Demetrious Johnson says “everybody won” in trade between ONE and UFC for Ben Askren
Former UFC champion and current ONE Championship champion Demetrious Johnson says “everybody won” in trade involving himself and Ben Askren.
Back in 2018 one of the most unique, rare, and signature moments in MMA history took place when the UFC traded their inaugural flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship in exchange for former welterweight champion, Ben Askren.
The trade went down after Johnson lost his title to Henry Cejudo in a rematch at UFC 227, ending his run of 11 consecutive title defenses and a winning streak of 13 fights that stretched over the span of six years. Considered one of the very best despite the lack of excitement behind the UFC flyweight division at the time, it was a shocking trade that would set the stage for success for everyone involved.
In 2019, Demetrious Johnson would go on to become the ONE Championship Flyweight Grand Prix Champion but would ultimately fall short in his first attempt at the title, losing to champion Adriano Moraes at ONE on TNT 1 in 2021. Last month, Johnson would avenge that loss, landing a flying-knee TKO victory over Moraes to claim the ONE Championship flyweight title for the first time.
Looking back at everything and everyone involved in the trade during a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Johnson would say that he believes everyone included in the trade came out as a winner.
"We're all eating good now."
Almost four years since the historic trade between the #UFC and @ONEChampionship, Demetrious Johnson explains how the deal paid off beyond just him and Ben Askren. 🤝
Read more: https://t.co/zNgyPCwOXv pic.twitter.com/dDEhtQJ2HG
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 14, 2022
“Yeah, I think everybody won, not just the organizations, but I think everybody. Ben Askren, Jorge Masvidal, Leon Edwards, Kamaru Usman, and myself. But when I say that we all won, we’re all eating good now. If we look at it from the UFC standpoint when I was there, obviously I wasn’t the high-selling PPV guy there and I was also a very dominant so there was not an opportunity for somebody else to make a name for themselves. But then I leave and you get Ben Askren.” (H/T MMA Junkie)
Before the trade, there were many calls for Askren to make the jump over to the UFC as both a former Bellator and ONE Championship champion and one of his biggest supporters for that was commentator Joe Rogan. Once the trade was made, Demetrious Johnson detailed how the arrival of Askren opened up the door for so many welterweight UFC fighters.
“The reason why I say Ben Askren got a chance to eat is because Ben Askren always wanted to be able to compete in the UFC. He got that opportunity, won a couple, then lost, and with his loss was the rise of Jorge Masvidal. And the rise of Jorge Masvidal, ‘Street Jesus,’ going out baptizing people, he fought Nate Diaz got that ‘BMF’ title, which there’s never been a title like that. And he gave Leon Edwards the five-piece chicken meal in the back of the arena, that kind of put eyeballs on Leon Edwards. Now you have Kamaru Usman, who fought Jorge Masvidal, and Kamaru sent Jorge Masvidal to the shadow of realm.”
Through it all there were several stars made in the UFC welterweight division, as Kamaru Usman became champion, Masvidal created rivalries with Usman, Colby Covington, and Leon Edwards, and then Edwards shocked the world at UFC 278 with his last-minute KO of Usman to become champion for the first time.
Demetrious Johnson would go on to suffer the first knockout loss of his career when he faced Moraes in ONE Championship, but then built himself back up and got his revenge, and the ONE Championship title, in August.
One thing Johnson did include is that if there was a debate as to which promotion got the better fighter, he feels the answer is with the guy who is still fighting, himself.
“Everybody got the opportunity to eat and everyone’s happy. I think if it goes to decide who’s got the best fighters, I think ONE Championship definitely won that ball game by far. Nothing against Ben Askren, but I’m 36, I don’t know how old he is, but I’m still f**king going. They’re still getting dividends from your boy here. I’m still putting the work in.”
It has not been an easy road for Demetrious Johnson since he left the UFC and joined ONE Championship, but he did add another promotional title to his collection. Ben Askren may not be fighting anymore, but he certainly put on a show during his run with the promotion, and most of the fighters he came in contact with have now grown into a star in their own way, something the UFC certainly isn’t complaining about.
