. There, he dominated Kohei Shinjo from bell to bell in their bantamweight Muay Thai clash en route to a convincing unanimous decision win.
As the countdown to ONE Fight Night 22 on Prime Video draws closer, fans are in for a treat with the addition of seven matches to complete its lineup.
Four contests were previously announced for this U.S. primetime card set to air live from Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 3. It includes Smilla Sundell’s defense of her ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Title against Natalia Diachkova in the main event.
Following his triumphant return to action earlier this month, Jeremy Pacatiw is more confident than ever.
“The Juggernaut” made a resounding comeback after a 16-month layoff at ONE Fight Night 21 on Prime Video. There, he barely broke a sweat against Wang Shuo in a bantamweight MMA clash.
