EXCLUSIVE | Bibiano Fernandes aims to break title defense record of Demetrious Johnson

Reigning ONE bantamweight champion Bibiano Fernandes and former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson are two of the biggest stars on the ONE Championship roster. That being said, we’ll never see the pair fight, as they’re long-time friends and training partners under Matt Hume at AMC Pankration in Kirkland, Washington.

While Bibiano Fernandes and Demetrious Johnson will never share the ONE cage, it sounds like we will see a bit of friendly competition between them going forward. Speaking on the latest episode of BJPENN.COM Radio, Fernandes divulged that he plans to best Johnson’s record of 11-straight title defenses.

“I want to beat the record of Demetrious Johnson,” Bibiano Fernandes said. “That’s what I’m trying to do right now. I still have to go through three more, four more defenses. I’ll go for eight, nine, ten, eleven. I need to go four more. That’s my dream. Not my dream, that’s my goal right now. To try to maybe get in the history books.”

“That’s the next challenge, the next step I have for my life,” he added. “That’s my goal, yes. Or maybe try to go together with him, 11-11. The most defenses of a belt on the planet. He’s already in the history books, right? And I want to try to get in there too.”

Having defended his ONE Championship bantamweight title seven times already, and with an eighth defense possible in his Friday-night ONE:HEART OF THE LION showdown with Kevin Belingon, Bibiano Fernandes is certainly well on his way to beating Demetrious Johnson’s record. Do you think he can pull this historic feat off? Join the debate in the comments section below.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 11/6/2018.