In October 2018, just under two and a half years ago, we learned that recently dethroned Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson and retired, undefeated One Championship welterweight champ Ben Askren were being released from their respective contracts in order to sign with the other promotion. The de facto trade shocked the MMA world. Johnson, notwithstanding his close loss to Henry Cejudo, remained of one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, while Askren was perhaps second only to Mamed Khalidov as the most dominant and visible fighter of the decade never to have passed through the UFC.
Opinion: No Takebacks
