Demetrious Johnson. Photo: ONE Championship
Demetrious Johnson will have to wait even longer to get his hands on the ONE Championship flyweight belt.
Demetrious Johnson will have to wait even longer to recapture flyweight gold as ONE Championship has postponed all May events in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Johnson was originally scheduled to challenge Adriano Moraes for the ONE Championship flyweight title at the “Infinity 1” card on May 29. That event will no longer happen in the month of May.
“All May events for ONE Championship will be postponed until further notice due to the recent COVID-19 developments (border closings and lockdowns) across most countries in Asia,” ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong wrote on Facebook. “Our highest priority remains the safety and health of our athletes, officials, staff, fans, and the public during these challenging times. My team and I are working around the clock on multiple options to bring back our events as soon as safely possible. Stay tuned for news!”
Johnson (27-3-1) expected the announcement when speaking to MMA Mania earlier this week.
“If I’m hearing that we’re having a hard time testing [in the U.S.], I can only imagine what is going on in places like Manila or Jakarta or Indonesia,” the man known as “Mighty Mouse” said. “We have no idea. As of right now, the fight is scheduled to go on but my gut tells me that fight is not happening on May 29.”
The next ONE Championship event is currently scheduled for June 5 in Jakarta, Indonesia. There is no confirmation that Moraes vs. Johnson will happen on that card.