Demetrious Johnson to fight for the ONE Flyweight Title in April

When ONE Championship made the trade that sent Ben Askren to the UFC for Demetrious Johnson, nobody knew what to expect. They ended up striking gold, and then some, as Johnson beat every opponent in his path in 2019. Now, he’s being rewarded for it.

It was announced that Johnson (30-3-1) will face Adriano Moraes for the ONE Flyweight Title at ONE’s Reign of Dynasties event. ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong made the announcement that the fight will be on April 11 in China.

BREAKING NEWS: Demetrious Johnson (30-3) will challenge ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes (18-3) for the world title on April 11 in China!

— Chatri Sityodtong (@yodchatri) January 13, 2020

This will be Johnson’s fourth bout with the promotion. He entered the ONE Flyweight Grand Prix last year, beating Yuya Wakamatsu via submission and Tatsumitsu Wada via unanimous decision. In one of his final bouts of the decade, Johnson, one of the most successful champions in UFC history, beat Danny Kingad via unanimous decision to win the ONE Flyweight Grand Prix.

Johnson faces Moraes (18-3), a three-time ONE Flyweight Champion. Moraes won four in a row before losing his belt to Geje Eustaquio back in June 2018 due to split decision. He won the title back from Eustaquio back in January via unanimous decision. Moraes started fighting for ONE back in 2o13, and has nine fights on three losses with the company.

A win will give Johnson his first major championship since August 2018. Holding onto the UFC Flyweight Title since 2012, Johnson was on an eleven-fight defense streak before losing to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227. It was a controversial split decision loss that effectively ended Johnson’s run with the company.

With ONE running a different style than most organizations, Johnson’s fighting style will be tested by the ONE veteran. Will Johnson be able to fulfill his mission, or will Moraes hold onto his title for one more day?