Demetrious Johnson is enjoying retirement life. However, that doesn’t mean he is disengaged from the world of martial arts. “Mighty Mouse” continues to offer his perspective via his incredibly popular YouTube channel.
Demetrious Johnson Discusses ONE Championship Weigh-In and Hydration Policy
In a recent interview, Demetrious Johnson sat down with ONE Championship VP Rich Franklin. The former middleweight king and Johnson discussed his career as an athlete and executive. One of the topics that both spoke on was how ONE’s weight & hydration system positively impacts athletes.
“I hope all organizations get on board with that because it gives the longevity of the fighter because I was able to fight until I was 37 and win world titles at that age. I don’t think I could have done that at 37, cutting to 125,” Johnson said.
Rich Franklin Finds Weigh-In and Hydration Rules Beneficial
Rich Franklin also believes that the system has led to ONE’s impressive finishing rates. ONE’s events are often nonstop excitement, with knockouts aplenty. Allowing athletes to come in hydrated and in a more natural weight division means better performances on event day, according to the Ohio legend.
“This is just like a Tuesday night. You’re fully hydrated, you’re fed, you’re fueled properly so you can output, and I believe that’s part of the reason why the fights that we have are high paced, good finish rates, is because athletes can perform at their highest levels, not coming off of a dehydrated state of being,” Franklin commented.
Athletes in other organizations have routinely stepped on the scale looking like zombies. The noticeable dehydration is exceedingly dangerous, and Franklin spoke about his concerns about allowing those athletes to compete. He continues to fully support the new weight & hydration system due to athlete safety more than anything else.
“I see these athletes that are getting up on these scales now that are just so gaunt. They can barely stand there, and athletes would have passed out weighing in. The thing about it is a part of the reason why ONE Championship implemented this is because when it comes to concussion protocols, when you dehydrate the body, the last place it rehydrates is the brain cavity — one of the last places that rehydrates. So when you deplete fluid, you’re depleting fluid from everywhere, which means you have a reduced amount of fluid in your brain. And the brain floats. It’s not attached, like it floats, and that’s what causes a concussion because that brain is floating, and when the skull hits it, it’s banging back and forth on the skull,” Franklin explained.
ONE continues to be the leader in weight and hydration. Time will tell if more organizations follow suit or if athletic commissions will mandate a change. Athlete health and safety should be paramount, and two of the sport’s all-time greats seem satisfied with the work being done in ONE.