Morning Report: Demetrious Johnson and Ben Askren talk about who received their well-known commerce, UFC or ONE Championship?

Again in 2018, some of the surprising issues in MMA historical past occurred: the UFC traded former flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship in alternate for former welterweight champion Ben Askren.

It was the primary, and so far solely, commerce between main MMA promotions and led to a lot debate amongst followers over who “received” the commerce. And 6 years later, the 2 contributors consider there’s a transparent reply.

“My standpoint, I mentioned everyone received,” Johnson informed Askren on his YouTube channel. “I obtained to go to ONE Championship, make good cash. You bought to return to the UFC, get the chance to battle, see what you possibly can do there. The UFC obtained you, which you have been superb about creating buzz. Your shit-talking was truly clever shit-talking. You’d be superb snippets. So if it wasn’t for you, they may not have the rise of Jorge Masvidal with out that flying knee … With out that flying knee you’ll by no means have Jorge Masvidal, ‘Road Jesus’ arising, then you definitely wouldn’t have Kamaru Usman, you wouldn’t have Leon Edwards.

“You then take a look at ONE Championship, they’d me, I used to be in a position to battle, I get knocked out over there to indicate that their competitors is definitely legit. Then I come again and I beat Adriano [Martins]. So I feel, all in all, everyone received. What say you?”

“That’s the best reply,” Askren responded. “ONE Championship, the factor that was golden for them is I wasn’t going to battle. I used to be executed. Should you keep within the UFC, I’m assuming you’re going to proceed to battle, a minimum of for some time. And in ONE Championship, I used to be legit executed, I wasn’t combating anymore, so that they primarily offered an asset that was off marketplace for — you had a five-year run. I feel you’ve executed some grappling matches, you probably did a mixed-rules match, you probably did MMA, you probably did lots of issues over there.

“I feel probably the most appropriate reply is everyone received. I obtained what I needed, you bought what you needed.”

For Askren, the commerce was completely surprising. A former Bellator welterweight champion, “Funky” had quietly hung up the gloves in 2017. Nonetheless, he remained underneath contract with ONE, and as he explains it, this commerce was precisely the factor that he was ready on to carry him again.

“I’d given up the title as a result of I retired,” Askren defined. “I mentioned, ‘I’m out.’ So once I retired, I truly didn’t have a lot time left on my contract. However for me, there was no assure the UFC factor was going to work out as a result of it didn’t work out the primary time once I left Bellator in 2013. …

“However I like studying about athletes and the factor I all the time examine athletes is that they all the time retire too late, and so they all the time spend an excessive amount of cash. So once I turned knowledgeable athlete it was like, ‘Don’t cling round too lengthy and don’t spend an excessive amount of cash.’ And if you are able to do these issues, you’re in all probability going to be alright.

“So I put a time restrict on myself, and in very best circumstances, I in all probability would have retired a little bit bit earlier, however I simply by no means obtained the chance to battle within the UFC and my time in ONE Championship, they have been sort of sluggish on fights, sadly. I didn’t battle for like 15 months or one thing like that. I want I’d have been in a position to battle extra regularly.

“So I retired and the caveat was, I’ve by no means gotten to battle anybody ranked greater than me. I feel the highest-ranked particular person I fought was No. 9 and I used to be No. 6. So if I might battle somebody greater than me I’ll come again as a result of I would like that chance, and I left it at that.

“I by no means thought it will be a commerce as a result of trades don’t occur. I assumed possibly ONE would signal somebody actually good after which I’d battle that particular person, or one thing extra alongside these strains. Or possibly they’d mortgage me out for one thing as a result of that has occurred a number of occasions. So when Chatri [Sityodong, ONE CEO] referred to as me and mentioned, ‘Would you be open to a commerce?’ I mentioned, ‘Yeah, I’d be open to a commerce. That’s sort of the one factor I would like.’

“So for me it was easy after which I feel it took a pair months to truly course of it and get it executed, soar by means of all of the hurdles, however I used to be in instantly.”

Alternatively, issues have been a little bit completely different for “Mighty Mouse.” As Johnson recounts, he truly initiated all the factor as a result of his relationship with the UFC had began to collapse and after dropping his flyweight title to Henry Cejudo at UFC 227, he needed a change.

“I used to be mine and Matt [Hume, Johnson’s coach and ONE vice President]’s sort of,” Johnson mentioned. “My entire complete profession within the UFC was all the time, ‘You don’t promote sufficient pay-per-views’ or ‘We would like you to go up and battle T.J. Dillashaw for a superfight’ and I’m like, I’ll go battle T.J. for the best cash. Give me 1,000,000 {dollars}, and I’ll battle him. What’s the purpose of getting a superfight if there’s no incentive concerned in it? …

“I felt that if an asset isn’t bringing in sufficient cash that it ought to, then they needed to eliminate it, which I perceive. So at the moment they have been fascinated about eliminating the division. … So when that’s happening, it’s like, why do I need to be someplace the place I’m the cool child on the occasion however no one needs to hang around with me? Why not go someplace the place they’re going to understand me. In order that’s what sparked that.

“Even once I misplaced to Henry Cejudo, I used to be very upset, very distraught, very pissed off. However once I obtained dwelling I used to be like, OK, we’ve obtained to start out fascinated about what group goes to worth my skillset on the highest stage? I believed that was ONE Championship and it turned out to be true. …

“I feel it was the very best choice I made in my profession. If I needed to do it over once more, I’d do it 1,000 occasions over once more.”

Johnson went on to have a really productive profession in ONE, profitable the promotion’s flyweight Grand Prix in 2019 and the flyweight title in 2022 earlier than retiring this 12 months. Askren didn’t fare as nicely within the UFC, profitable his debut bout towards Robbie Lawler earlier than struggling back-to-back losses to Jorge Masvidal and Demian Maia, prompting his retirement from MMA after only one 12 months with the promotion.

Performed. Conor McGregor is not the face of Correct No. Twelve Irish Whiskey after being discovered accountable for sexual assault.

Enamel. Robert Whittaker offers an replace on the nasty damage he suffered at UFC 308.

Unimpressed. Jiri Prochazka has phrases for mild heavyweight rivals Jamahal Hill and Magomed Ankalaev.

Actual Speak. Matt Brown isn’t a fan of how the PFL/Bellator merger has been dealt with.

Gross. Michael Chandler’s leg is in nasty form after his rematch with Charles Oliveira.

Details? Is Merab Dvalishvili afraid of Umar Nurmagomedov? Sean O’Malley actually thinks that’s the case.

Take a look at the heated staredown between Ryan Garcia and Rukiya Anpo.

Fiziev on Submission Radio.

Look forward to UFC 310.

By no means a nasty time to rewatch this one.

Fighter vs. Author. Matt Brown reacts to the PFL-Bellator drama and the conclusion of Conor McGregor’s sexual assault trial.

Lengthy overdue.

Magomed Ankalaev (or somebody) has been getting actual lively on social recently.

Doesn’t sound nice!

Neat!

Assist out.

Kevin Holland (26-12, 1 NC) vs. Reinier de Ridder (18-2); UFC 311, Jan. 18.

I’m with DJ and Askren. It might be uncommon for trades to essentially be a win-win, however I actually assume that’s the case with this one. DJ and Askren obtained what they needed, the UFC didn’t need to him anymore and obtained a star they did need, and ONE obtained what they wanted. I feel in case you requested everybody concerned they’d all fortunately make that commerce once more. — Meshew

Should you discover one thing you’d wish to see within the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and tell us about it. Additionally, observe MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Fb.