Demetrious Johnson reacts to Israel Adesanya calling him the GOAT: “It’s awesome”

Demetrious Johnson recently sat down with MMA Fighting, where he opened up on a number of topics, also revealing that he’s honoured to be labelled the “GOAT” by current middleweight king Israel Adesanya. The former UFC pound-for-pound juggernaut said that he has “nothing but respect” for the Last Stylebender, claiming that the 31-year-old is ‘on his way’ to becoming one of the greatest of all time.

A couple of days ago, Israel Adesanya had hailed Demetrious Johnson as the “Ultimate GOAT,” asking fans to not forget what Mighty Mouse has done in MMA, especially in the UFC. Demetrious Johnson is the former UFC flyweight champion, still holding the record of most consecutive title defences (11) in UFC history. Not just that, Mighty Mouse is currently a top contender in the ONE Championship’s flyweight division after winning the promotion’s flyweight Grand Prix in 2019.

Also Read l Daniel Cormier thinks Jon Jones should face Curtis Blaydes in his UFC heavyweight debut

Demetrious Johnson on Israel Adesanya vs Paulo Costa

Israel Adesanya’s last fight was at UFC 253 where he defeated Paulo Costa by KO in the second round. While talking about the same, Demetrious Johnson hailed Adesanya and revealed how The Stylebender took Paulo Costa down with ease. Mighty Mouse claimed that Adesanya “nullified” The Eraser’s striking with some impressive footwork. “What he (Costa) did to Uriah Hall, Yoel Romero, he couldn’t do it to Adesanya because he used footwork,” he added.

Also Read l Khabib Nurmagomedov says he’ll return to UFC if his mother “gives her blessing

Israel Adesanya is now scheduled to fight UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz, and if he comes out on top, he plans to hunt down arch-rival Jon Jones at heavyweight. According to Demetrious Johnson, it’s goals like these that will determine Adesanya’s legacy. Mighty Mouse claimed that the Last Stylebender will rule the middleweight division for years and will “keep on evolving” in the process.

“I feel that he’s gonna be in the sport for a long time, a champion for a long time as long as he keeps on evolving,” he added.

Also Read l Leon Edwards tests positive for COVID-19, UFC Vegas 17 bout vs Khamzat Chimaev cancelled

Demetrious Johnson record: What’s next for Mighty Mouse?

By winning the Grand Prix in 2019, Johnson has earned a shot to face current ONE Championship flyweight champion Adriano Moraes. The two were earlier scheduled to collide at Infinity 1, but the event was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though Demetrious Johnson has a higher chance of winning on paper, Adriano Moraes is a tough fighter who won the title by defeating Geje Eustaquio in 2019.

Also Read l Conor McGregor slams Nate Diaz as UFC star celebrates anniversary of Gray Maynard trilogy

Image Source: Demetrious Johnson, Israel Adesanya/ Instagram