“It gives longevity to the fighter” - Demetrious Johnson credits ONE’s hydration system for helping him prolong legendary career

Demetrious Johnson is a fan of ONE Championship's hydration protocols.

While most combat sports organizations only require fighters to meet the weight limit of their chosen division, ONE goes the extra mile with pre-fight hydration tests that both protect fighters and ensure that every athlete is competes on a level playing field.

Discussing ONE's hydration system with the promotion's Vice Preside Rich Franklin, 'Mighty Mouse' praised the process and credited it with prolonging his own mixed martial arts career:

"I hope that everybody, I hope all organizations get on board with that because it gives longevity to the fighter. Because I was able to fight until I was 37 and win world titles at that age instead of, you know, I don't think I could have done that at 37 cutting to 125."

Check out the full Mighty Cast episode below:

After dominating for more than a decade in North America, 'DJ' made the move to ONE in 2019 and picked up right where he left off, winning the ONE Flyweight MMA World Grand Prix tournament before eventually capturing the ONE flyweight MMA world championship.

Johnson laid down both his gloves and his gold in September, announcing his official retirement from the sport at ONE 168: Denver.

If you missed any of the action, ONE Championship fans in the United States and Canada can watch the ONE 168: Denver replay on demand via Amazon Prime Video.

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Demetrious Johnson calls ONE Championship the "best thing to ever happen" to his career

Demetrious Johnson's move to ONE Championship was not unlike most athletes. Typically, the promotion signs free agents and highly touted prospects — just like any other organization.

However, Johnson's ONE run started with a history-making trade — something that had not been done before and has not been done since.

Looking back on his move to the home of martial arts, Johnson truly believes that it was the absolute best thing that ever happened to his MMA career:

"ONE Championship was the best thing that ever happened to me in my career and I'll stand by that. I'll take that to the grave."

Perhaps one day we'll see 'DJ' return to martial arts' biggest global stage in some capacity. Until then, we can always look back on his classic trilogy with Adriano Moraes or his history-making mixed-rules clash against 'The Iron Man' Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

What is your favorite Demetrious Johnson moment in ONE Championship?