“Hard worker, great athlete, and a good student” - What Demetrious Johnson is most proud of in MMA career
Whether the money was there or not, Demetrious Johnson has always prided himself on being a hard worker and ready to go anytime his number was called.
More than a year removed from his victory over Adriano Moraes at ONE Fight Night 10, 'Mighty Mouse' returned to the Circle to announce that he was officially retiring from mixed martial arts.
It was an emotional moment for Johnson and the slew of fight fans who have watched him go from a flyweight prospect to one of the greatest fighters in MMA history.
Shortly after figuratively laying down his four-ounce gloves, 'DJ' addressed the media to discuss his iconic career and what has helped him to become such a beloved figure in the world of MMA:
"There are a lot of guys who get to my status, you know, eight to nine title defenses, and they're like 'I want this much money.' And don't get me wrong, I did a little bit of that as well. But I always showed up when I fought. So I would say hard worker, great athlete, and a good student."
Demetrious Johnson leaves behind an unforgettable legacy in ONE Championship
Even before signing with ONE Championship in 2018, Demetrious Johnson had etched his name in the record books as one of the best flyweight fighters of all time. His run in ONE further solidified his spot on the Mount Rushmore of MMA.
'DJ' won three straight fights upon making his promotional debut, defeating Yuya Wakamatsu, Tatsumitsu Wada, and Danny Kingad to win the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix tournament. He would follow that up with the first trilogy of his career, going toe-to-toe with eight-time ONE world champion Adriano Moraes in three massive title clashes.
Johnson would win their last two meetings, claiming and retaining the ONE flyweight MMA world title in the process.
'DJ' will also leave ONE having competed in the first-ever mixed-rules bout against Thai icon Rodtang Jitmuangnon and being the inaugural inductee in the ONE Championship Hall of Fame.