The late Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players to compete in the NBA. One of Bryant’s greatest rivals was Allen Iverson, who many call the short version of Michael Jordan, the arguable GOAT of basketball. Bryant has once mentioned that a taller Iverson would’ve been a problem in the NBA. Despite his short stature at 5’11, short for the NBA, Iverson was an MVP and a four-time scoring champion.
Demetrious Johnson is the arguable GOAT of MMA. When DJ was the UFC’s flyweight champion, he looked unbeatable. He was so dominant that he created a huge gap between him and his contenders. Due to his dominance, the UFC even planned to dissolve the division, mainly due to his relatively low popularity. Nonetheless, he commands huge respect from fighters and fights. Israel Adesanya recently made his admiration known when he appeared on Johnson’s podcast.
I think Kobe [Bryant] said if Allen Iverson was 6’6″ or 6’4″, it’s a wrap for everyone. Yeah, if you [Demetrious Johnson] were 6 feet tall, 6’0″, bro, honestly, I swear to God, it’s over. Thanks, man. The whole game is over.
Israel Adesanya via MIGHTY Gaming
Even though Adesanya compared Johnson to Allen Iverson, Mighty Mouse did not get the same respect as his NBA counterpart. Iverson was one of the biggest stars during his heyday and had a huge fan following as he was a trendsetter in the NBA. Moreover, Iverson’s competition against Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal was a joy for fans to watch.
For Johsnon, his timid character and lack of trash talk made it difficult for the UFC to promote him. As such, he rarely got PPV points later in his career. His remuneration was far less than that of CM Punk, the WWE star who lost twice in the UFC. Nonetheless, after the UFC traded Johnson to One FC, he has found a fan base in Asia with high-profile fights against Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Adriano Moraes.
Israel Adesanya praises Demetrious Johnson and the flyweights
The flyweights in the UFC make less money than their bigger counterparts in the male division. After all, the weight class is relatively newer than the others. Even though they get lesser pay, their bigger counterparts have respect for them.
Demetrious Johnson and Israel Adesanya (Image Via, ONE championship/Bloody Elbow)Israel Adesanya, the former long-reigning UFC middleweight, recently revealed his admiration and respect for the flyweight fighters, particularly Demetrious Johnson.
I respect what you guys [Flyweights] do, and I love when you guys fight. Just the pace, the system you guys operate at, it’s fun to watch…Whenever I watch you [Demetrious Johnson] fight, there are details you do, and I’m just like, “This motherfu**er is it, yeah, he’s that guy.
Israel Adesanya via MIGHTYcast podcast
Adesanya further explained why casual MMA fans did not have his perspective. Per Adesanya, the flyweight’s technical prowess is too fast for casual fans to comprehend. Adesanya even has first-hand experience as he is teammates with Kai Kara-France, a former flyweight title challenger.
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