One Championship: Demetrious Johnson feels the love in Asia after Dana White jibe
- UFC president claims ‘no one cared whatsoever about Demetrious Johnson’ but ‘Mighty Mouse’ gets a hero’s welcome in Manila
- Former UFC champion thinks One simply does a better job promoting its flyweight division
“Mighty Mouse” – a sure-fire Hall of Famer who holds the record for consecutive UFC title defences (13) – was given the welcome he deserves when stepping on stage at One Championship’s pre-fight press conference in Manila on Tuesday. “DJ, DJ, DJ,” chanted the diehard Filipino fans who had packed out the City of Dreams’ Grand Ballroom.
“The fans are a lot more interested in me here,” Johnson tells the Post. “I think what I’ve accomplished over on the western side of the world has definitely travelled with me. Team Lakay’s done an amazing job to get the Filipino fans passionate about mixed martial arts.”
In what was a diplomatic answer, if not entirely a swipe back at White, Johnson said One simply does a better job promoting the flyweight division – which faces an uncertain future in the UFC after Johnson’s exit and champion Henry Cejudo’s bantamweight title win.
“I feel the love more on this side of the world. A lot of athletes are my size, a lot of the countrymen here are my size,” Johnson added.
“I think they can relate to the smaller guys, the strawweights, the flyweights and the bantamweights a lot more here than in North America.”
Five of Team Lakay’s fighters are in action at the Mall of Asia Arena, including former two-time One lightweight champion who goes against Johnson’s fellow former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez in a blockbuster fight.