Demetrious Johnson says long flights better than ‘rough’ 20-day acclimatization

Reigning ONE flyweight world champion ‘Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson says the Colorado elevation was so brutal, that he had to spend extra time to acclimatize in order to perform at his peak ability. This is in stark contrast to flying halfway across the world to Asia, which he has done for the past few years in ONE Championship.

But the 36-year-old veteran says he would gladly take an 18-hour flight across the globe over spending three weeks away from family just to get used to the high altitude.

In a recent appearance on MMA Junkie, Johnson talked about the difference between competing in Asia and competing in Denver, Colorado, where ONE Fight Night 10 was held.

‘Mighty Mouse’ said:

“Oh man, you know what, I’d do long flights. I was gone for 20 days from my family. So, that’s, you know, it’s a little rough. You’re spending time away from home, your daughter’s talking different, she’s grown and you miss her so much, and yeah, I’d do the 18 hours. Cause 18 hours, you go there, you’re there for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and then you’re back home. So, it’s only six days that you’re gone”

Catch the full interview below:

Of course, Johnson certainly got the result he wanted because of his hard work. ‘Mighty Mouse’ successfully retained his ONE flyweight world title with a unanimous decision victory over Adriano Moraes in the ONE Fight Night 10 main event.

If you missed any of the action, or just want to relive one of the most epic nights in ONE Championship history, the ONE Fight Night 10 replay can be watched live via Amazon Prime in North America.