Jorge Masvidal Ben Askren and Other MMA Stars Stunned as Demetrious Johnson Suffers First Ever Career KO in ONE Championship

Published 04/07/2021, 11:46 PM EDT

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The main event for ONE on TNT just wrapped up and consensus P4P GOAT fighter Demetrious Johnson was in the red. Adriano Moraes knocked out ‘Mighty Mouse’ in the second round at 02:24 to successfully defend his championship. Hence, he left the Singapore Indoor Stadium with a career-defining victory for his resume.

Adriano Moraes began the finishing sequence of a spinning attack that barely missed Johnson, who was stepping in. However, a shovel hook caught ‘DJ’ coming in and rocked him to the canvas. Sensing an opportunity to close the show, Moraes swarmed Johnson and threw a knee to his dome that ultimately won him the contest.

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The knee thrown by Moraes sparked some controversy by the MMA community, as it is a highly contested subject. However, grounded knees are perfectly legal in ONE Championship. This was the first time that Johnson had ever been stopped in his Hall of Fame level career.

MMA stars react to Demetrious Johnson’s first KO loss in MMA

Mighty Mouse’ went 34 fights without being submitted or TKO’ed despite facing the who’s-who in the sport. His shock defeat had several MMA journalists and fighters express their surprise over the way things turned out.

Additionally, the aforementioned knee the kicked off the finishing sequence was called into question by some and lauded by others. UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling had plenty to say on the matter, especially given his recent history with grounded knees. ‘The Funkmaster’ criticized the maneuver and saw it as a significant danger to fighters.

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Jorge Masvidal came out and praised fellow ATT fighter, Adriano Moraes for securing the ‘biggest upset win ever’. ‘Gamebred’ had put out a video post with Moraes and clearly helped the ONE Championship belt holder boost his profile.

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Given his recent performance, Adriano Moraes will certainly receive a lot of recognition as he progresses in his career. Being able to stop arguably one of the best to do it in MMA is no small feat. He wagered everything on the line and has now scalped one of the most lucrative wins in the sport.

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Darryl Pinto

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Darryl Pinto is a senior MMA writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in Mass Media (with a specialization in Journalism) out of Xavier’s College and has a year's experience in his current role. Darryl specializes in predictions, reporting, and covering UFC events live.
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