Demetrious Johnson says competing in multiple disciplines helped develop his MMA foundations
ONE flyweight world champion and MMA GOAT contender Demetrious Johnson didn't achieve his level of greatness by being a slouch. Being one of the best mixed martial arts fighters of all time, Johnson took a route most were unwilling to. 'Mighty Mouse' not only trained but also competed in specific combat sports to hone his legendary MMA skills.
In an interview segment on the With Mouse Jones YouTube channel, Johnson spoke about his career and early efforts to become a full-blown MMA fighter. 'Mighty Mouse' said about his early fight/athletic career:
“It’s pretty hard for some people but for me, it was pretty easy because I had rhythm. It was easy for me because I was athletic. In high school I was a wrestler, I played football, all that stuff. So when I did that and I was learning it, I did mixed martial arts then I would do kickboxing and we would do Muay Thai, then we’d do wrestling, submission wrestling.
So when it came to like competition, first fight is mixed martial arts, second fight is kickboxing, back to mixed martial arts, then shoot boxing. So I’ll go back-and-forth and that’s what built my good base as a mixed martial artist.”
Other all-time greats such as Georges St-Pierre did something similar - training with the best in every discipline. What Demetrious Johnson did that's remarkable, however, is that he competed in these separate disciplines. That's the mark of a true "Greatest of All Time" fighter.
Watch the full interview below:
Demetrious Johnson reminds everyone at ONE on Prime Video 2 why many consider him the GOAT
In one of the most amazing revenge knockout wins in MMA history, Demetrious Johnson shut the lights off Adriano Moraes with almost the same knee strike the Brazilian knocked him out with more than a year prior.
The fight, which was the main event of ONE's first-ever event in US prime time, ONE on Prime Video 1, showcased one of the coldest walk-off knockouts in MMA history. Johnson captured the ONE flyweight world title and avenged the only KO loss of his career.
After weathering Moraes' grappling prowess in the first two rounds, DJ amped the ante with his movement and speed on the feet. A beautiful pull-back counter sent Moraes reeling backwards, after which Johnson coldly followed him and connected with a crushing knee as the Brazilian went down. 'DJ' didn't even look at the wreckage of his havoc - he just walked off once the knee strike connected.
Even at 36 years old, Demetrious Johnson is still proving to be one of the best - if not the best - of all time.
To want to watch the entire event, click here.