Danny “The King” Kingad would love to get another shot at toppling pound-for-pound great Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
The pair of high octane mixed martial artists met in the finals of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix at ONE: CENTURY PART I last October, where Johnson won by unanimous decision.
“The King” bounced back after that loss and beat “The Hunter” Xie Wei by unanimous decision this past January at ONE: FIRE & FURY in Manila, Philippines.
Currently ranked number two in the official flyweight rankings of ONE Championship, Kingad could very well get his wish.
According to Kingad’s teammate and former ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, it’s an encounter he could win if he makes the right adjustments.
“I think Danny is stronger than DJ physically, but he was always hesitating. I think that was one factor in their first match — he was really hesitant,” Eustaquio said.
“That’s understandable, because DJ is on a different level and he’s very smart. I think the biggest shortcoming (for Danny) was he was hesitant and he allowed DJ to take control of the match.”
To beat the twelve-time flyweight World Champion, Kingad must figure out a way to keep the match standing and strike from a comfortable distance.
“What he should do is to play it smarter if they face each other again,” Eustaquio said.
“If he can keep a safe distance, he’ll be good because knowing DJ, he’s a very good grappler. The best chance for Danny is to keep his distance and turn it into a striking match.”
And if “The King” can keep up with Johnson’s pace and land his patented wushu strikes, Eustaquio believes that his young teammate can pull off the biggest win of his career.
“If Danny is given the opportunity again, I think he has the tools to win because he’s more confident now. He hung with DJ for three rounds and that’s a big confidence booster for Danny,” he said.
“He does not necessarily need a KO or stoppage. I think he has to hang with Johnson round for round.”
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