Demetrious Johnson talks hypothetical boxing debut: “I want to make sure I am good”
Mixed martial arts legend ‘Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson has reached the pinnacle of his sport. We’re talking about rarified air at the upper echelon of fighting. To many, he is without prejudice, the greatest to ever do it.
But at this stage of his career, there is little for Johnson left to achieve in the realm of MMA. This is the reason why he’s shifting focus to specialized fights that will test specific parts of his skill set.
‘Mighty Mouse’ gave fans a taste of what he could look like in an all-striking battle when he fought ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon in a mixed-rules bout in 2022. Johnson ‘survived’ the Muay Thai round and went on to submit ‘The Iron Man’ with a rear-naked choke shortly after.
Recently, Johnson has spent some time on the mats, working on his jiu-jitsu, while rumors of a December showdown with ONE flyweight submission grappling world champion Mikey Musumeci circulate. Watching ‘Mighty Mouse’ in a pure grappling contest would be a treat for the fans.
But is there anything else for Johnson beyond that?
Speaking on a guest appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Johnson spoke about how he would train if he were to do boxing.
‘Mighty Mouse’ said:
“For me to go into boxing, I respect boxing so much that I know what it takes to be a very good boxer. Shift my weight a certain way. When I throw my punches, my punches aren't just set up, my knees, my shot, my kicks, my elbows. So for me to go from mixed martial arts to boxing, I'd probably literally take a strict year. To make sure when I go, I want to make sure I am good.”
MMA fighters dabbling in boxing is all the rage right now, with guys like Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, and most recently Nate Diaz trying their luck. Francis Ngannou, the former UFC heavyweight champion, is scheduled to fight Tyson Fury later this year.
Could we see Johnson compete in ‘the sweet science’? That would surely be a ‘mighty’ sight.