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Reece McLaren slammed down the preposterous notion that MMA legend Demetrious Johnson is "ducking" any contenders trying to dethrone him off his perch.
The reigning ONE flyweight MMA world champion has been on an indefinite hiatus since revealing his plans to retire from the sport in August 2023.
While Johnson's absence left the division without a ruler, McLaren said the flyweight MMA class should keep going but denied any ideas that 'Mighty Mouse' was running away from the competition.
"No, he's definitely not afraid. The man's the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. There's no way he'd be afraid. If anything, well, I'm not saying," said McLaren in his post-fight interviews after ONE Fight Night 22.
Reece McLaren is the number four contender in the volatile flyweight MMA division, and he made a substantial case for the gold when he beat fifth-ranked contender Hu Yong this past weekend in Bangkok.
The match was a classic grappler vs. striker affair, and McLaren did more than enough to establish his controlled dominance in the second and third rounds against Hu.
Although Hu had his way early in the fight, McLaren used his superior grappling to threaten Hu on the ground and score the split decision win.
McLaren has now won three of his last four fights and put himself in a prime position to potentially challenge Johnson for the flyweight MMA throne.
Reece McLaren says he's done the work to get a shot at Demetrious Johnson's throne
Reece McLaren has been with ONE Championship for almost a decade, and the Australian star believes he's done enough to warrant a shot at Demetrious Johnson's ONE flyweight MMA world title.
'Lightning' is one of the promotion's most experienced fighters, and he even got a shot at bantamweight gold when he challenged Brazilian legend Bibiano Fernandes for the ONE bantamweight MMA world title in December 2016.
He's since dropped to flyweight and racked up eight wins in the 135-pound division.
"It's been a long run. It's been a long journey, man. I feel like I've paid my dues," said McLaren in his post-fight interview.
