Demetrious Johnson fought 34 fights before suffering his first knockout.
That KO was suffered in a ONE Championship flyweight title bout in April 2021, when Adriano Moraes drilled him with a vicious knee.
“The longer you do this, the more likely it is you’re going to get knocked out,” Johnson says. “S--- happens. I’m not worried about it. I know how good I am.”
For someone who rarely tastes defeat, there was a humbling aspect to the loss. But champions are defined amidst turmoil, and Johnson showed his championship mettle in the aftermath of that loss.
Following the knockout, Johnson went back to work. He competed against Muay Thai phenomenon Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a mixed-rules bout last March. Johnson battled for a round against Rodtang in Muay Thai, then finished the fight in the second round with a rear-naked choke once the rules shifted to MMA. His next act was a rematch against Moraes in August, when he returned the favor with a knockout title win.
“I didn’t let [the loss] affect me,” Johnson says. “I needed to take care of my family and get back in there.
“Have I lost a step? No, I don’t think I’ve lost a step. Do I think my body doesn’t recover as fast as I’m older? 100 percent. That’s science. Am I fighting up a weight class? Yeah. All the guys I’m fighting in ONE Championship are f------ bigger and taller. But I’ve been the best for many, many years. That’s my focus.”
Johnson, 36, will headline ONE Fight Night 10 this May, defending his flyweight belt in a trilogy bout against Moraes. That card marks ONE Championship’s long-awaited debut in the United States. It is also a significant piece of the journey for Johnson, who became a superstar stateside with the UFC before traveling to Asia to further enhance his legacy.
“When you look at the best athletes in mixed martial arts, they’ve fought on both sides of the world,” Johnson says. “They become champion in Japan, dominate, then come to America. Rampage Jackson became a champion. Shogun Rua became a champion. Then they came to America. I’m doing the opposite.
“I made my legacy in America in the UFC. I dominated in the division. I came up short in my last fight against Henry Cejudo, then I went to explore other options. I wanted more opportunities, like the fight against Rodtang. That’s why I came to ONE Championship.”
Johnson is honored to be the face of the franchise as it enters new terrain, and he intends to deliver in the main event this May against Moraes.
“It’s a culmination of many years do hard work,” Johnson says. “Headlining the very first prime show in the U.S., I’m going to put on a show. I plan on blowing the roof off.”
