Demetrious Johnson may no longer be in the UFC, but he is still winning big fights -- and he's still one of the very best fighters on the planet.
Johnson beat Danny Kingad via unanimous decision to win the ONE flyweight grand prix Sunday in Tokyo. "Mighty Mouse" has won all three fights in ONE since moving over from the UFC in 2018 by trade.
With the victory, Johnson is in position to challenge ONE flyweight champion Adriano Moraes. Johnson is the No. 8 pound-for-pound fighter in the world in ESPN's rankings. He's ranked No. 2 at flyweight, while Moraes is No. 10.
"Obviously, I'm the No. 1 contender," Johnson said in his postfight interview. "I have a date with Adriano Moraes. He's a beast. Tall, he's a great grappler."
Johnson beat Kingad with a steady diet of takedowns and exceptional work on the ground. He almost cinched in a kimura in the first round and landed some knees to the head on the ground -- illegal in the UFC -- in the third round. Kingad looked for an armbar in the second round, but Johnson escaped and slipped back into dominant position.
Johnson (30-3-1) is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in MMA history. His 11 UFC title defenses at flyweight are still a promotion record. Johnson, 33, has just one loss in the past eight years, against Henry Cejudo at UFC 227 in August 2018, a very close split decision.
Since going to Asia's ONE Championship in a swap for Ben Askren last year, Johnson rolled through the ONE flyweight grand prix. He beat Yuya Wakamatsu by second-round submission in March, Tatsumitsu Wada by unanimous decision in August and now Kingad.
"Three fights in one year, I haven't done this since 2013," Johnson said. "I'm tired. I'm gonna go home, take some time off and enjoy this."
