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MMA legend and ONE flyweight Grand Prix champion Demetrious Johnson recently sat down with his protege James Yang to react to his fight at ONE X.
The fight, which was a mixed-rules contest between 'Mighty Mouse' and ONE flyweight Muay Thai champ Rodtang Jitmuangnon, was one of the highlights of the night.
After an ultra-competitive Muay Thai first round, Demetrious Johnson ended the night with a tight rear-naked choke in MMA round two.
Watching alongside his young protege, ONE featherweight James Yang, DJ ruminates on the tiny details of what made the fight so memorable. It's quite an interesting perspective to hear what it was like inside the head of the man who fought inside the cage.
One of the more interesting things said in the video was how DJ sees the fight differently from fighting it to watching it on a screen:
"But the thing is, so, funny about this fight is that when I watch it, I'm like, 'God, look at how chaotic we're moving.'"
James Yang quickly pointed out, however, that it was "controlled chaos," to which the former UFC champ agreed. DJ then expressed his admiration and love for Rodtang for his impeccable knack for moving forward despite getting hit.
When the finish came, Yang said this:
"When you started choking him out, I was across the ring looking him right in the eyes and I was like, 'You're going out [makes death gesture].'"
DJ laughed this off and even jokingly called Yang an "uncivilized gangster." This, however, shows the mentor/student dynamic of the two. While Demetrious Johnson was all praise for Rodtang, Yang was making threatening gestures to an already losing fighter.
We're not saying that Yang's cageside antics are indicative of his in-ring ability or his maturity as a fighter. It just shows his youthful exuberance and excitement for the culture and competitiveness of fighting. DJ, however, is an emblem of respect and honor despite being in an ultra-violent sport.
Watch their reaction video here:
Demetrious Johnson chokes out Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE X
Demetrious Johnson vs. Rodtang Jitmuangnon was one of the few mixed-rules bouts in history and it made headlines before and after it concluded.
This custom-rules fight, two rounds Muay Thai and two rounds MMA, delivered in spades in front of a crowd of thousands inside the Singapore Indoor Arena.
The first round alone was one of the most exciting Muay Thai rounds we've seen in recent memory. It's crazy considering DJ has never been in a straight Muay Thai fight and he was against one of the best in that sport.
The second frame, however, was as one-sided an MMA bout could possibly get. DJ went straight to work, took Rodtang down, and proceeded to choke him unconscious.
Though it was the first of its kind in ONE, the match delivered and has garnered a lot of interest from fans. Expect to see more or it in the years to come.
