The unsung legend of Demetrious Johnson reaches its climax at ONE Fight Night 10 in trilogy vs. Adriano Moraes

The first king of flyweights approaches the end of a legendary career in what is arguably the most important and appropriate fight of his career

Demetrious Johnson is among the purest bastions of mixed martial arts. Unfortunately, martial arts are not always fully embraced in prizefighting. That is why it's so poetic that the underappreciated king of the sport's most underappreciated division approaches ONE Fight Night 10 for a flyweight title trilogy built on competitive spirit, skill and mutual respect.

There is often a stigma associated with leaving the UFC. Fighters departing the organization are generally labeled as has-beens or never-weres. Occasionally, fighters reinvent themselves in fresh settings. But rarely if ever in modern MMA does a fighter leave UFC as arguably the very best to continue that success elsewhere. Johnson is an exceptional anomaly.

Johnson was traded to ONE Championship in exchange for Ben Askren in 2018 following a controversial split decision loss to Henry Cejudo. It was a peculiar departure for "Mighty Mouse" despite never achieving the crossover superstar status like Conor McGregor or Ronda Rousey. Johnson had decisively beaten Cejudo in their prior outing and still holds the record for most consecutive and most successful UFC title defenses (11) irrespective of weight class. But in a promotion that rewards the gift of gab, the best treatment isn't always reserved for those who let their actions speak for them -- no matter how deafening those actions are.

"I think the uncertain part was if they were really going to release me from my contract," Johnson told CBS Sports ahead of his fight against Moraes in Broomfield, Colorado on Friday. "But whether I landed in Bellator, Rizin or ONE Championship, I knew I was going to be successful because I'm a workhorse. This horse isn't dead. This horse still runs and runs very, very, very well.

"To be considered one of the best in the world, in my book, you need to fight for multiple organizations."

Check out the full interview with Demetrious Johnson below.

And while Johnson's knockout loss to Moraes in April 2021 cast doubt about his top-dog status, his redemption in their August 2022 rematch slowed chatters of being over the hill. The first two meetings between the two have produced knockouts via knee for each fighter, the only KO loss of either man's career.

"When you go through a trilogy it means he won once, so I don't like that fact but it is what it is," Johnson said. "I would obviously have gone two and zero, but here we are.

"All this lead up to the trilogy fight, I'm focused on trying to beat Adriano and knock him out. But once the scorecards are read or I'm waking up or he's waking up, once we're done and the hands are raised and I'm out of the cage, I'm onto the next business opportunity."

Entering his 30th professional fight, Johnson sees retirement on the horizon ahead of his first trilogy. Should he retire on Friday, Johnson has the opportunity to exit MMA as a multi-time world champion. It's a level of glory reserved for very few -- like Johnson's fellow "greatest of all-time" candidate Georges St-Pierre -- in a sport riddled with the bones of veterans left laying on their backs.

"I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm not going to lie, I've talked to my wife about it," Johnson said. "There are questions I ask myself. When I see it, when I feel it, I'll say, 'OK, I'm good.'

"I'm not going to take my gloves off and put it in the ring and all that shit. I'll just say, 'I'm good. It's been fun boys. You guys can beat each other up to try and make some money. I'll go and try to make money elsewhere."

Check out the full interview with Adriano Moraes below.

Moraes shocked the world by knocking out Johnson in their first meeting to defend his flyweight championship. It can be argued, however, that the second fight elevated Moraes. Johnson's retribution reaffirmed his position as one of the best flyweights on Earth. Both fighters were competitive. By proxy, that makes Moraes pretty damn great. Moraes is already the only fighter to ever knock out Johnson. He now has the chance to squash "Mighty Mouse" twice.

"I like to say that it's going to save my legacy," Moraes told CBS Sports. "I was in ONE Championship for so long. If Demetrious Johnson did not arrive in the promotion, I think I'd be fighting someone else for the fourth time or another guy from Kazakhstan. I think he came in and put more levels on our division.

"I never would imagine I'd be fighting Demetrious Johnson and now I'm going for my third match against him. It's a little bit crazy... I'm excited because we come to this fight to make history together. To be part of the Demetrious Johnson legacy is an honor for me. I think it is for him too to be part of my legacy. I think two of the best flyweights in the world are going to collide again."