“I need to use everything” - Demetrious Johnson on why he will never consider a pure striking fight
Demetrious Johnson has long been considered a legend of the sport, but while he holds the status as an MMA GOAT, he would refrain from entering a pure striking fight.
Even after experiencing a mixed rules super fight with ONE flyweight Muay Thai king Rodtang Jitmuangnon, who's going to defend his title at the star-studded ONE 169: Atlanta on November 8, 'Mighty Mouse' says he would need some time to adjust for a full-on striking bout.
The legendary athlete spoke with JAXXON Podcast in a recent interview, revealing that he still has that need to wrestle with his opponent and use his overall skills which have brought him to where he is right now.
Johnson said about the possibility of having a striking-only superfights:
"Hell no. They’re going to kick me. I need to wrestle. I need to use my jiu-jitsu. I need to use everything. That [match with Rodtang] was different. First round Muay Thai, second round MMA, third round Muay Thai, fourth round MMA. When I throw my jab it’s for the purpose of throwing a leg kick or knee. I’m not throwing it like a boxer."
He added:
"So, if I was going to do a different art form, I would take like six or seven months of just training that and then pursue it. For me, I don’t see myself doing karate because I don't want to train karate. If I was gonna do something else, it would be a boxing match."
Catch the full interview below:
Kade Ruotolo teaches Demetrious Johnson to tighten his chokes
It is always amazing to see two masters of their craft training together, and that's what happened when MMA GOAT Demetrious Johnson ventured into a training session with the Ruotolo Brothers.
In fact, the ONE flyweight MMA king mentioned in his MightyCast that Kade Ruotolo taught him how to squeeze harder with his trapezius muscles:
"A lot of people squeeze with their arms and they forget [to use] their back and how much force they can get from there."
Next, Kade Ruotolo will return to action at ONE 168: Denver, where he will defend his ONE lightweight submission grappling world title against fellow ONE world champion Mikey Musumeci.
Tickets for ONE 168: Denver are available via Ticketmaster.