“I will be doing something active in 2024” – Demetrious Johnson hints at possible return
Reigning ONE flyweight world champion Demetrious Johnson plans to stay active in 2024.
After dominating the world of mixed martial arts for nearly two decades, ‘Mighty Mouse’ recognizes that his time in the sport could be coming to a close. However, that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to blast through the competition, claiming world championships and improving his skills with each passing day.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Mighty Gaming, Demetrious Johnson confirmed that he will remain active in combat sports, though he could not provide any additional insight into where fans will see him next.
“I will be doing something active in 2024 whether it's fighting, jiu-jitsu, I'm not sure yet. This is the first time in my life that I'm not having to worry about when my next fight is. I'm truly focused on building my YouTube and brand," Johnson said.
Making his ONE Championship debut in 2019, Johnson has already claimed both the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Championship and flyweight MMA world championships, further establishing himself as one of the pound-for-pound greatest competitors of all time.
Demetrious Johnson’s legendary trilogy with Adriano Moraes
Despite having nearly 20 years of experience in the sport, it wasn’t until signing with ONE Championship that Demetrious Johnson would compete in his first trilogy.
Meeting eight-time flyweight titleholder Adriano Moraes for the first time at ONE on TNT 1, ‘Mighty Mouse’ suffered the first knockout loss of his career, a defeat he quickly learned from.
Sixteen months later, the pair would run it back at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August 2022. This time, Johnson would come out on top, scoring a highlight-reel knockout in the fourth round to claim 26 pounds of ONE gold.
With the series even at 1-1, a third and final showdown was inevitable. It went down at ONE Fight Night 10 as ONE Championship made its North American debut.
Demetrious Johnson again came out on top, this time via unanimous decision, closing out their iconic trilogy with back-to-back wins.
Do you consider Johnson vs. Moraes as one of the greatest trilogies in MMA history? Let us know in the comments section!