SUMMARY
- Reece McLaren defeated Hu Yong at ONE Fight Night 22.
- After the win, McLaren called out the ONE Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson.
Reece McLaren is hot on the heels of a ONE Flyweight MMA World Title shot. “Lightning” overcame a spirited opening round from fifth-ranked contender Hu Yong at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video this past weekend, May 3, to score a split-decision victory and shore up his #4 position in the stacked division’s top five.
Following his big win at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, the Australian put flyweight MMA king Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson on blast.
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“How do you catch a ‘Mighty Mouse’? Mighty traps!” McLaren bellowed in a clip posted to ONE’s Instagram story.
McLaren was on the receiving end of Hu’s vaunted power punches in the first round of the fight. But the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt turned the tide in rounds two and three, using his grappling skills to threaten with numerous submission attacks. Ultimately, his dominance throughout the back end of the bout secured the nod from two of the judges.
Reece McLaren makes his case for next shot at Demetrious Johnson
Reece McLaren has been a ONE Championship stalwart since making his promotional debut in 2015. After his most recent win against Hu Yong at ONE Fight Night 22, he feels that his near-decade’s worth of experience warrants a World Title shot.
“I feel that I am, at any stage, on any win, one step away from that World Title shot. Regardless of being ranked or not ranked. I’ve been in ONE now for nearly nine years, [with] 10 wins,” he said.
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“It’s been a long journey, man. I feel like I’ve paid my dues. It’s time to start getting appreciated for what we do here in ONE. The best flyweights in the world are in ONE Championship. I have been saying that for years.”
McLaren unsuccessfully challenged then-ONE Bantamweight MMA World Champion Bibiano Fernandes in 2016. Now settled back in his native flyweight division, the 32-year-old has reeled off eight more victories in the years following. In fact, he has won three of his last four fights against top-tier opposition.
