P4P great Demetrious Johnson claims Anthony Joshua beats Francis Ngannou in MMA fight after huge KO win

P4P great Demetrious Johnson believes Anthony Joshua would beat Francis Ngannou in an MMA fightP4P great Demetrious Johnson believes Anthony Joshua could beat Francis Ngannou in the ring and the cage. On Friday…

P4P great Demetrious Johnson believes Anthony Joshua would beat Francis Ngannou in an MMA fight

P4P great Demetrious Johnson believes Anthony Joshua could beat Francis Ngannou in the ring and the cage.

On Friday (March 8), ‘The Predator’ stepped inside the squared circle for the second time in his career to take on the WBC’s top-ranked contender, Anthony Joshua. Following a critically acclaimed performance against Tyson Fury in October, fight fans were anxious to see what Ngannou could do against one of the heavyweight division’s heaviest hitters. It took us less than two rounds to find out.

After sitting Ngannou down not once, but twice with a couple of solid straight rights, Joshua blasted the former UFC champion with a vicious right hook that immediately rendered Ngannou unconscious, sending him violently crashing to the canvas.

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Following the contest, fans and fighters had plenty to say, but perhaps the hottest take from former UFC and current ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson. Speaking on his YouTube channel, ‘Mighty Mouse’ suggested that Anthony Joshua — who has never once competed in mixed martial arts — would deliver a similar result should the two titans run it back in MMA someday.

“Does Anthony Joshua beat Francis Ngannou in an MMA fight? I think he does and here’s the reason why — I think it would just be another striking match,” Johnson said. “AJ understands his distance. He has better hands than Francis and he can make make Francis whiff and miss again. Unless Francis is going to change his tactics and clinch him and wrestle him… But AJ is very athletic. He is smaller and more limber. I think he’d be able to stuff the shot and give it to Francis Ngannou.”

After Loss to Anthony Joshua, Francis Ngannou Heads back to MMA where 6’8″ monster Renan Ferreira awaits

Expected to make his Smart Cage debut later this year, Ngannou has previously spoken about a crossover clash with boxing star Deontay Wilder under the PFL banner. But first, ‘The Predator’ will have to contend with 6’8″ Renan Ferreira — winner of the 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament.

Last month, Ferreira scored a stunning 21-second knockout of Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in the PFL vs. Bellator headliner. As a result, he will be the man to welcome Ngannou back to the world of MMA.

Ex-UFC star Demetrious Johnson blasts Jake Paul for picking easy fights: ‘That man was running pizza routes’

Demetrious Johnson blasts Jake Paul for fighting easy opponents that guy was on a pizza routeDemetrious Johnson is not very happy about Jake Paul’s selection of opponents and recently sounded off with a strong…

Demetrious Johnson blasts Jake Paul for fighting easy opponents that guy was on a pizza route

Demetrious Johnson is not very happy about Jake Paul’s selection of opponents and recently sounded off with a strong message for the young Youtuber turned fighter.

Jake Paul has been professionally boxing for years now, as weird as it feels to say it. His brief but somewhat entertaining career has seen him go toe to toe with UFC legends like Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz, all the way to retired NBA players like Nate Robinson (whom Paul also dwarfs in size).

However, out of all of Jake Paul’s fights so far, only one has been against a young and hungry boxer in his prime (Tommy Fury). The other nine fights on Jake Paul’s resume are against either washed, rickety old men, or people who barely even qualify as an actual fighter in the first place (and in some cases, don’t). This is Demetrious Johnson’s problem with Paul, and he’s not the only person who feels this way.

Demetrious Johnson Opens up about his feelings towards Jake Paul and implores him to ramp up the quality of his competition

“He (Jake Paul) is evolving, don’t get me wrong.” Demetrious Johnson began. “But, what are you doing when you’re fighting these guys that you find off the street? Like I said before, when he fought Andre August, that gentleman was running pizza routes.”

“Go find somebody who’s 25-26 years old… that’s in the gym, that’s grinding, that’s hungry. Put yourself in the fire. Put yourself against top-level competition to build your credibility.”

Demetrious Johnson would later talk about the difference between fighting actual fighters and guys who barely qualify to go by such a term. In fact, Johnson even went as far as dismissing some of Paul’s fights as “not professional” which is a sentiment that seems to be shared by many.

Who would you like to see Jake Paul fight next?

Demetrious Johnson warns Israel Adesanya away from Dricus du Plessis clash: ‘I don’t like that fight for him’

Demetrious Johnson warns Israel Adesanya against Dricus du Plessis I don't like that fight for himFormer undisputed flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson has warned fellow ex-UFC champion, Israel Adesanya from a much-speculated title fight return…

Demetrious Johnson warns Israel Adesanya against Dricus du Plessis I don't like that fight for him

Former undisputed flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson has warned fellow ex-UFC champion, Israel Adesanya from a much-speculated title fight return against newly-minted gold holder, Dricus du Plessis later this year – questioning the stylistic matchup for the City Kickboxing staple.

Adesanya, a former two-time undisputed middleweight titleholder, has been sidelined since last September, most recently suffered a championship fight loss to Sean Strickland in a massive upset defeat at UFC 293 in Sydney.

And linked with a stunning comeback overnight, the official Kingdom Arena website listed ticket sales for a June 23. event in Saudi Arabia, appearing to leak a middleweight main event between Adesanya and unbeaten contender, Khamzat Chimaev.

However, amid fervor on social media, UFC boss, Dana White denied that the Nigerian-Kiwi striker was fighting Chimaev on that date in the Middle East, claiming the leak was a “fake post” on the arena’s website.

Israel Adesanya warned of return by Demetrious Johnson

Also tied to a championship grudge match with Pretoria native, du Plessis later this year, Adesanya should avoid a fight with the newly-minted gold holder according to the aforenoted, Johnson – unless he has made significant improvements to his clinch game and grappling arsenal.

“I don’t like that fight [with Dricus du Plessis] for Izzy (Israel Adesanya), because I feel Izzy hasn’t taken enough time,” Demetrious Johnson told MMA Fighting. My question to Izzy would be, ‘Izzy, have you talent he teim to add more tools to your toolset.’ Because, if I was looking at that fight right now, strategically, one of the things Izzy likes to do, he likes to back up. He likes to counter a punch. So, if he likes to counter a punch, DDP does a good job of not overextending.”

“He doesn’t back up,” Johnson explained. “He usually takes the center of the cage and he moves forward, and goes to the center and he goes either southpaw or orthodox.”

Do you want to see Israel Adesanya fight Dricus du Plessis next?

ONE Championship targeting mixed-rules clash between Demetrious Johnson and BBJ star Mikey Musumeci

ONE Championship Demetrious Johnson vs. Mikey MusumeciDemetrious Johnson has been out of action ever since he scored a second-straight victory over former flyweight titleholder Adriano…

ONE Championship Demetrious Johnson vs. Mikey Musumeci

Demetrious Johnson has been out of action ever since he scored a second-straight victory over former flyweight titleholder Adriano Moraes at ONE Fight Night 10 in May.

‘Mighty Mouse’ earned a decisive unanimous decision over Moraes, closing out their iconic trilogy with the ONE flyweight world championship firmly wrapped around his waist. Since then, fight fans have been chomping at the bit to find out what would be next for the pound-for-pound great.

During a recent interview with BJPenn.com, ONE CEO and founder Chatri Sityodtong revealed that the promotion has been in talks with Johnson, hoping to coax him back inside the Circle for a mixed-rules bout with reigning ONE flyweight submission grappling titleholder Mikey Musumeci.

“We have been trying to get DJ a mixed-rules fight between DJ and Mikey Musumeci the flyweight grappling world champion,” Sityodtong revealed. “I think that would be a spectacular fight, as well.”

“I think DJ is kind of more in cruise control after having won his last title fight and when he is ready he will let us know when he wants to fight. He says he doesn’t have the burning desire, but he hasn’t retired yet, so I think DJ has a few more fights left in him to further cement his legendary GOAT status” (h/t BJJ DOC).

Musumeci is a five-time IBJJF world champion and currently holds an undefeated record under the ONE banner with wins over reigning ONE strawweight champ Jarred Brooks and Japanese grappling legends Masakazu Imanari and Shinya Aoki.

Over the last year, ‘Darth Rigatoni’ has lobbied for a submission grappling showcase with Demetrious Johnson inside the Circle. He has also begun preparing for a move into MMA.

Sityodtong Hopes a ‘Crazy Mixed-Rules Fight’ will bring Demetrious Johnson back to ONE

Demetrious Johnson is considered to be one of the greatest mixed martial artists in the history of the sport. Winning the UFC’s inaugural flyweight title in 2012, ‘Mighty Mouse’ defended the title an incredible 11 times, besting some of the division’s biggest names, including John Dodson, Kyoji Horiguchi, Joseph Benavidez, and Henry Cejudo.

In 2018, he moved to ONE Championship as part of a historic trade between the two organizations. Johnson immediately made his mark, winning the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Tournament before moving on to his title trilogy with Adriano Moraes.

Of course, you can’t mention DJ’s ONE career without bringing up his historic mixed-rules clash with Muay Thai sensation Rodtang Jitmuangnon. Stepping inside the Circle at the promotion’s 10th-anniversary showcase ONE X in March 2022, Johnson earned a second-round rear-naked choke submission against ‘The Iron Man’ after surviving a barrage of strikes in the opening round.

“He needs some big challenges, maybe some crazy mixed-rules fight,” Sityodtong continued. “He’s the only person in the history of martial arts to win belts in the two biggest and most prestigious organizations, UFC and ONE, and do so in such a legendary way.”

“If you look at his skillset, forget about titles, if you just look at his skillset, he has by far the most complete skillset of any martial artist in the history of mankind, you look at his striking, clinch gane, his wrestling, his transitions, his submission grappling game, he is completely well-rounded without any holds, and then you add in his cardio, for me, he’s the GOAT.”

Demetrious Johnson ranks himself #2 in GOAT conversation, ex-UFC star claims ‘Nobody has been able to do what I’ve done’

Demetrious Johnson ranks himself as #2 in GOAT list claims nobody has done what I've done UFCRanked atop the list of many’s greatest fighters of all time, former undisputed UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson has…

Demetrious Johnson ranks himself as #2 in GOAT list claims nobody has done what I've done UFC

Ranked atop the list of many’s greatest fighters of all time, former undisputed UFC flyweight champion, Demetrious Johnson has left himself off the top spot in his own respective list – naming incumbent heavyweight best, Jon Jones as his greatest fighter to ever compete.

Johnson, a record-setting former UFC flyweight champion and the current ONE Championship flyweight gold holder, has been sidelined since he took home a trilogy rubber match win over Brazilian ace, Adriano Moraes with a unanimous decision win in their decider back in May. 

Weighing up his immediate fighting future in the aftermath of his judging win, Kentucky native, Johnson, who turned in a record-setting 11 consecutive successful defenses of his undisputed flyweight title during his historic, gold-laden tenure with the UFC, departed the orgazniation in a swap-deal with Ben Askren back in late 2018. 

Demetrious Johnson provides his GOAT list

Finding himself ranked atop lists of the greatest mixed martial arts fighters of all time ahead of the likes of Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Fedor Emelianenko, and even the above-mentioned, Jones – Johnson claims he should only rank number two in any sort of list, including his own. 

“At number two, you have yours truly,” Demetrious Johnson said on his official YouTube channel. “Nobody has been able to do what I’ve been able to do in the flyweight division or in any division. 11 consecutive title defenses, created a brand-new move that none of you guys ever seen, the ‘Mighty Wizbar’ shout to Matt Hume helping me learn that move. I have wins by knockout, submission, gone to a decision, gone to a split draw, whatever you want to call it.”

“For my number one, I have Jon ‘Bones’ Jones,” Demetrious Johnson explained. “That is the only man I’ll put ahead of me because this man, I feel like any single time he has been inside the cage he could just destory his opponent however he wanted. He also has wins by knockout, putting people to sleep, decisions, everything on the list.”

Where would you rank Demetrious Johnson on your own list of MMA GOATs?

Video: ONE world champion Demetrious Johnson scares his kids with big reaction to Noche UFC headliner

Demetrious JohnsonDemetrious Johnson was on the edge of his seat during Saturday’s epic title fight between 125-pound queen Alexa Grasso and former champion Valentina Shevchenko. The reigning ONE flyweight world champion was taking in the festivities at Noche UFC from the comfort of his own home and offered a look at his live reaction to some […]

Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson was on the edge of his seat during Saturday’s epic title fight between 125-pound queen Alexa Grasso and former champion Valentina Shevchenko.

The reigning ONE flyweight world champion was taking in the festivities at Noche UFC from the comfort of his own home and offered a look at his live reaction to some of the evening’s more exciting moments. However, Johnson’s kids weren’t overly fond of the excitement that their father was exuding. In a clip, which you can see below courtesy of ‘Mighty Mouse’ on social media, the pound-for-pound great very loudly reacts to Raul Rosas Jr.’s epic knockdown of Terrence Mitchell in the opening seconds of their main card clash.

Johnson quickly apologizes to his daughter who can be heard crying in the background after being startled, but ‘Mighty Mouse’ couldn’t help himself. He did it once again when Alexa Grasso dropped Valentina Shevchenko in the second round of their instant classic.

Demetrious Johnson Shares His Take on the Big Moments at Noche UFC

Demetrious Johnson offered up his full reaction to the critically acclaimed event on his YouTube channel, which you can watch via an embed at the bottom of this article.

Noche UFC offered fans a spectacular night of fights from beginning to end. Unfortunately, much of it was forgotten after Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer revealed to the crowd that the main event clash between Grasso and Shevchenko had been ruled a split draw, courtesy of an inexplicable 10-8 score turned in by judge Mike Bell. It was revealed that Bell had ‘Bullet’ up 3-1 going into the final round. Had he scored the fifth in favor of Grasso via 10-9, Shevchenko would be a two-time world champion. Instead, Bell scored it 10-8 for Grasso, resulting in a 47-47 scorecard.

With the other two judges split on the winner, the bout was ruled an anticlimactic split draw.

Shevchenko was quick to condemn the score and even went so far as to blame the Mexican Independence Day setting for swaying the judge’s decision. Fans were not thrilled by those comments, but ‘Bullet’ proceeded to double down on that statement during the post-fight press event and during her appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani on Monday. Shevchenko also condemned Mike Bell’s 10-8 score, suggesting that it is a mistake he will have to live with for the rest of his life.