In the main event of the ONE tournament in Singapore, Johnson (30-4-1) exacted revenge on Adriano Moraes (20-3) for the only knockout loss of his career. He snatched victory from the Brazilian with a knee knockout in the fourth round – it was with this technique that Moraes defeated the mouse in the first fight of the dilogy.
What fight awaits the flyweight division – a trilogy with Moraes, where the score is 1:1 so far, or a fight with the top ambitious Kazakh, who took the belt from Moraes in his first fight in ONE?
In a post-match interview, when asked which he would prefer – a trilogy with Moraes or a fight with No. 1 contender Kairat Akhmetov (26-2), Johnson admitted he was ready. to give a chance to a fighter from Kazakhstan:
“You know, I don’t mind giving Kairat Akhmetov a chance, but it’s all about ONE Championship,” Johnson said. – Kairat Akhmetov certainly deserves respect, he has a winning streak of five or six fights. I thought he would get a title shot with Adriano.
It turned out that Johnson hadn’t even counted on the duel for ONE gold after the previous loss:
– At the very beginning, I didn’t even know that I would get a title shot. I thought after defeating Rodthang I would fight the next challenger and come back up again.
The fact is that after a dramatic loss to Moraes, the American took a break from MMA. In March 2022 he fought Rodthang Jitmuangnon in a special rules MMA/Muay Thai match, won and was called up to face Moraes.
Moraes has good reason to be Johnson’s next opponent – he beat Mouse by knockout in the second round in April 2021. But Kairat Akhmetov is not so straightforward:
“Johnson’s badges won’t play a big role,” says Kazakh. – I’m not plasticine either: the former champion of ONE, now I’m leaving with a series of five consecutive victories, the second number in the ranking.
Akhmetov, who represents the club “Alash Pride”, challenged the champion on social networks, recording a call in English. He said, “Nothing but respect; you are the legend of this sport. But you know I’m next to fight you.”
Demetrius Johnson considers all options:
– I will go home, work on mistakes, rest, then, if Adriano or Kairat Akhmetov are next, then everything will be like that. I’m at a point in my career where I’m enjoying the moment. I will not let the results of a win or a loss dictate my life. If I had taken another knee, I would have acted the same way I do now.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
