“I’ve always been a reliable athlete” - Demetrious Johnson prides himself on being an absolute professional throughout his career

Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson (pictured) was proud to showcase his professionalism in ONE Championship

Demetrious Johnson was proud to showcase that he's a "reliable fighter" in ONE Championship.

Between 2019 and 2023, Johnson etched his name into ONE history. The American superstar is a former flyweight MMA world champion, the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix winner, and defeated Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a historic mixed-rules bout.

'Mighty Mouse' recently did an interview with MMA Fighting to discuss his tenure with ONE. The 38-year-old had this to say about showcasing his reliability:

"I’ve never shown up and not delivered. I’ve always been a reliable athlete. I always try to make weight. So when I got the opportunity to go to ONE and prove that, I think when they sat back, they’re like “holy shit, this kid is a working horse, he’s not here just to play. He’s here to f*cking play and actually fight."

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At ONE 168, Demetrious Johnson made a special appearance despite not being booked for a fight. The former flyweight MMA world champion announced his retirement from the sport, leaving an opening at the top of the division.

Watch Johnson's entire interview with MMA Fighting below:

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Demetrious Johnson's vacant flyweight throne will be filled at ONE 172

On March 23, 2025, the ONE flyweight MMA world title, previously held by Demetrious Johnson, will have a new owner.

Former world champion Adriano Moraes endured a two-fight losing streak against Johnson for ONE gold. In November, Moraes bounced back with a second-round submission against Danny Kingad, earning him a title shot.

Meanwhile, number two-ranked Yuya Wakamatsu has put together a three-fight winning streak to earn the vacant title opportunity. Wakamatsu's latest win was a unanimous decision against Gilbert Nakatani earlier this month.

This won't be the first time that Moraes and Wakamatsu have fought. In March 2022, then-flyweight world champion Moraes defended his strap against Wakamatsu at ONE X. Moraes emerged victorious by third-round submission.

The rematch between Moraes and Wakamatsu goes down in the ONE 172 co-main event.

ONE 172 goes down inside the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. The upcoming event will be headlined by a must-see flyweight kickboxing bout between world-class strikers Rodtang and Takeru Segawa.

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

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Edited by C. Naik
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