5 of the fastest fighters in ONE Championship

#2. ONE Championship Muay Thai legend Lerdsila Chumpairtour

If a fighter can react and counter your movement before you even start doing it, that fighter, in all intents and purposes, is the faster fighter. He is not physically faster than you, he just moves before you do.

Such is the case for most fighters who face Muay Thai legend Lerdsila Chumpairtour.

In a sport that allows eight different weapons to hit your opponent, the Muay Thai icon managed to win 100 straight matches with barely a scratch on him. Lerdsila's matrix-like vision, reflexes, fight IQ and counter-striking ability earned him the monicker 'Mayweather of Muay Thai'.

We mentioned the idea of a "tell" in combat sports earlier and Lerdsila is arguably the best at fishing out his opponent's tell. Just like Mayweather, the elusive Thai is two to three steps ahead of his opponents and can predict what they will do even before they think of doing it.

'The Eel', as his teammates would call him, isn't necessarily gifted with raw athleticism or speed. He just has a remarkable vision and ultra-instinct to see what comes at him and react just in time.

Watch this detailed analysis by YouTube user Lawrence Kenshin of Lerdsila's uncanny speed and reflexes in the ring:

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#1. ONE Championship flyweight and MMA legend Demetrious Johnson

If there is one fighter who can put together all the attributes mentioned in this list to make him one of the fastest fighters alive today, it's Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson.

You talk about explosiveness, handspeed, footwork, reflexes, technique and ring vision, the 11-time defending UFC champion has it in spades.

'Mighty Mouse' is not just one of the fastest fighters in ONE Championship, he is one of the fastest fighters in MMA, ever. Johnson's athleticism allows him to dart in and out of range to either score sneaky double-leg takedowns or land blinding combinations inside. He then uses his feet to quickly glide out reach after every exchange.

Johnson also has an uncanny vision of seeing counter-strike openings whilst in the middle of chaos. Everything seemingly moves in slow-motion in DJ's eyes. When it comes to the ground, Johnson is extremely explosive and runs at a pace that is almost impossible to control.

Simply put, not a lot of fighters can deal with Johnson's otherworldly speed in all facets of fighting. That's why he's at the top of our list.

Watch this highlight video by YouTube user Fighters Promo to marvel at DJ's speed inside the cage: