5 best performances of Demetrious Johnson's career
You cannot talk about MMA's greatest of all time without having Demetrious Johnson in the conversation. No other fighter in the world, past or present, has ever heard Bruce Buffer say the words "and still" more than 'Mighty Mouse'.
His legendary flyweight title run, spanning 2012 to 2016, set the record for most consecutive UFC title defenses at 11; a record that most likely will never be broken.
It was hard enough to stay on top for so long, but Johnson did so with barely anyone giving him any serious problems.
He was the Michael Jordan of the sport and no one in his division came close. Even his lone defeat at flyweight, a razor-close split decision against Henry Cejudo, is heavily debated even to this day.
'Mighty Mouse' is known to be one of the fastest MMA fighters ever. Johnson's freestyle wrestling background shows his athleticism in darting in and out of range to either score blast double leg takedowns or land combinations inside. He then uses his fast feet to quickly glide out of his opponents' reach after every exchange.
Johnson also has an uncanny vision of seeing counter-strike opportunities whilst in the middle of chaos.
When it comes to the ground, Johnson is a nightmare to deal with. He is extremely explosive and runs at a pace that is almost impossible to control. As for his fight IQ, well, it's head-and-shoulders above most fighters, pound-for-pound.
Simply put, not a lot of fighters in history have a holistic skillset with the same level of expertise and technique as Demetrious Johnson.
Watch this highlight video by YouTube user Fighters Promo and marvel at Johnson's MMA greatness:
Ever since his landmark signing with ONE Championship, Johnson has been on a tear in their 135-pound division. He won ONE's flyweight World Grand Prix belt in his first year in the promotion.
'Mighty Mouse' is now bound for a special-rules bout with ONE flyweight Muay Thai champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon at ONE: X on March 26.
Ahead of his historic clash with the Muay Thai legend, let's look back at the MMA archives and rank Demetrious Johnson's five best MMA performances.
#5. Demetrious Johnson vs. Yuya Wakamatsu - ONE Championship: A New Era
Speaking of ONE Championship, Johnson's debut in the Asian promotion was as entertaining as it was surprising.
Against Yuya 'Little Piranha' Wakamatsu, Johnson was given one of the tougher fights of his career. Johnson was a hot topic for the Singapore-based promotion and was expected to steamroll the division, starting with Wakamatsu.
The Japanese warrior, however, surprised everyone (including Johnson) as he matched the former UFC great's frenetic pace on the feet. He also stuffed almost all of Johnson's takedown attempts and even landed on top at one point.
Come the second round, Johnson proved his champion's mindset yet again as he out-classed Wakamatsu after a challenging first round.
He scored his trademark double-leg in the middle of a striking exchange and dominated the Japanese from top position. Johnson's mastery of scrambles allowed him to sink a nasty guillotine choke to force Wakamatsu to tap.
Watch the full fight here: