“Keanu Is Going to Bring the Fight” – Demetrious Johnson Expects Protege James Yang to Get a ‘Finish’ Against a Game Keanu Subba

Published 04/20/2022, 7:21 AM EDT

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Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson expects his protege James Yang to excel on his second assignment in ONE Championship.

The 12-time Flyweight World Champion believes his training partner at AMC Pankration in Washington, United States, has what it takes to deliver another memorable performance whilst maintaining his professional unbeaten run at ONE: 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic this Friday, 22 April.

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“I expect a finish, so they can expect that too. After watching Keanu Subba, I see there are parts where James is gonna be able to go out there and excel and perform better than he can,” the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Champion said.

“But you know, a fight to fight. So James has got to make sure he’s physically ready and just go out there and fight. That’s what it’s about.”

Johnson, who is fresh off a submission win against Rodtang at ONE X, adds that the Malaysian phenom will be a great litmus test for Yang.

At ONE: REVOLUTION in September last year, the 32-year-old smashed his way to a debut win against Roel Rosauro via TKO at the two-minute mark of the second stanza. He controlled the contest with a grappling and striking clinic before punishing his rival on the canvas with a couple of powerful shots.

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Demetrious Johnson expects a tougher challenge in Keanu Subba for James Yang

Subba will present a different level of opposition. Johnson knows this. However, he believes they have done enough to ensure his positive streak remains intact during his sophomore outing on the global stage.

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“I think Keanu is going to bring the fight way better than his last opponent did. Subba does a lot of things right. His stand-up is very technically sound, great fundamentals. And I think that’s the way you got to work your way up. Until you feel like you’re ready to take that next step,” the top-ranked flyweight contender stated.

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“We did some research on Keanu. I watched videos on him, and I think Keanu Subba is the best opponent for where he’s at right now.”

A victory for Yang would be the perfect way to kickstart his 2022 campaign as he eyes tougher and more challenges.

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With a chance to minimize the gap between him and division king Thanh Le at stake, expect him to put another career-defining display in the Circle this Friday, 22 April.

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Written by:

Deepak Kumar

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Deepak Kumar is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. His love for MMA comes from the chaos and violence the fight game brings to the table. A BJJ aspirant, Deepak began following the sport as a casual fan when Ronda Rousey was finishing her opponents in seconds.
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Edited by:

Vibhanshu Kumar