MMA’S FIRST MAJOR trade is officially a done deal.
Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson has been released from his contract by Dana White and joined ONE Championship. Going the other way, former ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren will leave the organisation and sign with the UFC.
ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong confirmed the move on Twitter last night, with ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson announcing his move on his own account.
Please join me in welcoming the #1 pound-for-pound king, @MightyMouse, to ONE Championship! His extraordinary achievements speak for themselves, but I am most impressed by his character, his values, and his life story. #GOAT
— Chatri Sityodtong (@YODCHATRI) October 27, 2018
Sliding my way over to @ONEChampionship 😊 pic.twitter.com/3FteeZFSO8
— Demetrious Johnson (@MightyMouse) October 27, 2018
Hey BOSS, time to unblock me ;) pic.twitter.com/563Pr51MbC
— Ben Askren (@Benaskren) October 27, 2018
The idea was first pitched by Johnson’s representatives at First Round Management following ‘Mighty Mouse”s defeat to Henry Cejudo, per ESPN.
Johnson’s coach Matt Hume is ONE’s vice president of operations.
Former Bellator welterweight champ Askren has been ‘retired’ for just under a year, but has remained open to fighting names such as George St Pierre and Rory MacDonald.
Since news of the trade was first reported, the former Bellator star has called out a number of UFC stars on Twitter, including Liverpool’s recently-defeated Darren Till.
Both Johnson and Askren’s respective debuts will be announced by their new employers in due course.
Subscribe to our new podcast, Heineken Rugby Weekly on The42, here: