Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson submits hot prospect Rodtang Jitmuangnon at One Championship’s 10th year anniversary
Octagon legend Demetrious Johnson had all the reasons to be worried when he clashed against decorated striker Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a special-rules fight with four three-minute rounds, with the first and third rounds under Muay Thai rules, and the others being contested in MMA rules.
Needless to say Rodtang got the better of the initial Muay Thai round as he landed some vicious shots at Johnson. But ‘Mighty Mouse’ stood in there patiently waiting for the MMA rounds.
Johnson patiently circled waiting for the perfect opportunity to shoot for a takedown. And he found one when Rodtang attempted a solid kick, and Johnson got him on his back and quickly worked for a rear-naked choke. Jitmuangnon survived for a few seconds and refused to tap, getting choked out with 47 seconds left in the clock.
Between 2012 to 2017, the flyweight division of the UFC was reigned by Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson, who defended his throne a whopping 11 times. Once the best P4P fighter in the world, he holds the record for most title defenses inside the UFC across any weight class.
Johnson eclipsed the 10 title defense set by the legendary Anderson Silva, and has since moved to the One Championship where he competes now.
‘Mighty Mouse’ appeared on the recent episode of ‘The MMA Hour’ with Ariel Helwani, and spoke about a few fighters who in his opinion can break the record he set.
“I think the only people who are close to beating that are: Valentina Shevchenko — she continues to impress me every time she steps into the octagon — Kamaru Usman, [and] Israel Adesanya,”
Considering the current landscape of MMA and taking into consideration the title defenses of these fighters so far, it looks like Valentina Schevchenko has the best chance at breaking this record. She is currently at 6 title defenses and will most likely face Taila Santos in a quest for her seventh defense.
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