One Championship: Demetrious Johnson used to be ‘scared’ to fight in Japan – but Tokyo debut blows him away
- Former UFC champion feels ‘tight’ in nervous first round
- ‘Mighty Mouse’ admits he left himself open to get hit by Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu
There was a point in the first round of his One Championship debut against Yuya Wakamatsu that the legendary Demetrious Johnson, remarkably, looked in trouble.
Surely the GOAT of MMA wouldn’t go the same as his fellow former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez, who had just been dealt a first-round TKO by unheralded Russian Timofey Nastyukhin at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Sumo Hall.
“Chatri [Sityodtong, One CEO] said, ‘Oh you looked a little bit tight’ – yeah I was tight! It’s a big stage for me,” Johnson said at Sunday’s post-fight press conference. “Coming off a loss, they’re always tough. People can always say DJ is gonna blow through everybody. When I’m in the gym training, I’m not thinking like that.”
Johnson, who had a record 11 straight title defences in the UFC before losing a split decision to Henry Cejudo last year, rallied and got the job done. He submitted a game Wakamatsu in the second round to progress to the semi-finals of the flyweight grand prix.
“Every time you step in the cage, you’re fighting another amazing athlete. He comes from [Japanese promotion] Pancrase, they make champions there.