Demetrious Johnson Has a Fight He’s Been Looking Forward to for Years

Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. Every week, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy stories in the fight world.

A decade ago, Demetrious Johnson headlined three cards for the UFC across 2013.

Johnson’s pursuit of greatness continues at rapid speed, where he is only a week away from fighting in the main event of ONE Fight Night 10—ONE Championship’s maiden voyage to the United States—against Adriano Moraes.

“When I signed with ONE Championship, my goal was always to make a statement in ONE on American soil,” says Johnson. “It was supposed to happen sooner, but it didn’t because of the pandemic. There is a positive for us now because we are on Prime Video. This is a stacked card. People are in for a treat.”

The stakes are high for Johnson in his defense of the flyweight title. In April 2021, Moraes became the first opponent to ever knock him out. Johnson issued him a receipt last August, blasting Moraes midair with a knee that left him out cold for the very first time in his career.

Win or lose, Johnson (24-4-1) vows that this will be the last time he ever fights Moraes.

“This is our trilogy, our final fight,” says Johnson. “There’s not going to be a fourth one.

“When [UFC] did Figueiredo-Moreno for a fourth time, I was bored. I didn’t want to watch after seeing them fight too many times. I won’t allow it to happen. This is it for us; this is everything.”

Moraes (20–4) is entering new territory in this bout. Coming off a knockout is difficult, especially considering this is the very first time it happened to him.

“When people get knocked out, they get gun shy,” says Johnson, who took a mixed-rules bout against Rodtang Jitmuangnon—who is also on next week’s ONE card—after suffering his KO, a bout which brought out a new fire to his fighting spirit. “The Rodtang fight, that was one of the most important fights of my career.

“I had to stand with the best Muay Thai striker in the world. That forced me to grow as an athlete. Then I came back on point against Moraes and knocked him out. But it’s tough coming off a knockout. We’ll see how he responds.”

Now 36, Johnson has been meticulous in his training. He is even working with former rival Henry Cejudo, one of the only few to ever beat him, in preparation for this bout.

“Me and Henry, we respect each other to such a high level,” says Johnson, who defeated Cejudo in 2018 and then lost a narrow split decision in '18. “We vibe, we share each other’s knowledge, we really shed light on our weaknesses. That helps make us stronger.”

The night after Johnson matches up against Moraes will mark Cejudo’s return to the sport. After a three-year absence, he is challenging Aljamain Sterling for the bantamweight title at UFC 288.

“That fight is going to be straight fire,” says Johnson. “I’m so excited to see Henry get back in the cage. I understand why he retired when he did. He accomplished everything he set out to do—he won the belt in two different divisions, then left to start a family. Now he’s back and doing it for himself.

“But Aljamain Sterling is tough. He’s very long, durable, and he’s great at grappling. He is an amazing athlete; he’s a great bantamweight and has a great team, including Merab [Dvalishvili], pushing him. It’s the night after my fight, and I want to go somewhere, maybe Dave and Buster’s, to watch that fight.”

Johnson took a unique route to the top of the MMA world. He first dominated the North American fight scene before moving to Asia, which is the reverse order of the way fighters customarily approach a path to greatness. He now brings the best of ONE in their inaugural journey to the States, headlining a seminal card at ONE Fight Night 10.

This title bout against Moraes allows Johnson to further cement his legacy. His greatness has been enhanced by his longevity, and throughout his career he has displayed an extraordinary ability to adjust mid-fight. The possibility exists that another stunning finish—like his knockout of Moraes or the suplex-to-armbar submission against Ray Borg in 2017—will take place when he steps in the cage next week.

“I’m proving who I am as a mixed martial artist and athlete,” says Johnson. “I put in the work, and now it is time to go out there and get the win.”

Israel Adesanya’s next opponent will not be Alex Pereira

Despite splitting their first two bouts in MMA, Pereira is moving up a weight class to light heavyweight. That means Adesanya’s next title defense will be against a different opponent. It is possible he will face Robert Whittaker for a third time, but the one certainty is that it will not be Pereira.

A trilogy bout between Adesanya and Pereira would have made the most sense for fight fans, but it did not necessarily represent the best business for UFC. If Adesanya lost again, it would have severely hurt his value. As of now, their two-fight series in the UFC was hugely beneficial; it turned Pereira into the newest star for the promotion, as well as allowed Adesanya, one of the brightest stars in the sport, a chance to finally overcome his rival.

With Pereira moving to 205, Adesanya’s next opponent will be decided in a title eliminator bout pitting Whittaker against Dricus du Plessis at UFC 290 on July 8. Unlike Whittaker, du Plessis has yet to match up against Adesanya. But getting by Whittaker has proven to be a difficult task—while he has struggled against Adesanya, he has been dominant against everyone else in the division.

There is a clear path laid out at middleweight. That is different at welterweight, where Colby Covington—at least for now—has been proclaimed the top contender despite a year of inactivity. Perhaps that will change and the UFC 288 bout pitting Belal Muhammad against Gilbert Burns will turn into a title eliminator, but for now, there is far more clarity surrounding the middleweight title.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.