Demetrious Johnson sees himself getting into retirement sooner rather than later
Demetrious Johnson revealed a brief timeline for his retirement from MMA.
‘Mighty Mouse’ is preparing for a trilogy fight against Adriano Moraes on May 5. Ahead of the highly-anticipated matchup at ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video, the reigning flyweight world champion participated in an Ask Me Anything session on Reddit.
Fans filled the comment section with questions, including one person who asked:
“DJ since youre 36 in a lighter weight class and have done a lot in your career, do you see yourself retiring soon? Honestly I wouldnt be suprised if you were 40 and still schooling the elite but the question still stands.”
Johnson responded by saying:
“yes i do, i don't want to fight when im 40"
Before worrying about what’s next, Johnson has one of the toughest challenges of his career waiting at the sold-out 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. ‘Mighty Mouse’ and Moraes both have knockout wins against each other, making the stakes on May 5 higher than ever. It’s safe to say the ONE Fight Night 10 main event will be a legacy-changing moment for two elite flyweights.
The event can be seen live and for free by North American Prime Video subscribers.
Demetrious Johnson isn’t concerned about who his last opponent is
It’ll be an emotional moment when Demetrious Johnson decides to retire. Assuming he makes the announcement before the fight, ONE Championship will have a difficult task to determine Johnson’s last opponent.
During the AMA session on Reddit, a fan asked the 36-year-old if he had an opponent in mind for his retirement bout:
“DJ, injuries or unexpected events aside, how much longer would you like to fight? Also, what would be your ideal final match (place/opponent)?”
‘Mighty Mouse’ responded by saying:
“I see the light at the end of the tunnel dont really care who the last opponent is 😊”
Since making his professional MMA debut in 2009, Johnson has compiled a record of 24-4-1. Before joining ONE Championship, the Kentucky native dominated the UFC flyweight division to become a 12x world champion. He continued finding success in Asia, winning the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, the flyweight world championship, and a historic mixed-rules bout against Rodtang Jitmuangnon.
Watch highlights of Demetrious Johnson vs. Rodtang below:
Rodtang vs Demetrious Johnson (ONE X)
https://t.co/vBf7VgBHl4