Kairat Akhmetov believes ‘stars are aligned’ for Demetrious Johnson showdown

Going into ONE Fight Night 10, fans knew that it could be the last time they see Demetrious Johnson compete in MMA.

In the build-up to his ONE flyweight world title defense against Adriano Moraes in their trilogy fight, Johnson publicly declared that he doesn’t know how long he will keep fighting for, stating that win or lose he will make the decision behind closed doors about what is next for him.

Whilst he is still able to compete at the very highest level and believes he is still getting better, ‘Mighty Mouse’ knows there are other ways besides competing for him to achieve success outside his career.

After leaving Broomfield, Colorado with his hand raised after a convincing unanimous decision win over Moraes to close out their trilogy, a potential challenger for the world championship – should Johnson choose to stick around – made his way into the circle.

With a six-fight win streak that continued at ONE Fight Night 10 following a win over Reece McLaren, Kairat Akhmetov has established himself as the best flyweight in the division.

The former title holder was made to wait patiently as ‘Mighty Mouse’ and Moraes settled their trilogy showdown. But now, the Kazakh athlete is ready to step up and reclaim his gold from Demetrious Johnson.

In an interview with the promotion, Kairat Akhmetov said:

“I’ve been waiting to fight for the title again for a long time, and I really wanted to face ‘Mighty Mouse’ in the cage, and now the stars are aligned.”

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.