One Event on Dec. 5 Features Demetrious Johnson in Special Rules Match, Two Title Bouts

Demetrious Johnson will be branching out in his next One Championship appearance.

The former UFC flyweight king will face muay Thai flyweight title holder Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a special rules match on Dec. 5, One Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong announced during an appearance on the “MMA Hour” Wednesday.

Johnson vs. Jituangnon will consist of four, three-minute rounds, with the ruleset alternating between muay Thai and MMA in each frame. Four-ounce gloves will be worn for the contest.

Johnson began his promotional tenure with three consecutive triumphs to win the One flyweight grand prix. “Mighty Mouse” came up short in his bid for the title, when he suffered a second-round knockout loss to Adriano Moraes at One on TNT 1 on April 7.

Jituangnon is widely regarded as the No. 1 pound-for-pound muay Thai fighter in the world and owns a career mark of 267-42-10 in that realm. The 24-year-old is currently on a 10-bout winning streak under the One banner.

The event, which is entitled One Championship “X,” will also include a pair of title bouts, as Bibiano Fernandes defends his bantamweight (145-pound) belt against John Lineker, while featherweight (155-pound) ruler Thanh Le will lock horns with Garry Tonon.

Fernandes has been victorious in 11 of his 12 promotional appearances, with his only defeat coming via split decision against Kevin Belingon in 2018. The 41-year-old Brazilian improved to 3-1 against Belingon in his most recent appearance, winning via rear-naked choke at One “Century” in October 2019.

Lineker is 3-0 in the Singapore-based organization after leaving the UFC in 2019. That record includes a decision triumph over Muin Gaurov and KO/TKO victories against Belingon and Troy Worthen.

A veteran of Legacy Fighting Alliance and Dana White’s Contender Series, Le is unbeaten in four One appearances. He claimed the featherweight crown with a third-round TKO of Martin Nguyen at One “Inside the Matrix” in October 2020.

Tonon, who won multiple championships as a grappler, has gone 6-0 since transitioning to MMA, finishing all but one of his opponents inside the distance. Most recently, he outpointed Koyomi Matsushima at One “Big Bang” this past December.