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Yuya Wakamatsu agrees that nobody will be able to fill the massive shoes that Demetrious Johnson left. Heralded as arguably one of the greatest MMA athletes of all time, 'DJ' hung up his gloves for good in an emotional ceremony at ONE 168: Denver last year.
By doing so, 'Mighty Mouse' also vacated the flyweight MMA world championship, which Wakamtsu hopes to claim on March 23. 'Little Piranha' will look to occupy Johnson's old throne at ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang at Saitama Super Arena, where he'll face former flyweight MMA kingpin Adriano Moraes.
In a recent interview ONE Championship, Wakamatsu paid homage to the American legend and backed up his claim as MMA's one true GOAT:
"The legacy he left is perfect. This is completely different from mine, as he has accumulated way more than I have done throughout his career. He really is a legend."
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The second-ranked contender in the 135-pound MMA division added:
"He’s good at everything. MMA means DJ - I know this is oversimplified, but he has the legacy and has made history, and I can only say he’s the greatest."
It is worth noting that Yuya Wakamatsu also lost to Johnson at ONE: A New Era back in 2019. The Japanese star now wants to rule the division that Johnson once ruled over and continue his legacy of greatness.
Yuya Wakamatsu praises Adriano Moraes for beating Demetrious Johnson
Demetrious Johnson has nothing but respect for his ONE 172 foe Adriano Moraes. After all, 'Mikinho' is the only man to knock out 'Mighty Mouse' in his storied MMA career.
"I used to think Adriano would be the only one who could defeat DJ, and actually, he did KO him. So in my view, he is the world’s best fighter, whom I respect a lot," he said.
In less than two weeks, Yuya Wakamatsu will look to even the score against Moraes and realize his dream of becoming a ONE world champion.
Don't miss ONE 172: Takeru vs Rodtang, which will air live via global pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.
