"Mighty Mouse” finished Moraes with a knee to the head to claim the victory and the ONE Flyweight World Title in their much-anticipated main-event rematch inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium – and the nature of the knockout served as poetic justice.

Johnson earned the win after landing a flying knee on his opponent’s jaw, just as “Mikinho” had done to him to finish their first meeting in April 2021, and the new flyweight king was delighted to have earned redemption in this way.

"[It] was a great fight against Adriano Moraes. I think the first fight we had against each other, you know, he got me. And then, when I came home and I watched the fight, I was kind of a little irritated about a couple of things. But we got this one. I wish nothing but the best for Adriano, and that was a good fight," he said.

With the emphatic victory and the divisional strap now in his bag, Johnson’s attention is focused on the impact he has made in mixed martial arts. The American veteran is consistently mentioned in discussions about the greatest fighters of all time, and he certainly added weight to his name at ONE Fight Night 1.

The 36-year-old star understands why fans see him as the flyweight “greatest of all time” (GOAT), and he credits his perseverance and adaptability as two main factors for his claims to that status.

"I think when it comes down to one of the best flyweights to ever do it, and what I put myself into, I don't think there's anybody else out there who's been able to adjust. I think what people need to understand is that when people give me that title, it's because I'm able to make adjustments to fight any type of style," Johnson said.

"Against Adriano, he has a range advantage. He's a bigger guy. And I was able to overcome that by controlling the distance. Me being 5’3’’ and him being 5’9’’ – that's where I think the greatest of all time comes from. And me being a flyweight [who can] do that, I think it just adds to my legacy."

Up next, download the ONE Super App to catch all the action at ONE 161: Petchmorakot vs. Tawanchai on Thursday, 29 September, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

 This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.

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