Demetrious Johnson, a former UFC champion, offers some advice to Deiveson Figueiredo, the current champion.
After three terrific contests, the UFC has agreed to rematch Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno for an unprecedented fourth time. The two are set to fight this July, with Figueiredo defending the flyweight title for the second time after he regained it at UFC 270 in January.
Moreno and Figueiredo, on the other hand, have recently expressed interest in a different opponent in the form of Kai Kara-France. And, according to Demetrious Johnson, a former UFC 125-pound champion, it’s the correct thing to do.
Demetrious Johnson advises Figueiredo not to fight Moreno for the fourth time
“Why do a fourth fight? Why?” Johnson told Ariel Helwani in his Monday appearance on The MMA Hour. “Fight Pantoja. Let Pantoja fight. Let Kai Kara-France fight. Fight somebody totally different. Go out there, get your mojo back if you feel like you need it. Get a fresh look in front of you.”
“Everybody’s always trying to chase this title. Don’t chase the title, the title will come if you’re worthy of it, if your path leads you to that. Don’t just try to run down a road and run in the same f—ng roadblock.
“Fight somebody else, then maybe, you’ll find something else in the other fighters you go against. And then when you approach that roadblock again, you’re like, ‘Ah, I know how to do this this time. It’s not the same thing I’ve been looking at for the past two to three years.’ Do something different.”
“Mighty Mouse” understands the financial stakes in booking the fourth battle between Moreno and Figueiredo, having been in the same position years before. But it’s still not worth it to him to pass up potentially huge possibilities.
After a 2018 “swap” with the UFC in exchange for Ben Askren, Johnson, 35, is now signed with Singapore’s ONE FC.
On March 26th, Johnson challenged ONE’s Muay Thai champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon to avenge his KO loss in 2021. In a mixed-rules fight, he won by second-round submission.
