"He gets respect" - Daniel Cormier believes Demetrious Johnson will fit right in as an MMA analyst and commentator
A big reason why Demetrious Johnson is beloved worldwide is his charisma and high fight IQ. 'Mighty Mouse' is indeed an eloquent and articulate individual, which is why Daniel Cormier believes he'll have a bright future in broadcasting if he decides to pursue the microphone now that he has retired from MMA.
'DC', who made a successful transition to the broadcast booth after ending his fighting career, sees a similar path for the former ONE flyweight MMA champion.
Cormier said on ESPN's Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast with Chael Sonnen:
“I think what spoke the truest to Demetrious Johnson, he left for ONE FC and finished his career there. We did the best fighters of all time [on his Mighty channel], and he was sitting right up on that stage with us breaking down fighters because he gets respect."
Watch the full episode:
Demetrious Johnson has shown glimpses of his incredible ability to break down fights while doing guest side commentary for ONE, as well as in his growing MightyCast podcast on YouTube.
'DJ' exhibited an incredible understanding of the intricacies of the fight game throughout his career and it seems like an analyst gig will be the perfect transition for him.
Plus, as Cormier pointed out, there's no better source for fight commentary than MMA veterans who actually earned their stripes on the battlefield and know what they're talking about.
Demetrious Johnson says he'll continue being around martial arts after retirement
We may no longer see Demetrious Johnson in four-ounce gloves inside the circle, but he'll still be around the sport he loves.
For one, 'DJ' vowed to continue competing in Gi jiu-jitsu and said he's not closing the door on a possible submission grappling affair in the world's largest martial arts organization.
But for now, Johnson simply wants to spend every waking moment with his loving family and take a second to admire his career achievements. The 38-year-old MMA legend said during the ONE 168: Denver post-event press conference:
"I just wanna enjoy what I’ve done and walk away...So it is pretty hard, but I am relieved to be able to say I’m finally done."
The full replay of ONE 168: Denver is available for Prime Video subscribers in North America.