Demetrious Johnson takes pride in legendary martial arts career: “I'd probably say I'm the easiest athlete to work with”
Demetrious Johnson is proud of what he was able to accomplish in his martial arts career, not only for the wins and world titles he had, but also because he believes he did it the right way.
'Mighty Mouse' called it a career in mixed martial arts at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6. He said that after carefully thought and consultations with his team and family, he arrived at the decision that it was time to move on to the next chapter of his life.
During the post-event press conference for ONE 168, Demetrious Johnson spoke about the legacy he has left in MMA, sharing:
"I've never thought about that. [Chatri Sityodtong: I'd define it, he's the GOAT!] Yeah, hard worker, you know. Hard worker, I'd probably say from what I've achieved in mixed martial arts, I'd probably say I'm the easiest athlete to work with. Never failed a drug test, every single time the USADA came to me, I made it happen."
Check out what he had to say below:
Demetrious Johnson, who retired as the reigning flyweight MMA king, fought in the tailend of his MMA career in ONE, seeing action in seven matches and winning six of them.
Prior to joining the promotion, he also had an impressive run at UFC.
Demetrious Johnson to focus now on jiu-jitsu
Demetrious Johnson's MMA journey may have come to an end but fight fans should expect him to continue competing in jiu-jitsu, which he has found new appreciation for.
He shared this during his MMA retirement announcement at ONE 168: Denver on Sept. 6, saying that jiu-jitsu is something he would like to pursue moving forward.
Johnson, 38, started competing in jiu-jitsu last year and has had considerable success in it, including winning gold in the brown belt Master 2 featherweight class at the 2024 IBJJF Pan Championship in Florida. He has since earned his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
Interestingly, Johnson could fight his way back in ONE Championship at some point in the future, competing in submission grappling, something he said he is open to.