"That would never happen" - Demetrious Johnson explains why UFC fighters may never form union for better pay

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Demetrious Johnson [Image courtesy of @mighty on Instagram]

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson believes UFC fighters will never unionize to earn better fighter pay because they are too conditioned to "fight each other."

'Mighty Mouse' appeared on a recept episode of Ariel Helwani's The MMA Hour. Johnson, widely regarded as one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, has competed in ONE Championship since 2019, most recently losing via KO back in 2021.

The 36-year-old and Helwani discussed athlete pay in sports such as the NBA and NFL because they have unions. Johnson stated that he doesn't think UFC fighters will ever band together because the culture is designed to make you want to beat and earn more than everyone else:

"As athletes, our culture has designed us to fight each other... Back in the day I used to be like 'How come he got that sponsorship and I didn't get that?' It builds that animosity towards other athletes. In order for us to band together and do a union, we'd all have to say 'No, I'm not fighting, we're not putting content out that.' That will never happen. It will never happen."

Catch Demetrious Johnson's full interview with Ariel Helwani here:

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Demetrious Johnson believes Khabib Nurmagomedov would have lost if he didn't retire from MMA

Demetrious Johnson made the bold claim that the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov would eventually lose if he continued fighting in the UFC.

Johnson himself once amassed a stunning 14-fight undefeated streak inside the octagon before eventually losing to Henry Cejudo back in 2018. 'DJ' subsequently left the UFC after his loss and believes the same thing could have happened to 'The Eagle'.

During his interview with Ariel Helwani, the former flyweight champion said:

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"I think, the more time you spend in this sport, your chances [of losing] get higher, for you getting knocked out or anything like that. You know, Khabib got out unscathed, 29-0? If Khabib continued to keep on fighting, he would have lost one of these, he would have lost."

Nurmagomedov shocked fans when he decided his time was up in MMA despite seemingly being at his peak. The 33-year-old retired with a perfect record (29-0) after successfully defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 back in 2020.

In the UFC, the Dagestani fighter amassed a 13-fight winning run that included a notable win over his rival Conor McGregor.

'The Eagle' was inducted into the UFC Hall of Famer earlier this year for his accomplishments but is still regularly seen on our screens in the corner of fighters such as Islam Makhachev.

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