Demetrious Johnson thankful for easy and 'transparent' relationship with Chatri Sityodtong during ONE Championship career

Now-retired MMA icon Demetrious Johnson cited his mixed-rules bout against Thai megastar Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE X in March 2022 as a key example of his close bond with ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong during his ONE Championship tenure.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, 'Mighty Mouse' was asked how different his relationship is with ONE's head honcho compared to UFC President Dana White. Johnson replied:

"It's always been transparent. And even when it came down to fighting Rodtang, it was like, hey, you know, what do you think? And I'm like, yeah, I think it's good. I don't try to be a world champion in Muay Thai, but we can do something else. And he goes, okay, we'll call you back."

He continued:

"And they came back with the super rules fight. So I think that was a good stepping stone for us to build our relationship and that business relationship between athlete and promoter and the CEO of the company.

Watch the entire interview below:

Demetrious Johnson weathered three minutes of relentless offense from 'The Iron Man' as the first round happened in the latter's wheelhouse of Muay Thai.

When the fight turned to the second round, the American star relied on his grappling abilities to emerge with the submission victory.

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Demetrious Johnson sheds light on stunning ONE Championship move

2018 was a monumental year in MMA, earmarked by Demetrious Johnson's surprising move to ONE after years of dominance in the UFC as the UFC flyweight king.

The only fighter to have won gold in both promotions explained why he joined ONE in an interview with Sports Illustrated:

"I made my legacy in America in the UFC. I dominated in the division. I came up short in my last fight against Henry Cejudo, then I went to explore other options. I wanted more opportunities, like the fight against Rodtang. That's why I came to ONE Championship."