The year 2018 brought a seismic shift to the MMA world. It wasn’t a blockbuster fight or a shocking upset, surprisingly, it was a trade! Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson, the UFC’s former flyweight kingpin, was exchanged for Ben Askren, the wrestling wizard from ONE Championship who was undefeated coming into the UFC.
The trade was unprecedented, but as the dust settled, fans and analysts couldn’t stop asking, who won? During a recent conversation, Johnson and Askren agreed that the trade was beneficial for both promotions. But Daniel Cormier? The former champ-champ believes there was one clear winner, and in his opinion, it wasn’t UFC boss Dana White!
Dana White proclaimed to be the ‘loser’ in ONE Championship trade by Daniel Cormier
In a recent video on his YouTube channel, Daniel Cormier didn’t hold back. He stated, “Demetrious Johnson and Ben Askren yesterday were discussing who won the trade when ONE FC got DJ and when the UFC got Ben. Guys, y’all know that Ben is my podcast partner and my friend, but come on man. One FC won, they won.”
Johnson didn’t waste time making his mark in ONE Championship. He conquered their flyweight division, winning the Grand Prix and securing the title after a thrilling rivalry with Adriano Moraes. What about Ben Askren?
Cormier referenced the conversation between the pair as he stated, “So if it wasn’t for you, they might not even have the rise of Jorge Masvidal because of the flying knee, ‘Street Jesus’, you wouldn’t have had Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards’, so Ben Askren played a big part but ONE won.”
Askren, a notorious trash talker, brought the same energy to his UFC fights as well. His debut was explosive, earning a controversial victory over Robbie Lawler. But then came ‘that’ flying knee from Jorge Masvidal—five seconds that redefined his career. By the end of his UFC stint, Askren had become more of a catalyst than a contender.
But despite the UFC and Dana White benefiting from Askren’s presence, Cormier emphasized ONE’s long-term gain. “ONE Championship won.” Askren’s UFC journey may have been short, but it wasn’t without impact. Yet, as Cormier indicated, for ONE Championship, Johnson became a beacon of credibility. By winning in a new promotion, he validated ONE’s competitive level. Even his losses, like being knocked out by Adriano Moraes, elevated the division.
But even though the former ‘champ-champ’ believes the UFC and Dana White were the losers in this equation, Demetrious Johnson had previously provided a more nuanced take on the situation by highlighting why ONE Championship seemingly came out on top in the trade!
Johnson believes ONE Championship got the “better fighter” in trade with the UFC
What’s the price of greatness? Is it money or legacy? In 2018, after losing his title to Henry Cejudo, Demetrious Johnson made the leap to ONE Championship, thanks to an unprecedented trade with Ben Askren. While the UFC seemed to get the financial edge in this deal, Johnson believes his move to ONE Championship added a whole new dimension to the promotion.
In a conversation with Ariel Helwani, Johnson confessed, “Money wise, I think the UFC won because of how much more money they were able to generate… I wasn’t making [Dana White and the UFC] any money.”
However, he didn’t see this as a loss. Instead, Johnson pointed out that ONE Championship struck gold with him. ‘Mighty Mouse’ stated, “You look at the fights I was able to produce; the knockouts, the buzz that I was able to produce for ONE Championship. If I wanted to, today, I could still fight. I don’t think Ben Askren could still fight. I mean, it’s easy clear that [One Championship] got the better athlete, the better fighter.”
Johnson recently hung up his gloves by announcing his retirement at ONE 168. What did UFC boss Dana White think about it? The UFC head honcho, while speaking to Grind City Media, stated, “Good for him. Incredible career he had. I never had a problem with Demetrious Johnson. Absolutely [he’s a UFC Hall of Famer].”
As Johnson enjoys his well-earned retirement, he’s not just leaving behind a legacy of records and titles. He’s ensured that ONE Championship is seen as a legitimate force in the MMA world, one that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the UFC. In the end, as Cormier wisely observed, it was ONE Championship that ultimately won the trade—both in talent and in the lasting value Johnson brought to their brand.
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