In preparation for his blockbuster ONE Flyweight World Title trilogy fight with Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes in the main event of ONE Fight Night 10, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson has enlisted the help of an old rival.
The reigning flyweight king has been exchanging tips of the trade with former MMA World Champion and Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo as he makes the final adjustments to his game plan for the highly anticipated bout at ONE’s debut on-ground event in the U.S.
The two elite fighters have squared off twice before. First in 2016, when Johnson scored a sensational knockout, and again in 2018, when Cejudo took home a close split decision.
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That second fight was “Mighty Mouse’s” last before he joined ONE Championship – a move that made it possible for the former rivals to become friends and training partners.
Demetrious Johnson describes his bond with Henry Cejudo
The flyweight king believes he and Cejudo have more in common than just being two of the best pound-for-pound fighters the world has ever seen. According to Johnson, they have a mutual interest in seeing each other succeed – and not just in fighting.
He said:
“Henry Cejudo and I have a great really relationship. We respect one another as competitors, and we want to see each other do well. We both want to win. We both want to succeed inside and outside the cage with our businesses, YouTube, and creating content.”
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Despite their wealth of shared passions, the two athletes have, of course, carved out time to talk about fighting.
As Cejudo readies himself for his return to mixed martial arts, Johnson has offered his former foe plenty of pointers and strategic advice.
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And vice-versa, the Olympic wrestler has shared key insights with “Mighty Mouse” that could prove pivotal in his World Title rubber match with Moraes next month.
Johnson said:
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“He was like, ‘Dude, that last fight you did was amazing. You know, if I were to fight you, if I were Adriano, this is what I would do.’
“And we just vibe off each other, and we get in the lab and work together. I wish I could spend more time with him. But now we’re both deep in our camps. And we’re focused on ourselves, but we literally just talked.”