Alexander Volkanovsky before fight in UFC 314. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC India
Legend and former UFC and ONE Championship champion, Demetrious Johnson publicly disputed the narrative that Alexander Volkanovsky would have broken the '35-year curse' by recovering the featherweight belt (up to 65,7 kg) by overcoming Diego lopes No. UFC 314 last Saturday (12). In a statement on his YouTube channel, the American highlighted that he won and defended a belt in the Asian company at the age of 36 and 37, respectively, but stated that the UFC's protagonism overshadows the achievements of other organizations.
“I did it against Adriano (Moraes, in ONE Championship) when I was 36, and I defended the title at 37… It just shows how big the UFC is — no one recognizes any other organization,” said DJ, in a critical tone.
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Demetrious Johnson complained.. And he's right! In front of Adriano Moraes In September 2022, at ONE, the former UFC fighter knocked out the Brazilian with a flying knee in the fourth round to win the Asian organization's flyweight belt. In the trilogy, held in May 2023, the American retained the title with another dominant performance to cement his name as one of the few athletes to win at a high level after the age of 35 in lighter weight categories.
The 'curse of 35', broken by Volkanovski, is based on the fact that no other fighter had managed to become champion – or remain at the top of the lighter divisions (up to welterweight) – until the age of 35. The feat, however, is highlighted by the UFC, considering that Dana White's company is considered to have the highest level of competition among all MMA organizations.
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