The bantamweight division (135lbs) has a plethora of talent wherever you go. It is arguably one of the deepest weight classes in MMA today. On the verge of being atop of it all is former UFC Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.
Johnson would be traded off to ONE Championship in UFC’s bid to get the highly-touted Ben Askren back in 2018 after a title loss to Henry Cejudo.
The Return To 135
“Mighty Mouse” would climb into the cage at a different weight class to start off the next level of his career. Johnson would still be listed as a flyweight though, with ONE’s different division categorization.
The former champ would fight at bantamweight for the first time since losing his first title challenge against then-champion Dominick Cruz in 2011.
The Road To Gold
Johnson faced much adversity in his first trio of fights inside the ONE Championship circuit. He would finish his promotional debut in style via guillotine, however “Mighty Mouse” would have to get through two more mouse traps in tough fights against Tatsumitsu Wada and Danny Kingad. ONE’s 135lbers were not to be taken lightly.
After winning the ONE Grand Prix, Johnson is now set to take on ONE Champion, Adriano Moraes tomorrow at ONE on TNT I.
Game Of Bantamweight Thrones
Ahead of his fight with the promotional kingpin, Johnson would be asked about the elite on top of other promotions. Kyoji Horiguchi reigns at RIZIN, Juan Archuleta over at Bellator, and Petr Yan is widely accepted to still be on the UFC throne, despite being disqualified via a flying knee vs Aljamain Sterling.
Johnson, on the rise to potentially become ONE’s 135lb champion, would be asked who would be his toughest test out of the bantamweight division as a whole.
“Probably Petr Yan.” Johnson told MMA Island. “His hands are fucking good.”
“He’s very– not taking anything away from Adriano Moraes, he’s still dangerous, but Petr Yan has a very unique style of fighting. He comes forward, he throws great combinations very fast. He seems like he has a good takedown defense and he has power. So that’s always dangerous.”
Johnson will try to cement himself as the greatest 135lber in the world currently when he takes on Adriano Moraes in ONE’s debut for American prime-time.
Do you agree with DJ? Would the UFC’s Petr Yan be the Flyweight GOAT’s toughest test to date?
